California bans universities from admitting students based on ‘legacy’
GuardianSEP 22 2024
California Bans Legacy Admissions
Above: The campus of UCLA Image copyright: Kevork Djansezian/Staff/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Facts
Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday signed into law a ban on legacy admissions at public and private universities starting in Sept. 2025.
This makes California the fifth state to ban legacy admissions and the second to ban them at private schools. Many states are searching for ways to diversify their universities' campuses after the 2023 US Supreme Court (SCOTUS) ended preferential treatment in admissions based on race.
Although schools will be allowed to admit students with alumni or donor ties, they'll no longer be permitted to treat those applicants differently in the admissions process.
The Spin
Right narrative
Under no circumstances is any legacy applicant gaining admission without being well-qualified, so colleges should have autonomy in their admissions decisions with the government staying out of the way. There are plenty of approaches to admissions that ensure a diverse student body without punishing those who want to exercise their loyalty and commitment to a school that matters to their family.
Left narrative
Legacy admissions are typically well-qualified, but giving them preferential treatment shatters the idea of a meritocracy as much as giving an admissions advantage to applicants based on race or gender. Laws like this may not have the impact on the makeup of student bodies that legislators hope, but in the name of fairness and the credibility of colleges, legacy admissions should end.
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Political split
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