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It’s been called Affirmative Action for the Rich: Harvard’s admissions treatment for students whose parents graduated, or whose relatives donated money. And in a complaint filed Monday, a legal activist group called on the federal government to end it, arguing that justice was more urgent after supreme court Last week severely restricted acceptance of race-conscious. Three groups in the Boston area have asked that the Department of Education review the practice, saying admissions policies discriminate against black, Hispanic and Asian applicants, in favor of less qualified white candidates with alumni and donors.
“Why do we reward children for the privileges and advantages they have received from previous generations?” asked Ivan Espinosa Madrigal, executive director of Lawyers for Civil Rights, which is handling the case. “Your family last name and the size of your bank account are not a measure of merit, and they should have no bearing on the college admissions process.” The liberal groups’ complaint comes days after a conservative group, Students for Fair Admissions, won the Supreme Court case. And it increases pressure on colleges to remove special preferences for children of alumni and donors.
The Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights, which will review the complaint, may already be preparing an investigation. In a statement after the Supreme Court’s decision, President Joe Biden said he would ask the department to examine “practices such as legacy admissions and other systems that expand privilege rather than opportunity.”
A Harvard spokesperson echoed a statement issued last week: “As we have said, in the coming weeks and months, the university will determine how to maintain our core values, consistent with the court’s new precedent.” Colleges argue that this practice helps build community and encourages donations, which can be used for financial aid. A Pew Research Center poll last year showed that a growing share of the public — 75% — thinks old preferences shouldn’t be a factor.
Peter Arcidiocono, an economist who analyzed Harvard data, found that a typical white applicant’s chances of being accepted increased five times as much as a non-traditional white applicant. However, eliminating old preferences, the study says, will not make up for the loss in diversity if conscious acceptance of race is also eliminated.
“Why do we reward children for the privileges and advantages they have received from previous generations?” asked Ivan Espinosa Madrigal, executive director of Lawyers for Civil Rights, which is handling the case. “Your family last name and the size of your bank account are not a measure of merit, and they should have no bearing on the college admissions process.” The liberal groups’ complaint comes days after a conservative group, Students for Fair Admissions, won the Supreme Court case. And it increases pressure on colleges to remove special preferences for children of alumni and donors.
The Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights, which will review the complaint, may already be preparing an investigation. In a statement after the Supreme Court’s decision, President Joe Biden said he would ask the department to examine “practices such as legacy admissions and other systems that expand privilege rather than opportunity.”
A Harvard spokesperson echoed a statement issued last week: “As we have said, in the coming weeks and months, the university will determine how to maintain our core values, consistent with the court’s new precedent.” Colleges argue that this practice helps build community and encourages donations, which can be used for financial aid. A Pew Research Center poll last year showed that a growing share of the public — 75% — thinks old preferences shouldn’t be a factor.
Peter Arcidiocono, an economist who analyzed Harvard data, found that a typical white applicant’s chances of being accepted increased five times as much as a non-traditional white applicant. However, eliminating old preferences, the study says, will not make up for the loss in diversity if conscious acceptance of race is also eliminated.
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