No Upper Hand: What Private Colleges Say About Legacy Students (And Other Headlines)

Do you smell that? It’s the aroma of ironed out, brand new Old Navy and Target ‘fits and fresh hairstyles. Just take one look down your Facebook timeline, and you’ll see what I mean. It’s ANOTHER SCHOOL YEAR for everybody's kids, including first-time college students. They’re about to experience a huge, life-changing journey as they step inside the halls of higher learning.

But let’s take a small detour to the admissions office. Things there might be changing.

SoCal Colleges Say No Advantage For Legacy Applicants

Private colleges are rethinking how they consider applicants who have parental ties or other connections to their institutions, otherwise known as legacies. Colleges nationwide are either changing their process to make it more weighty or getting rid of legacy admissions all together, like Virginia Tech and Wesleyan University.

So, what do some of our well-known Southern California private universities have to say about this? My colleague Adolfo Guzman-Lopez writes that colleges in California that receive state funding are now required to submit annual reports about how they handle legacy admissions. Many said they do consider a prospective student’s alumni or donor connections, but that those applicants were not given preferential treatment over others in the admissions process for the fall of 2022.

The University of Southern California reported that for this past school year, 1,740 out of a total of 8,304 students admitted in the fall had ties to donors and alumni, adding that non-qualified students were not accepted regardless of who they knew. Pepperdine University said its overall acceptance rate for legacy students was lower compared to non-legacy applicants. 

Mitchell Chang, professor of education at UCLA and the interim provost of diversity, equity, and inclusion, says this matters: “[Focus on legacy admissions] will rub some of the shine away from those colleges and universities that we’ve been putting on a pedestal.”

Read Adolfo's story to learn more about why this shift is occurring nationwide and how specific schools in Southern California approach the legacy question in the admission process.

Stay safe and cool, L.A. There’s more news below — just keep reading.

How To LA

We’re here to help curious Angelenos connect with others, discover the new, navigate the confusing, and even drive some change along the way.

Listen Now

More news

(After you stop hitting snooze)

• Tempers flared at a Los Angeles City Council meeting Thursday when discussing missing data points on the mayor's Inside Safe program, suggesting the city might be paying for unused services. My colleague Nick Gerda has the details.
• On Thursday, just before meeting with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers for the first time in months, the Writers Guild of America issued a statement saying the group representing studios and streaming companies “wasted months” on a “failed strategy.” The WGA is expected to meet with the AMPTP today to talk about a restart to the negotiation process. 
• Nearly 100 people filled out the LAist survey about how the dual WGA and SAG-AFTRA strike was impacting their personal and professional lives. My colleague Caitlin Hernández spoke with some of the people who responded about how they’re getting by. Some in the entertainment industry are actually considering other gigs in order to survive. 
• After 15 years, UCLA’s Chancellor Gene Block announced his retirement. My colleague Adolfo Guzman-Lopez wrote about his achievements and shortcomings during his tenure. 
• The vacant Pacific Theatres in Chatsworth will soon turn into a Tesla delivery and service center. My colleague Gillian Morán Pérez wrote about her childhood memories in the San Fernando Valley theater. 
• A lawsuit that was filed on behalf of Temecula Valley Unified students, teachers and teacher union members stated the district’s school board has created a hostile school environment after trying to ban “critical race theory and other similar frameworks.” EdSource’s Diana Lambert has more details on this story.

Wait! One more thing ...

What do Art Laboe, cats and magic all have in common? They're all on this weekend's Best Things To Do List!

Art Laboe with Little Richard. Laboe is now heard on two radio shows, The Art Laboe Sunday Special, and The Art Laboe Connection.

(

Courtesy of Original Sound

)

Art Laboe was a beloved radio host, songwriter, record producer and radio station owner. He made a huge impact on Los Angeles. Spend your Saturday night enjoying performances by Aaron Frazer of Durand Jones & The Indications, Norman Carter of The Delfonics and so much more at the free Grand Performances’ Art Laboe tribute concert.

If you’re into tarot card readings, yoga and Victorian homes, you have to check out the Magic Market at Heritage Square Museum tomorrow night.

There’s an event for every kind of person this weekend (including cat people!), so make sure you check out this weekend’s Best Things To Do list.