In the article Should Colleges and Universities Get Rid of Legacy Admissions it speaks on the fact that many areas like Virginia are beginning to get rid of legacy in the admissions process for university. Personally I am not sure that completely removing it is the answer because most universities would not follow this however I think it would be very helpful if it is something that is considered less when applying to school. I believe that in some cases legacy does give an unfair advantage, for example if two people have the exact same resume, one of them would be admitted based on the fact that they had a family member as an alumni rather than something that is more important.
Honestly after learning that Virginia was getting rid of legacy I was very shocked because it seemed like legacy was something that was set in stone in the admissions process because it had been an idea for so long. However I do not think that many schools will follow Virginia and I think that this is mostly due to financial reasons. If a college sees that a family member attended the school they would rather admit someone they believe will end up attending the school then someone they aren’t sure about. As to whether banning legacy is good and the effect it would have on ethnic minorities, there are valid arguments for both sides. Some believe that legacy is giving people an unfair advantage only based on who their family is which should not matter when you are the one applying for schools. On the other hand others say that keeping legacy creates a way to ensure that future generations feel compelled to attend college.
I believe that universities should prioritize many things above legacy, for example things like the student essay, extracurriculars, grades, and the students character. Personally when applying to college I found that legacy was something that I did not while many of my peers did and that was a reason they got into a lot of schools. Both of my parents did not attend college because they were not able to and I feel like this circumstance should not have narrowed my options with colleges. For this reason I feel like legacy should be something that should be considered less.
I agree with this. I have read many articles about how admitted students have generational admission based on their parents and grandparents. Although this is impressive, it shouldn’t be given preference to students who don’t have the same opportunities as others. Many admissions officers don’t consider the fact that the reason that certain students do and do not have a legacy is based on their financials.
I think they should remove it. Just being related to someone doesn’t mean you’re going to be a good candidate to pick. I do agree however with what you said about most schools not following this
I agree, universities should prioritize other things above legacy, especially when it is not something you can choose to have.
I agree that colleges should get rid of legacy admissions as although a family member when to a specific college it should be an indicator or factor of the type of student that you are if that were the case.