My father immigrated from China to the United States. He spent most of his early adult life in China, but he wanted to apply for his master’s degree in the U.S. He and his sister got into USC, but neither could afford the tuition. 

While my high school statistics were on par with what USC was looking for, I vividly remember wishing they both went to USC so my application would be looked at more favorably. I felt it was unfair for schools to consider legacy admissions because a lot of my friends and I never had a chance to be legacies because of our families immigrating.

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Legacy admissions in California’s college admissions process may soon change. State Rep. Phil Ting proposed a bill that will prohibit California’s private colleges and universities from receiving funding through the Cal Grant program if they give preferential treatment to students who are related to alumni or donors.

“We’re told that opportunities are available to anyone who works hard and gets good grades. But that’s simply not true,” Ting wrote in a Feb. 28 press release. “There’s a side door for students who come from wealth or have connections.”

Legacy admissions are problematic: The American Civil Liberties Union asserts that legacy admissions exacerbates disparities and inequality in higher education. The ACLU also states that legacy admission gives preference to wealthy white students who “already benefit from greater access to wealth and educational resources.”

For the 2023-24 admission cycle, USC had a 10% acceptance rate, admitting 8,094 students — 14% of whom were legacy applicants. While USC admitted 25% first-generation students for the Class of 2027, the 14% could be better split by giving more spots to first-generation students, low-income students or other students of color. 

USC has heavy emphasis on the Trojan Family — our alumni network — which could make banning legacy admissions controversial. In a Youtube video about the role of legacy status, Timothy Brunold, the dean of admission, said legacy status is “very important” to USC as they believe in the “concept of family and carrying on family traditions.” Brunold acknowledged that legacy is a “plus factor” but not a guarantee.

In 2021-22, nearly 3,000 USC students received $26.6 million in Cal Grant financial aid. A decision by USC to continue legacy admissions, and thereby potentially end Cal Grant aid opportunities if the bill is approved, would negatively impact many students’ educational trajectories.

A 2019 study of legacy and athlete preference at Harvard University found that nearly 70% of the school’s legacy applicants were white. The study also found that removing legacy and athlete preferences would result in fewer high-income applicants and also “results in shifts in admissions away from white applicants with each of the other [racial and ethnic] groups either increasing or staying the same.”

With affirmative action gone, racial and ethnic diversity will drastically change. Black and Latine students will be disproportionately affected, especially in science, technology, engineering and mathematics education. Now, more than ever, it’s imperative that we ensure that higher education is a viable path for all. 

I personally believe being a part of the Trojan Family simply means being part of generations of former Trojans — whether it’s being part of a long line of Trojans or being the first alum in your family. 

The sense of community from the network of alumni doesn’t necessarily equate to familial ties by blood. When you commit to USC, you become part of the family, and our admissions process should reflect that by assessing students holistically and without bias. 

While I am all for an impartial admissions process, we don’t live in a perfect, fair world, which is why universities and colleges must consider a variety of factors — like resources available to students, socioeconomic status and background — when admitting students. Banning legacy admissions alone probably won’t fix the problem.

If universities ban legacy admissions, we can’t predict how they will distribute the seats set for legacy admissions. The Brookings Institution found, “Even where legacy students receive a substantial admissions advantage, the effects on diversity may not be substantial.”

While I don’t have a definitive answer on how to fix the broken American college admissions process, I believe higher education shouldn’t be a privilege, and legacy admissions inherently privilege some students over others. Banning legacy admissions is a first step toward a more meritocratic admissions process, but we cannot stop there if we truly believe every student deserves an equal chance at higher education.