Regarding " Houston kids need help with the college-admissions maze (Opinion)," (July 17): I can’t disagree with the basic premise that disadvantaged students need more consideration at top-ranked colleges, but I think Anderson and Mends may be missing a key solution to making that happen. Now that the Supreme Court has struck down affirmative action in college admissions, perhaps it’s time to address the real elephant in the room: legacy admissions.
One study found that students are 45 percent more likely to get into a highly selective college if they’re considered “primary legacy,” meaning that at least one of their parents obtained a degree from the institution. This includes universities such as Harvard, whose incoming 2022 class had 36 percent qualify for legacy status. Legacy students don’t have to be of any particular gender, ethnicity, brilliance or character. They only need to have been born with a silver spoon in their mouth.
Carole Paul Vesely, Houston |
