USA Today Editorial: Beware A&M's Logic of Admissions

Conclusion: “Critics say admissions should be based solely on

merit. But that argument assumes an objective standard can assess merit across the nation’s wide range

of college-bound students. In the subjective world of admissions, pure merit does not exist. Nor should

it.

“Choosing a diverse student body that contributes to a stimulating campus

environment is a freedom worth preserving.”[USA Today Editorial, web posted Jan. 25, 2004, see more

excerpts below.]
[Quote:] By pressuring colleges to drop legacy admissions, the federal

government would interfere with the right of universities to manage their own affairs as long as they

aren’t violating anti-discrimination laws.

Some universities are ending legacy

admissions on their own. Texas A&M stopped the practice last month in the face of criticism that it

kept legacy preferences even after dropping affirmative action.

Pressuring all

universities to follow Texas A&M’s example, however, sends the federal government down a slippery

slope…..[end quote]