When someone applies to college, there’s often a box or a section on the application that asks about any relatives who attended the university — perhaps a parent or a cousin. This is called “legacy,” and for decades it’s given U.S. college applicants a leg up in admissions. But no longer in Colorado’s public colleges.
On Tuesday, Colorado became the first state to do away with that admissions boost when Democratic Gov. Jared Polis signed a ban on the practice into law. The governor also signed a bill that removes a requirement that public colleges consider SAT or ACT scores for freshmen, though the new law still allows students to submit test scores if they wish. Both moves are aimed at making higher education access more equitable.
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