A backlash is growing against another elite college practice: ‘Legacy’ admissions

illuminem summarises for you the essential news of the day. Read the full piece on The Wall Street Journal or enjoy below:

🗞️ Driving the news: A bipartisan coalition—led by Edward Blum, who helped dismantle affirmative action—is targeting “legacy” admissions at elite universities, calling on the U.S. Education Department to investigate the practice of giving preference to children of alumni
• Critics argue that legacy preferences entrench privilege and inequality in the admissions process, favoring wealthy, white applicants over more diverse and deserving candidates

🔭 The context: Legacy admissions have long been defended as a way to build alumni loyalty and institutional tradition
• But growing scrutiny of systemic inequities in higher education — especially after the Supreme Court ended race-based affirmative action — has shifted public and political attention to other forms of advantage that disproportionately benefit privileged students

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: A fair and equitable education system is foundational for building diverse leadership in climate, science, and policy
• When elite institutions uphold legacy preferences, they risk excluding first-generation and underrepresented students who could lead in sustainability innovation and environmental justice
• Breaking down these barriers helps ensure broader access to the tools needed for a just transition

⏭️ What’s next: The Department of Education is being urged to collect data and issue new guidelines on legacy admissions
• Legal and political momentum is building, with advocates aiming to eliminate the practice through regulation or litigation
• Several universities, including Johns Hopkins and Amherst, have already dropped legacy preferences voluntarily

💬 One quote: “Legacy applicants have done nothing meritorious to earn this advantage,” wrote Edward Blum, joined by economist Peter Arcidiacono and policy analyst Richard Kahlenberg

📈 One stat: At some Ivy League schools, legacy students make up more than 10% of incoming classes—despite legacy applicants being significantly more likely to be white and from wealthy families

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