Exclusive Admissions Consideration for Wealthy and Connected Children
Children of the wealthy and connected receive special admissions consideration at some elite U.S. universities, according to new filings in a class-action lawsuit originally brought against 17 schools.
Georgetown’s President’s List
Georgetown’s then-president, for example, listed a prospective student on his “president’s list” after meeting her and her wealthy father at an Idaho conference known as “summer camp for billionaires,” according to Tuesday court filings in the price-fixing lawsuit filed in Chicago federal court in 2022.
MIT Dean’s Email
Stuart Schmill, the dean of admissions at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, wrote in a 2018 email that the university admitted four out of six applicants recommended by then-board chairman Robert Millard, including two who “we would really not have otherwise admitted.” The two others were not admitted because they were “not in the ball park, or the push from him was not as strong.”
Latest Developments in the Lawsuit
The filings are the latest salvo in a lawsuit that claims that 17 of the nation’s most prestigious colleges colluded to reduce the competition for prospective students and drive down the amount of financial aid they would offer, all while giving special preference to the children of wealthy donors.
Schools Reach Settlements
Since the lawsuit was filed, 10 of the schools have reached settlements to pay out a total of $284 million, including payments of up to $2,000 to current or former students whose financial aid might have been shortchanged over a period of more than two decades. They are Brown, the University of Chicago, Columbia, Dartmouth, Duke, Emory, Northwestern, Rice, Vanderbilt, and Yale.
Remaining Schools
Johns Hopkins is working on a settlement and the six schools still fighting the lawsuit are the California Institute of Technology, Cornell, Georgetown, MIT, Notre Dame, and the University of Pennsylvania.
Defendants’ Responses
MIT called the lawsuit and the claims about admissions favoritism baseless. “MIT has no history of wealth favoritism in its admissions; quite the opposite,” university spokesperson Kimberly Allen said. “After years of discovery in which millions of documents were produced that provide an overwhelming record of independence in our admissions process, plaintiffs could cite just a single instance in which the recommendation of a board member helped sway the decisions for two undergraduate applicants.”
Conclusion
The lawsuit sheds light on the often secret deliberations of university heads and admissions officials, raising questions about fairness and transparency in the admissions process.
FAQs
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Q: What is the lawsuit about?
A: The lawsuit claims that 17 elite colleges colluded to reduce competition and give special preference to the children of wealthy donors. -
Q: Which schools have reached settlements?
A: Brown, the University of Chicago, Columbia, Dartmouth, Duke, Emory, Northwestern, Rice, Vanderbilt, and Yale. -
Q: Which schools are still fighting the lawsuit?
A: California Institute of Technology, Cornell, Georgetown, MIT, Notre Dame, and the University of Pennsylvania. - Q: What do the schools say about the allegations?
A: Some schools have denied the allegations, calling them baseless. Others have acknowledged admitting students with subpar academic backgrounds.
