Legacy Admissions Analysis

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Let the Legacy Live In the USA Today editorial “Preserve Universities’ Right to Shape Student Community,” the editor discusses how universities heighten the rate of acceptance if one were to have family that was alumni. Known as legacy admissions, this requires certain criterion that is not based on academic achievement. According to the article, 12% of Dickinson College’s incoming freshmen have family connections giving them a boost over other applying students regardless of the GPA and standardized test scores. Legacy admissions are beneficial for a university and their tradition. Not only would it boost support from alumni, but also allow maintaining low tuition costs. Not to mention the government would be interfering with…show more content…
He or she argues that the government questions the college’s freedom to “reflect their unique character.” It is true; tradition is a big part of a university’s prestige. Tradition attracts students to certain schools and government interference would take away from that. The key word in “legacy admissions” is legacy. In some cases it is not just a college tradition, but family tradition. Parents leave legacies for their children to carry on once their time has come, whether it is in a fraternity, sorority, or a chapter of the university. The freshman class at the University of Notre Dame is 85% Roman Catholic, a tradition in their student body. Government interference would reduce this number and take away a part of Notre Dame’s…show more content…
It increases the support of the alumni, creating more active parents. This results in more donations if their children are enrolled in the same school they once were. With these donations, schools are able to maintain lower tuition costs benefitting the school and the students. Also, government interference would limit the tradition of the universities. It is unfair to single out legacy students as the ones who have the advantage of being accepted disregarding academics. Student athletes awarded athletic scholarships and students who make up a diverse culture to the university also have the same advantage. Without legacy admissions, tradition and diversity, this limits the college’s freedom to reflect their own character and hinders the college’s ability to shape its student

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