By The New York Times (U.S.) | Created at 2024-09-30 15:47:47 | Updated at 2024-09-30 23:29:45
7 hours ago
U.S.|California Bans Legacy Admissions at Private Universities
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/30/us/california-bans-legacy-admissions-private-universities.html
You have a preview view of this article while we are checking your access. When we have confirmed access, the full article content will load.
The change will affect Stanford University, the University of Southern California and other private colleges in the state.
Sept. 30, 2024, 11:38 a.m. ET
California will ban some of the nation’s most selective colleges from using legacy admissions, as Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday signed legislation that will prohibit special consideration for applicants on the basis of their connections at private universities in the state.
The prohibition, which will affect Stanford University, the University of Southern California and other private colleges, comes as institutions nationwide have rewritten admissions rules after a Supreme Court ruling last summer that banned race-based considerations in the college admissions process. The case focused on affirmative action, but it also revealed how legacy status can play a role in selection at elite schools.
The University of California, the California State University system and other public California campuses have banned legacy admissions for decades. But private colleges have continued to give some deference to the descendants of alumni or major donors.
“If we value diversity in higher education, we must level the playing field,” Assemblyman Phil Ting, a San Francisco Democrat who wrote the bill, said in a statement. “That means making the college application process more fair and equitable. Hard work, good grades and a well-rounded background should earn you a spot in the incoming class — not the size of the check your family can write or who you’re related to.”
Only one other state, Maryland, bans legacy preferences at both private and public institutions. Illinois, Virginia and Colorado ban legacy admissions, but only at public universities and colleges.
Many selective colleges have historically offered special consideration for the children or grandchildren of alumni, in part to reinforce endowments that pay for a host of campus programs or subsidize tuition for students of lesser financial means.
