NYT > Colleges and Universities
California bans legacy admissions at selective private colleges, following Gov. Newsom’s legislation signing. The move, affecting institutions like Stanford and USC, follows a Supreme Court ruling banning race-based admissions considerations. Public California campuses have long banned legacy admissions, but private colleges continued favoring alumni descendants or major donors. The aim is to make college applications fairer, valuing hard work and good grades over family connections or wealth. Maryland is the only other state banning legacy preferences at all institutions.