To make admissions in colleges more fair and honest, California has decided to ban private colleges and universities from giving special preference to applicants having family relations to the institutions. As per legacy preference or legacy admission, colleges in the United States give advantage to certain applicants on the basis of their family ties to alumni of the institution.
Emphasising that admissions should be based on 'merit, skill, and hard work' rather than family connections, Governor Gavin Newsom signed a legislation on Monday to end the legacy preference. The law, which takes effect in fall 2025, will mark a significant shift in admissions policies at elite private schools like Stanford University and the University of Southern California (USC).
California will now ban private colleges and universities from giving special admission consideration to applicants with family ties to the institution, a practice known as legacy preferences.
The new move in California comes as institutions are changing their admission process following the US Supreme Court's ruling against race-based considerations in 2023. While public institutions in California forbids legacy preference, private colleges continue to offer such special consideration to applicants having family connections in the institution.
Sharing insights on the affects of California's legacy ban, Rahul Subramaniam, co-founder, Athena Education says, "California's recent ban on legacy admissions signifies a crucial turning point in higher education, targeting entrenched inequalities that have historically favored affluent, predominantly white applicants."
He adds, "This legislative change opens the door for institutions to adopt holistic practices that assess academic achievements alongside the unique life experiences and challenges faced by applicants. First-generation college students and those from underrepresented backgrounds can now significantly enrich campus environments, fostering diverse perspectives that reflect society's complexity while adhering to new legal frameworks."
The implications of this ban are underscored by a 2023 study, revealing that wealth plays a significant role in admissions to elite private colleges, explains Mr Subramaniam. The study found that children from families in the top 1 per cent are more than twice as likely to attend Ivy-Plus colleges compared to middle-class peers with similar test scores. This stark reality highlights the urgent need for reform.