Bay Area college students weigh in on new law that bans legacy admissions

Bay Area students weigh in on new law that bans legacy admissions at universities

Gov. Newsom signed AB 1780 which would ban legacy admissions at private universities across the state.

SANTA CLARA, Calif. - Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 1780 on Monday which will ban legacy admissions at private universities across the state. A legacy is defined as someone attending the same school where a relative is an alumnus or a donor.

"Legacy-wise, it’s cool to have your family and heritage go to the same colleges," said Jack Kerobyan, a Santa Clara University student.

Following in your family’s footsteps is a natural progression for some people, including where they attend college. But on Monday, Gov. Newsom signed AB 1780, which would ban legacy admissions at private universities across the state. A legacy admission considers an applicant's relationship to an alumni or donor.

"I understand it personally because I’m not a legacy, but I also feel bad for the families that worked hard for an institution then get no benefits," said Julia Burns, a Santa Clara University student.

Last year, Santa Clara University reported 38 legacy admissions and, in a statement, says legacy alone is not a determining factor in its admissions process. Santa Clara says it has implemented other programs to increase diversity in its student body, like its LEAD Scholars Program.

"I think here at Santa Clara, it’s fortunate because I’m a part of the LEAD program. So, it’s specifically for first gen (generation) students. They offer a lot of programs to us, just from alumni donating to the school and allowing for that," said Mikayla Diaz, a Santa Clara University student.

California’s state colleges already have rules against legacy admissions. Still, after the Supreme Court struck down Affirmative Action in college admissions last year, a push to eliminate legacy gained traction. IvyWise college advisor Nat Smitobol says even without legacy admissions, having the money to pay for college still matters.

"Legacy doesn’t get rid of that pay to play feature. That is still a very important part of the admissions process. It’s always going to be as long as we categorize our colleges as business institutions," said Nat Smitobol, an IvyWise Counselor.

Smitobol says he encourages students to enroll in schools they can afford and where they’ll feel most comfortable and sometimes that means not applying to the most prestigious schools.

"I came here on my own will. I didn’t have family members who came here. I worked hard through high school. My sister went somewhere else," said Robert Holmer, a Santa Clara University student.

AB 1780 will become effective in September of next year. If the law isn’t followed, schools will have to report details about who benefited from a legacy admission without identifying the student.