Legacy admissions give the relatives of wealthy donors and alumni a huge advantage.
Which universities offer legacy admissions? Which have the biggest endowments? How much do their Presidents get paid? Follow along with this interactive infographic. Click on any person or logo for more details.
Should universities with billions of dollars in endowments and pamper their wealthy donors be treated as nonprofits? These universities pay little or no tax, but still use public infrastructure like roads and police which are paid for by working Americans who cannot afford their exorbitant fees?
The Republican packed Supreme Court just blocked President Biden's plan to provide student debt relief. This makes it harder for working Americans to get a quality education. Should wealthy donors be allowed to pack the Supreme Court with justices that favor the rich at the expense of working Americans?
(What is a fat cat? Slang for a wealthy executive who lavishly accumulates excess wealth beyond what ordinary people view as fair compensation.)
Legacy admissions favor wealthy and White applicants
The practice of more favorably viewing university applicants whose parents are alumni is known as “legacy” admission or preference... several studies have shown that legacy admissions overwhelmingly favor wealthy and White applicants, and critics have described the practice as reverse affirmative action — benefiting such students at the cost of applicants of color and other disadvantaged groups.
Legacy Admissions Take Center Stage
The practice of giving children of alumni an edge in admissions comes under fire and there is increasing pressure to end it... a study showed that children of alumni who applied to top schools were on average four times as likely to be admitted as applicants with the same test scores. President Biden has said giving preference to such candidates, a practice known as legacy admissions, expands “privilege instead of opportunity.” The Education Department announced a civil rights inquiry into Harvard’s legacy admissions practices after three liberal groups said it discriminated against Black, Hispanic and Asian American applicants. - N.Y. Times
How affirmative action for the super rich works
"Elite colleges have long been filled with the children of the richest families: At Ivy League schools, one in six students has parents in the top 1 percent. Children from middle- and upper-middle-class families — including those at public high schools in high-income neighborhoods — applied in large numbers. But they were, on an individual basis, less likely to be admitted than the richest..."
For applicants with the same SAT or ACT score, children from families in the top 1 percent were 34 percent more likely to be admitted than the average applicant, and those from the top 0.1 percent were more than twice as likely to get in. Yet the top 1 percent is overwhelmingly white. Some analysts have proposed diversifying by class as a way to achieve more racial diversity without affirmative action."
Children from middle- and upper-middle-class families — including those at public high schools in high-income neighborhoods — applied in large numbers. But they were, on an individual basis, less likely to be admitted than the richest..." - NY Times and Opportunity Insights
TakeAway: Provide student debt relief and end affirmative education for the super rich. Vote for Democrats!
Deepak
DemLabs
DISCLAIMER: ALTHOUGH THE DATA FOUND IN THIS BLOG AND INFOGRAPHIC HAS BEEN PRODUCED AND PROCESSED FROM SOURCES BELIEVED TO BE RELIABLE, NO WARRANTY EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED CAN BE MADE REGARDING THE ACCURACY, COMPLETENESS, LEGALITY OR RELIABILITY OF ANY SUCH INFORMATION. THIS DISCLAIMER APPLIES TO ANY USES OF THE INFORMATION WHETHER ISOLATED OR AGGREGATE USES THEREOF.
References:
The tradition of ‘legacy’ college admissions is under fire. Here’s why. - Washington Post
Schools have financial incentives to favor the relatives of alumni - NY Times
10 National Universities With the Biggest Endowments - U.S. News
Fat Cat: What it Means - Investopedia
Image Credit: Garfield by Jim Davis
President Biden provides $39 billion in Student Debt Relief
