3 ms·

This legacy system in likes of Harvard boggles me. If someones parents went to Harvard it might be actually logical to be harder for him to get into not easier.

• skotobaza 3y ago
  Well if your parents went to Harvard then they had money to pay for Harvard. And they probably have money to pay for their children.
  • tourmalinetaco 3y ago
    Harvard and similar universities are all about “donations” to the school, so yeah. It’s definitely an assumption of generational wealth.
• gmarx 3y ago
  You are making some assumptions about what Harvard is attempting to do when filling its classes. If its goal is to have a class full of people who did the most with what they had you have an argument. If their goal is to maximize alumni support (financial and otherwise) then maybe not
• TrackerFF 3y ago
  What you need to know about Harvard is that they are a business. Their business is to amass donations from alumni and the likes. Their endowment fund is currently over $50 billions. Rich and successful alumni means more donations, so it makes sense to take in the kids of rich and successful people.
• jankyxenon 3y ago
  Harvard tries to be a pretty progressive organization - the way they justify legacy admissions is probably by arguing that the large endowments let them fund underprivileged students with needs-based programs. They’re also in the literal business of prestige. They use mega-donors for mega-endowments which allows them to attract and fund mega-researchers. It’s also why it needs to be super exclusive (small class sizes).