On July 1, 2024, Maryland became the third state to completely ban the use of legacy admissions in all colleges and universities, marking a major turning point in history. Referring to giving preferential treatment to relatives of alumni in college admissions, legacy has been a subject of widespread debate in education for years.
The tradition of legacy admissions began about a century ago, entirely to benefit the privileged and elevate the Ivy Leagues, which were considered elite institutions. They were meant to be a gift to the wealthy, those with a higher social status and connections. However, not only does this practice exacerbate existing inequalities, but it also unfairly benefits children of alumni and wealthy families. This prompts the question: Is it really fair to continue legacy admissions when the disadvantages heavily outweigh the advantages? Absolutely not. Following several states’ lead, including Colorado, Virginia and now Maryland, legacy admissions should be banned entirely.
Through legacy, colleges are accepting prioritize and give advantages to certain students based on their parents, not by their individual achievements. Many deserving students, with potentially even better qualifications, are being rejected. “Of course academic merit comes first and it’s really unfair how large the role of legacy plays,” senior Elani Bui said.
Unfortunately, while colleges love to claim that they foster diversity and equity, legacy remains cemented in the admissions process of most top schools and all eight Ivy Leagues. According to BestColleges and NPR, Tthirty-two percent of the class of 2027 at Harvard University are comprised of legacy students, and 70 percent of them are White. Increased access to college counseling services and extravagant summer programs, combined with legacy, puts them donor-related applicants at a virtually insurmountable advantage over other students.
While underrepresentation as a result of legacy is one problem, preference based on wealth may pose even greater challenges. “…the bigger issue is being accepted through donations,” senior Elani Bui said. This practice perpetuates the cycle of the wealthy contributing, the wealthy gaining and the rest being completely overlooked. Many colleges and universities rely on donations from alumni and their children then reap the benefits with a significantly higher chance of getting into their dream school. Life-changing opportunities should not be denied to thousands of capable students who could easily thrive but have not had the chance or money to do so. “Legacy admissions just make the gap between people of higher and lower socioeconomic status that much greater,” RMS and IB Biology teacher Bessy Albaugh said. Life-changing opportunities should not be denied to thousands of capable students who could easily thrive but have not had the chance or money to do so. “I don’t think it’s fair for legacy admissions to continue when they’re based on something you can’t really control and didn’t work for,” freshman Abigail Marlowe said.
This system ultimately undermines meritocracy while promoting and entrenching discrimination. It is built on exclusion and prejudice and should not serve as the ideals and values of our education system over a century later. Dedication, hard work and a student’s individual accomplishments should always be the primary considerations.
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