California could become the fourth state to ban legacy admissions preferences at universities under a bill making its way through the State Legislature.
Many selective colleges have historically given to the children or grandchildren of alumni — who are much more likely to be white and wealthy than other applicants — an advantage in the admissions process. But the practice, never particularly popular with the public, has come under scrutiny since the U.S. Supreme Court ruled last year against affirmative action policies at colleges and universities.
After the court’s decision, some schools — including Occidental College, Carnegie Mellon and Wesleyan University — decided to stop giving preference to legacy applicants.
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