Wednesday, October 29, 2003

Opposed to affirmative action in college admissions? Then you shouldn't object to this:

Senate Democrats Tuesday proposed requiring colleges to report data on two popular admissions policies -- preferences for alumni relatives, known as legacies, and for students who apply early -- that tend to favor affluent white students over low-income minorities.

Under a bill filed by Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, who was himself a legacy admission to Harvard University, colleges would have to report on the race and economic status of first year students who are relatives of alumni or were admitted under early-decision programs that require students to enroll in the school if they are accepted early....


--Wall Street Journal article reproduced at Free Republic

Good for class-traitor Kennedy.

Also supporting the bill, according to the article, is John Edwards, whose father was a millworker. The article also notes, perhaps surprisingly, that Trent Lott (whose father was a pipefitter) has criticized legacies. But

New Hampshire Sen. Judd Gregg, a Republican and chairman of the Senate education committee, isn't seen as likely to back the measure.

Gregg attended Columbia while his father attended Yale, so he's not, strictly speaking, a legacy -- unless you go down to the prep-school level (father and son both attended Phillips Exeter).

(If you're wondering, I'm a truck driver's son and I went to Columbia. I'm not a legacy.)

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