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Admission Preferences for Minority Students, Athletes, and Legacies at Elite Universities *
Author(s) -
Espenshade Thomas J.,
Chung Chang Y.,
Walling Joan L.
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
social science quarterly
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.482
H-Index - 90
eISSN - 1540-6237
pISSN - 0038-4941
DOI - 10.1111/j.0038-4941.2004.00284.x
Subject(s) - elite , preference , athletes , affirmative action , logistic regression , race (biology) , underrepresented minority , psychology , elite athletes , ethnic group , medical education , demography , political science , medicine , sociology , physical therapy , gender studies , law , statistics , mathematics , politics
Objective. This study examines how preferences for different types of applicants exercised by admission offices at elite universities influence the number and composition of admitted students. Methods. Logistic regression analysis is used to link information on the admission decision for 124,374 applications to applicants' SAT scores, race, athletic ability, and legacy status, among other variables. Results. Elite universities give added weight in admission decisions to applicants who have SAT scores above 1500, are African American, or are recruited athletes. A smaller, but still important, preference is shown to Hispanic students and to children of alumni. The athlete admission “advantage” has been growing, while the underrepresented minority advantage has declined. Conclusions. Elite colleges and universities extend preferences to many types of students, yet affirmative action—the only preference given to underrepresented minority applicants—is the one surrounded by the most controversy.