Want a Diverse College Campus? End Legacy Admissions
By Attorney General Jason Miyares
Our country has provided more second chances to more people of different backgrounds, races, religions and creeds than any other country in the world. That’s the American dream. And our system of higher education is critical to its success.
For the children of immigrants, education is often the doorway to tremendous opportunity and prosperity.
For all Americans, regardless of birth, deciding where to go to college is one of a young person’s most stressful, critical and life-defining moments. Education is “the most potent engine of social mobility,” a ticket to a different life. I know this — because it was for me.
My mother fled Cuba’s communist regime penniless and homeless in the ’60s. Like so many immigrants, she was desperate for her children to have the opportunities denied to her in a society that failed to recognize individual dignity. She knew the possibilities here were endless because everyone has the same freedoms and rights, no matter where they are from.
That belief motivated me while I worked to put myself through undergraduate college and law school, as I worked as a local prosecutor and, eventually, during my campaign for attorney general of the commonwealth of Virginia.
As the first Hispanic elected to statewide office in Virginia and the first child of an immigrant to be attorney general, I’m proof that this belief — the American dream — is alive and well.
The recent Supreme Court decision on affirmative action in higher education means that the totality of one’s experiences, including socioeconomic status, personal challenges and triumphs, will be considered for admissions decisions.
This isn’t a new concept. California banned affirmative action in 1996, and in 2020, residents rejected affirmative action again by voting down Proposition 16. California — arguably the most liberal state and majority-minority — rejected the idea of using race, gender and ethnicity when making decisions on student admissions, contracting and hiring.
Many colleges and universities across the country have come out publicly opposing the Supreme Court’s ruling that affirmative action is unconstitutional, saying that this will harm the chances for minorities and low-income students to get into college.
But the great irony is these same schools actively give affluent, connected students unique resources and special treatment through legacy admissions. “Legacy” applicants are individuals who are children of alumni or have close connections to influential donors or faculty members.
Universities across the country give preferential treatment to legacy applicants. The University of Virginia has an “Admission Liaison Program” that provides legacies unique access to counselors and information sessions to shape their applications. Fourteen percent of the first-year class and transfers in 2021 were University of Virginia legacies.
Higher education systems claim to genuinely care about diversifying their student body population to reflect their states and communities. If that were the case, the archaic legacy system wouldn’t exist.
After eliminating legacy admissions, John Hopkins University evaluated changes in students’ demographics and found that minority representation increased by 10%, Pell Grant-eligible students increased by 10% and students on financial aid increased by 20%.
It isn’t to say that legacy students are unqualified, but students’ applications should be judged on what they can control: their course load, grades and extracurriculars — not the color of their skin or their parent’s choice of school.
According to Pew Research Center, nearly three-quarters of Americans believe race, ethnicity, gender and legacy status should not play a role in admissions decisions.
Colleges and universities use legacy applicants to keep donations flowing and maintain their aura of exclusivity. It often benefits the upper echelon and hurts middle- and lower-class America.
Colleges should consider individuals’ life experiences when reviewing their applications, including their socioeconomic status or how poverty has impacted their educational journey. Higher education must follow the Supreme Court’s lead and end the superficial legacy admissions system so the door to higher education is truly open to everyone.
The legacy admissions system has no room in a nation that values opportunity for all.
My mother chose America because she knew I would have every opportunity she was deprived of under socialism. America was founded on the idea that we’re all created equal — that no dream, no life is impossible. Of course, our nation has often fallen short of our ideals, but the beauty of this country is our ability to learn, renew and rebuild. It’s time for higher education to do the same.