In what can best be described as a feat of academic gymnastics, Harvard University has found itself at the center of a federal complaint alleging that its age-old practice of favoring children of alumni over applicants with fewer framed portraits of Harvard relatives in the dining room may be, surprise surprise, discriminatory.
The complaint, filed by the nonprofit group Lawyers for Civil Rights on behalf of three groups representing Black and Latino communities, claims that the university’s use of legacy admissions disproportionately benefits white and affluent applicants—many of whom probably never had to explain what FAFSA stands for at the dinner table.
Specifically, the complaint notes that nearly 70 percent of Harvard’s legacy applicants are white and receive a roughly six-times higher likelihood of admission than the average applicant, proving once again that while money cannot buy happiness, it might get you into Harvard even if you think a Pell Grant is a type of vineyard.
This challenge to legacy admissions comes hot on the heels of the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down affirmative action in college admissions, which effectively told universities that they may no longer consider race unless you’re a famous alumni’s grandchild in which case carry on.
Harvard, displaying the same eloquent reserve it teaches its undergraduates, responded to the complaint by saying it continues to review its admissions practices to ensure they are legal and reflect its “deep and abiding commitment to opportunity, diversity and excellence.” Which roughly translates to yes we are thinking about it, and also please stop calling.
Critics say that legacy admissions are little more than affirmative action for the already affirmative, preserving an aristocracy of privilege where access is inherited like a summer home or an archaic surname with more silent letters than syllables.
Meanwhile, defenders of the practice argue that legacy applicants help maintain university traditions and community spirit, particularly the tradition of funding a new science building named after their grandfather who was more interested in rowing than researching.
As higher education wrestles with its values in the wake of evolving legal decisions and public scrutiny, it remains to be seen whether institutions like Harvard will truly democratize access or simply find more elegant ways to do the same old thing with fancier language.
After all, if legacy admissions are history, someone please tell the class of 2042 to start networking now.