Use this search box to find articles that have run in our newspapers over the last several years.
Date: 8/3/2023
WILBRAHAM — Legislation is being considered on Beacon Hill that would ban state universities from considering an applicant’s relation to an alum in its admission decision, a practice known as legacy admissions. Minnechaug Regional High School rising senior Abyssinia Haile, incoming state president of the Massachusetts Association of Student Councils, spoke in favor of House bill H.1282 and Senate bill S.821.
Haile told legislators, “I’ve been many ‘firsts’ — the first black editor-in-chief for my school’s newspaper, the first black female president for our state’s student government organization, and next fall, the first in my family to attend a four-year college or university in the United States.”
The student, whose parents are from Ethiopia, said she is not “lucky” enough to have family that went to college in the United States and spoke about how a student’s “family connections” could outweigh her “perseverance, resilience, and the power of a hard effort” as a determining factor in whether she is accepted to a college.
Haile left the legislators to ponder when she told them, “If these institutions truly care for the welfare of education for all, regardless of race, sex, or creed, they must put an end to legacy preferences, a practice that demeans such morals. Why should Massachusetts allow colleges and universities to make it harder for students like me to attend? We should remove barriers, so everyone has an equal chance.”
While Haile found testifying “intimidating,” she told Reminder Publishing, “I knew my words were going to be powerful in that moment. It was a very exciting opportunity to have.”
Haile became involved in the issue after the U.S. Supreme Court’s June decision to prohibit the use of affirmative action in higher education admissions. Affirmative action is a set of practices designed to increase workplace and educational opportunities for historically underrepresented or marginalized communities. Haile said race-conscious admissions were “painted as unfair,” but by comparison, legacy admissions are “more unfair.” She said, “Now, with affirmative action gone, [legacy admission] is a hindrance. Why when we focus on how lush America is in opportunities, why do we have these policies that hinder some?”
The legacy admissions legislation was drafted by Education Reform Now MA, an organization that works on promoting equity in educational access and affordability. The bills were filed by state Rep. Mike Moran (D-Boston) and state Sen. Lydia Edwards (D-Boston).
“I consider Massachusetts to be the higher education capital of the country,” said Education Reform Now MA Executive Director Mary Tamer. According to the American Civil Liberties Union, “Legacy admission policies were enacted among America’s elite higher education institutions as an antisemitic reaction to the increasing enrollment of Jewish immigrant students after World War I.”
Tamer said, “These are highly coveted seats. When you consider who benefits from these admissions — white, wealthy individuals — the seats are not going to first-generation, low-income or people of color. We believe we’re about 100 years too late in removing legacy admissions.”
Haile said the issue is of legacy admissions is not specific to Massachusetts, but said it might seem more prevalent in the state because it is home to “many old, prestigious institutions.”
There has been a nationwide push to eliminate preference given to students related to alums. In 2021, Colorado became among the first states to ban the practice at its public colleges and universities. Locally, Amherst College stopped weighing legacy admissions in 2021. Since then, the college has stated that there has been a decrease in legacy admissions from 11% to 6%. Meanwhile, the number of students who are the first generation in their families to attend college rose to 19%, a record at the institution.
If the legislation passes and is signed into law, it is set to become effective in the 2024-2025 school year.
"We think we have a real chance at changing things,” Tamer said. “What family you are born into shouldn’t determine where you go to college.”