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Two questions: 1. does having a parent who is an alum make a student more qualified? 2. does having a parent who is an alum increase the likelihood of an appl
by tqi 4y ago
Two questions:
1. does having a parent who is an alum make a student more qualified?
2. does having a parent who is an alum increase the likelihood of an applicant being accepted?
- 1letterunixname 4y agoUnfortunately, the current system is often yes to both.
- tqi 4y agoI actually disagree that the first is true, in and of itself. If you have two otherwise identical candidates except one is a Legacy candidate, then the answer is (tautologically) no, having a parent does not make you more qualified. But it's also true that that being a legacy gives that student an advantage, even if its limited to just getting put at the top of the pile to be reviewed. And if a segment of the population has been historically barred from attending these institutions, then I think it qualifies as an "unfair" advantage. Calling it "systematic racism" may bring with it a lot of other cultural baggage at the moment, but I think fundamentally we can at least agree that Legacy Admissions are a way of preserving the status quo, in opposition to social mobility.