Legacy Preferences

ARGUMENT FOR LEGACY PREFERENCES

Prestigious universities and colleges often rely on the business, work, publicity, donations or funds from alumni. Thus, these colleges and universities often implicitly agree to give preference to any relatives of that alumni in the admissions process as a favor to alumni. Donations from alumni are often instrumental in affording many expenses at that institution, including architectural and technological renovations as well as covering the financial aid of economically disadvantaged students.

Supporters also argue that students admitted as legacies are more likely to understand the values of the college or university community.

CRITICISM

Opponents accuse these programmes of perpetuating an Oligarchy and Plutocracy as they lower the academic merit in admissions process. Opponents charge the wealthiest families in the nation are given an insurmountable advantage which hinders economic fluidity.

Supporters of Affirmative Action often charge that affirmative action opponents will often be indifferent or supportive of legacy preferences in college admissions process but hastily argue to rid affirmative action programs. Affirmative action supporters often charge that legacy preferences are a type of implicit affirmative action for affluent white males, which furthers the advantage they have over underrepresented or historically discriminated ethnic minority groups. However, some groups either support or oppose both affirmative action and legacy preferences simultaneously. For example, the conservative former Regent of the University of California, Ward Connerly , opposes both affirmative action and legacy admissions.

SEE ALSO

Nepotism

Affirmative Action

OUTSIDE RESOURCES

The Economist: Meritocracy in America

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Legacy Preferences