California is set to prohibit private colleges and universities from granting special admissions advantages to applicants with family connections to the institution, a practice known as legacy admissions. Governor Gavin Newsom signed this legislation on Monday, marking a significant change in the admissions policies of elite private schools, including Stanford University and the University of Southern California (USC). The new law will take effect in the fall of 2025 and is part of a broader initiative to create a fairer admissions process.
This decision comes as educational institutions across the country are revising their admissions policies following a 2023 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that rejected race-based considerations in college admissions. While California’s public colleges have long banned legacy preferences, private institutions have continued to provide special treatment to the children of alumni and families of major donors.
Governor Newsom stressed that admissions should be determined by "merit, skill, and hard work" instead of family ties, asserting that the California Dream should be attainable for everyone. Assembly member Phil Ting, who sponsored the bill, noted the importance of creating equal opportunities to enhance diversity in higher education.
Supporters of legacy admissions argue that this practice does not lower academic standards. However, data from 2022 revealed that about 14% of admitted students at both Stanford and USC had legacy connections, raising concerns about equity in admissions. With California now joining Maryland as the second state to ban legacy admissions at private colleges, this law indicates a significant shift in how elite institutions will select their students in the future.
The true effect on the diversity of student admissions remains to be seen, but institutions such as Johns Hopkins University, which eliminated legacy preferences years ago, have reported increases in the enrollment of first-generation and low-income students.
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