How advocacy groups are changing admissions into elite universities in the US

The admissions process at elite universities the United States is under pressure from advocacy groups, as another example of the polarization of issues in the country.

That is what the Supreme Court did with a July ruling that rejected affirmative action in universities, effectively eliminating a policy that has worked for decades.

The decision referred to race-conscious admissions programs at Harvard and the University of North Carolina. The justices qualified them as unreconcilable with the equal protection clause.

Affirmative action allows universities to look at the ethnicity of their applicants as a part of their admission process, guaranteeing spaces for underrepresented groups.

The ruling was controversial inside the Supreme Court. There were six votes in favor and three against, sparking vocal and public dissent from liberal justices—a rare thing.

President Biden also spoke about his dissent regarding the court's decision. According to The New York Times, he said the ruling was a step backward.

Experts cited by different outlets agree that ending affirmative action will affect the diversity of universities by reducing the chances for Black and Latino students to get in.

The New York Times also explains that it can have a domino effect, narrowing options for those communities in other selection processes, like job applications.

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The immediate response of advocacy groups was to use the court ruling to challenge Harvard's legacy admissions: those provided for children of alumni.

According to the Associated Press, advocacy groups believe legacy admissions are unfair without affirmative action to counterbalance their effect on campus diversity.

The complaint claims it gives an unfair advantage to the primarily white and already privileged children, usually from wealthy households.

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However, an interesting analysis by Dr. Shamus Khan, a professor of sociology and American studies at Princeton, claims that not much would change if elite schools eliminated legacy now.

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Khan explained that legacy students come from privileged households, which already gives them an advantage and makes it easier to access elite universities.

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That privileged background generally allows parents to pay for the resources and experiences needed to "make their children seem, miraculously, naturally qualified," he said.

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Dr. Khan points out that legacy admissions served unprivileged minority students more than legacy children because of the effect that graduating from an elite school has on their life.

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Evidence shows that attending an elite school made no difference to the earnings of legacy children later in life. But it did change the lives of poor students, students of color, and students whose parents didn't have a college degree.

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According to Dr. Khan, that happens because, aside from the excellent education, unprivileged students benefit from the connections they make in elite schools.

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However, he acknowledges that the policy has no purpose and can be considered unfair and unjustified without affirmative action. It will have few students to benefit.

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