January 14, 2005

Affirmative Action, Relatively Speaking

At many selective colleges, the children of employees get an edge in the admissions office

By Peter Schmidt

If you are employed full time by a selective college, there is a good chance that your institution is willing to bend its admissions standards to enroll your child.

The debate over race-conscious admissions policies has drawn scrutiny and criticism to some other admissions preferences, like those benefiting applicants with connections to alumni or big donors. But little attention has been paid to the significant edge that many selective colleges give to the children of their own