Amherst to stop offering legacy preference in admissions

TigerInWinter
Tue, 14 Dec 2021 20:41:27 +0000

You weren’t addressing me, but I’ll answer your question about why non-wealthy alumni would contribute to their uber-wealthy alma mater: I contribute to Princeton because they gave me a ton of financial aid when I was a student there. I am grateful for the opportunity to have attended, and my small contribution each year feels like repaying a debt, even if the practical benefits to the university are negligible.

Of course, one could argue that my meager donations would be better contributed to a local food bank, or to a nonprofit that makes microloans to female entrepreneurs in India, or to a medical NGO that repairs fistulas for people in low-income countries. And that is a rational argument that I completely agree with. But for me, donating to my alma mater is an emotionally satisfying act, and an opportunity to (forgive my use of this cliche) pay it forward.