Stephen Mihm notes:
““Legacy students”
now make up almost a third of the incoming class at Harvard, with comparable
numbers at other elite universities. How that came to pass is a strange story
that raises profound questions about the function and future of higher-education
admissions.”
Update:
Update:
Nicholas Kristof notes:
“Most of the best universities in America systematically discriminate in favor of affluent, privileged alumni children. If that isn’t enough to get your kids accepted, donate $5 million to the university, and they’ll get a second look...
“Legacy preferences give a leg up to applicants who have typically led privileged lives,” said Susan Dynarski, a (Harvard-trained) professor of economics, education and public policy at the University of Michigan. “It’s the polar opposite of affirmative action, which boosts applicants who have faced adversity. It’s unconscionable for a handful of elite colleges to amass enormous tax-advantaged endowments and use them to perpetuate privilege in this way.””