UF, other State Schools (not USF) give preference to kids of Alumni

[___ Eats It]

Thought this was an interesting read, particularly the quote from the USF admissions director.

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http://www.palmbeachpost.com/state/content/state/epaper/2008/08/10/legacies0810.html

UF, 2 others use 'dirty little secret' for alums' kids

By KIMBERLY MILLER

Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

Sunday, August 10, 2008

The children of University of Florida alumni were more likely to be accepted to the school this year than their non-Gator-related peers.

One reason: legacy, an admissions policy that some education experts call the "dirty little secret" in public university enrollment offices and one that three Florida schools use.

The University of Florida, Florida State University and the University of Central Florida all give favor to the sons and daughters of alumni, awarding them admission based not only on grades and test scores but also on their family ties.

Although legacy is a common and open practice at many private universities, it often isn't that way at public schools. Even other state universities' admissions counselors are often unaware it exists.

"Frankly, I'm surprised UF still uses it as a factor," said J. Robert Spatig, the University of South Florida's undergraduate admissions director. "Using legacy data in admissions - particularly at institutions that were at some point in their history segregated by race - is very controversial."

For the 2008-09 school year, UF's admission rate for legacies was 47 percent, while the overall admissions rate was 39 percent.

About 28,130 students applied to UF this year, 25 percent of whom were legacies.

"Legacies were admitted at a much higher rate," said Zina Evans, assistant provost and admissions director for UF. "Legacy is a question we ask, but if that's all you're bringing to the table, will it get you in alone? No. You need a lot more."

No one can doubt the academic muscle required to get into UF these days. This fall's incoming freshman class has an estimated GPA average of 4.1 and SAT score of 1300.

Legacy status is like the cherry on top, school officials said, and it's often a signal that the student may be more enthusiastic about attending the school, more involved in campus activities and more committed to graduating, to continue family tradition.

But critics say using legacy at public universities is a bad policy. It's less about tradition, they complain, and more about fund raising.

Happy alumni write bigger checks. UF has about 300,000 alumni to make happy.

"It's one of those dirty little secrets in admissions that helps increase donations to the school and breed more alumni," said Cody Brumfield, a policy analyst with the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers. "In the end, it's a net gain for the school."

Florida universities are allowed to decide on their own whether to consider legacy.

John Yancey, admissions director at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville, said he thinks the school never used legacy in admissions, and it doesn't plan to.

"It's just too competitive of a world to give an advantage to someone not based on their own merit," said Yancey, who also is president-elect of the Florida Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admission Officers. "I'm sure, though, alumni affairs would like us to use it."

Admissions officials acknowledge that there is pressure, including phone calls to school presidents, to accept some students.

But Janice Finney, FSU's associate admissions director, said: "Alumni don't try to bribe us any more than anyone else does."

A few schools nationally, especially those that receive taxpayer money, have stopped looking at legacy in recent years.

The University of Georgia, the University of California system and Texas A&M University have all abandoned the practice, which drew national attention in 2004 when President Bush said he opposed it, even though it likely helped him gain admission to Yale University.

Officials at 44-year-old Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton don't use legacy, saying the school is too young for it to make a difference.

The 40-year-old University of Central Florida doesn't agree. It uses legacy in admissions as a way to boost its reputation and become more established.

"As a young university, it is important for UCF to build traditions, and that is one way to do so," UCF spokesman Grant Heston said.

How universities weigh legacy against other merits also varies.

At FSU, legacy is included in a chart of a student's positives and negatives, which is considered separate from GPA and standardized test scores.

Positive factors include legacy, class rank, whether students took calculus, the number of advanced placement classes the students took and Florida residency.

FSU also considers whether students are the first in their family to attend college and whether they are poor - characteristics that admissions counselors say are as beneficial as legacy.

UF, which also considers students' economic status and whether they are first-generation college students, has a more holistic approach to admissions.

No specific weight or point value comes with being a UF legacy. Instead, the fact is noted on students' files and is part of an overall evaluation.

To explain the process and stem the angst and angry phone calls from alumni whose children are not admitted, UF conducts "Legacy Admission Seminars."

There, alumni learn about the high academic standards required to be a Gator today, which are more rigorous than when a parent or a grandparent was accepted at UF.

Still, not everyone is understanding when the rejection letter comes to the door.

"Of course alumni are very, very excited about the university, and very, very excited about their son or daughter coming here," said Evans, UF's admissions director. "Do we sometimes have disappointed folks? Absolutely."

[Mag Pie]

I thought most schools; including USF, did that. 

[GatorMarc]

I thought most schools; including USF, did that. 

I'm surprised as well.

I know UF looks at a lot of factors including what Florida county or state you are from. If you are on the border, being from an underrepresented county or state may push you over the top.

I'm not surprised legacies have a higher admittance rate simply because I think UF does a better job of keeping alumni in general up to date on the school's rankings, average incoming class info, and difficult admission requirements vs. the general public.

So, alumni would know that their kids need to start planning in 8th or 9th grade for getting into UF.

[Jamie]

I'm not surprised legacies have a higher admittance rate simply because I think UF does a better job of keeping alumni in general up to date on the school's rankings, average incoming class info, and difficult admission requirements vs. the general public.

So, alumni would know that their kids need to start planning in 8th or 9th grade for getting into UF.

The typical Gator alumni may also feel more connected to their school than, say, a USF alum (at least one who has kids old enough to be ready to go to college - it's probably different now). For a long time, UF had a big edge in college atmosphere. Plus the experience of going to school in a "college town" is one that USF will never be able to match, being in a large city.

[Mr Irrelevant]

Does anyone have a problem with this? I don't. I wish USF would do it. I think it is funny the author calls it a "dirty little secret".

[JoeB]

Yeah, I was under the impression most schools utilize legacies in one form or another. 

I can tell you my niece didn't get into Notre Dame even though her Dad is a Graduate.  And she had some ridiculous Grades too.  Our family was pretty shocked when she got the letter.  I think her problem might have been SAT scores.  She needed them to be a bit higher.

[LakeBull]

It is smart when it comes to donations.    It has never ceased to surprise me how quickly even die hard fans will switch based on where one of their kids end up.  They may have been a Bull Gator, but when jr. goes to FSU the colors often change before the first class.  It is not one hundred percent, but it is a pretty common occurance. 

[GatorMarc]

Does anyone have a problem with this? I don't. I wish USF would do it. I think it is funny the author calls it a "dirty little secret".

By the one quote, it looks like they were trying to tie it in with segregation from 50 years ago, and therefore any sort of legacy admission = institutional racism.

[Sunil]

Does anyone have a problem with this? I don't. I wish USF would do it. I think it is funny the author calls it a "dirty little secret".

By the one quote, it looks like they were trying to tie it in with segregation from 50 years ago, and therefore any sort of legacy admission = institutional racism.

Is it too much to ask to have students admitted solely based on their own merits?  : It's a public institution, it shouldn't matter that your momma or granddaddy attended the school. In other countries, when they factor in "alumni donations" within the admissions process, they simply call it a "bribe" without apology. Kudos to USF for steering clear.

[TheBullies]

Agree with SUNIL. Let's go with merit.