The non-governmental organization accuses the elite university of unfair application practices.
White, wealthy and networked.
With such characteristics, it is more likely to get into the top Harvard University in Boston.
However, the situation may soon change.
The non-governmental organization Lawyers for Civil Rights complained to the US Department of Education on Monday about the application practices of so-called ivy universities.
According to the organization, Harvard’s application process favors white and wealthy applicants.
In Harvard’s application criteria, the applicant’s family relationships weigh more heavily than the student’s achievements and qualifications, the organization states in its statement.
The complaint refers to a report published by the National Bureau of Economic Research think tank.
According to the study, almost 70 percent of the students admitted to Harvard are white.
If the applicant is white and has a relative who attended Harvard, the student is up to seven times more likely to get into an elite university than an applicant who does not have a relative who studied at Harvard.
The NBER report states that in addition to whites and the rich, Harvard’s admissions policies favor accomplished athletes, dean’s recommenders, and close relatives of academics.
The non-governmental organization that made the complaint states that in order to get into an elite university, you have to belong to the elite.
Diversity was supposed to be increased, but the opposite happened
Recently, the US Supreme Court ruled that Harvard and other top US universities can no longer favor people of a certain ethnic background in their student selections.
The Supreme Court voted 6-3 on Thursday last week.
The practice was used in many top American universities and was justified for a long time by increasing diversity in higher education.
However, the method of operation has led to a preference for white student candidates in some universities.
President of the United States Joe Biden suggested last week that university application criteria should be reviewed.
According to the president, the current admission practices favor people who are already in a privileged position.
Sources: AP, Reuters
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