BLUF: Three civil rights groups have filed a complaint with the Education Department requesting the end of Harvard University’s legacy admissions practices, which they argue favor white applicants at the expense of black, Hispanic, and Asian applicants.
Three Boston-area civil rights groups have lodged a complaint with the Education Department, urging them to terminate Harvard University’s legacy admissions practices. These practices give preferential treatment to applicants who have family ties to alumni or donors. The complainants argue that the legacy policies create an advantage for white candidates, while disadvantaging applicants from minority backgrounds. They cite a research paper from Duke University, which reveals that nearly 70% of both donor-related and legacy applicants are white. Furthermore, these applicants are almost seven and six times more likely to be admitted, respectively, compared to non-legacy candidates. The civil rights attorney Michael Kippins from Lawyers for Civil Rights (LCR) emphasizes the need to end this practice, stating that it grants undeserved privileges to the children of wealthy alumni and donors.
The complaint contends that legacy programs violate the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This comes just days following the Supreme Court’s ruling that “race-conscious” affirmative action admissions policies at Harvard and the University of North Carolina are unconstitutional. The complainants reference the Supreme Court’s decision, citing its statement that providing benefits to some applicants while denying them to others inevitably creates an imbalance. Advocates for legacy programs argue that they foster a sense of community and help secure important donations from alumni. Although legacy programs are common at various universities, they faced significant backlash after the Supreme Court ruling. Critics, particularly on the left, expressed outrage and questioned the use of legacy admissions. However, it is important to note that legacy admissions were not challenged in the recent affirmative action case.
The attacks on legacy admissions are not limited to one political party. Senator Tim Scott from South Carolina, a presidential candidate, suggested that Harvard should terminate legacy programs in order to improve its admissions process. Colorado has already banned legacy admissions at state-funded institutions, while other elite schools like Johns Hopkins, MIT, and Amherst do not practice legacy favoritism. Despite limited momentum against legacy admissions, it is expected that the trend opposing them will gain traction rapidly. As this occurs, it is anticipated that the media, commentators, and politicians will avoid discussing the reality of overrepresentation of Jews in elite institutions alongside the underrepresentation of certain racial groups. This highlights the historical controversy surrounding legacy admissions, with ties to limiting the admission of Jews and Catholics in the past. The perception and impact of legacy admissions continue to be complex and highly debated.
Perspective 1: Advocates for legacy admissions argue that they build a sense of community and enable universities to secure valuable donations from alumni. However, critics claim that legacy policies disproportionately benefit white applicants and perpetuate inequality in the admissions process. Understanding the historical context of legacy admissions is crucial to fully grasp the impact and controversy surrounding this practice.
Perspective 2: Legacy admissions face increasing scrutiny and bipartisan criticism. Organizations and lawmakers are calling for an end to the practice, arguing that family ties and financial status should not play a role in the college admissions process. This highlights a growing belief that admission decisions should be based solely on merit, rather than inherited advantages.
Perspective 3: The debate on legacy admissions extends beyond racial disparities. The admission rates of different racial and ethnic groups are often discussed, but less attention is given to the overrepresentation of Jewish students at elite institutions. The historical context of legacy admissions illuminates the complex dynamics of privilege and access in higher education.