What can we do instead of Affirmative Action?

[BillyMc]

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Once you control for higher education levels of the parents and opportunities for the child, the legacy boost doesn’t seem so big. A Duke legacy is likely to have a better chance at Duke than the published admit rate, sure–but that same legacy will likely have a better chance at Penn and Dartmouth as well because of a stronger application.

This is an excuse that only accounts for some of the difference. Harvard’s legacy admit rate is 30%. Would you say that 30% of all students whose parents had a good college education will be getting in?</p>

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socioeconomic AA

Is like putting a band-aid on a bullet wound. It does very little to solve the true problem the human race is facing; poverty. Without scrapping the current system and building it anew, socioeconomic AA will do little good in the big picture; with building a new system, there should be no need for socioeconomic AA, for the very idea of socioeconomic classes is an affront to human rights, dignity, and equality.</p>

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legacy admission is there to reward and make the alumnus donate money. that money is very important because it goes toward everything including financial aid.

This is true, and probably the best justification. Colleges didn’t make the system in which they need a lot of money to survive, they just have to deal with it.</p>

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legacy is a hook like athletic admission or knowing 5 languages or if your parents work at the college.

Speaking five languages is not a hook. The other two don’t have as big an impact as legacy, unless you’re one of the top athletic picks. But even the athlete gets in on his/her own merit for something.</p>

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legacy is not the same as race based AA because legacy can be gained or lost just like athletic abilities. race cant be changed.

How do you lose legacy? Getting your parents to disown you? It is firmly in the “born with it” category.</p>

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legacy also doesnt just pertain to one group of people. you can be any race and be a legacy.

Yes it does… that group is “people whose parents went here, who we will admit because we want their money.” That is one group, a group distinguished only by birth, just not a racial group.</p>

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plus, legacy also helps minorities and non minorities who graduated from top colleges because their kids will have easier time getting in.

College grads usually aren’t the ones with problems getting their kids into college.</p>

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but those who graduated from top colleges often have kids who are already successful at school and other areas like glassesarechic above says.

Which is a good reason for why legacy students shouldn’t even need the boost.</p>