“Legacy Admissions” and the Legacy of Discrimination Against Black and Latino College Applicants
By Giselle Castaneda and Dr. Benjamin M. Drury
College admission processes have come under increasing scrutiny for their potentially racist reasoning for allowing some students to join their student body while rejecting others who are perfectly qualified — sometimes even better qualified — but do not fit the racial profile needed to balance the student demographics on campus…or at least hit the required percentages to facilitate some form of grant or other funding source to open. With the recent Supreme Court decision striking down affirmative action policies, the debate surrounding legacy preferences in college admissions has gained momentum in the aftermath. Legacy preferences refer to the practice of giving preference to applicants with family ties to alumni of the institution. Critics of legacy admissions have long argued that this practice, historically seen as benefiting the white and wealthy, is no longer justifiable in a world without affirmative action as a counterbalance. President Biden, in response to the court’s ruling, suggested that colleges should reconsider the use of legacy preferences, stating that they “expand privilege instead of opportunity.” This sentiment has been echoed by several Democrats in Congress, who have called for an end to the policy, as well as…
