Elite colleges and universities say they want to diversify their student bodies, and yet they continue to favor white students with certain credentials and fail to keep up with the changing demographics in our country. Despite affirmative action, Black and Hispanic students were more underrepresented at top colleges in 2015 than they were in 1980, though their numbers improved at some elite schools during the pandemic.
One reason: children of alumni. Known as legacy students, these students are up to eight times more likely to be accepted at elite colleges, according to one estimate.
