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Texas A&M University Abolishes ‘Legacy’ Admissions

2004

Texas A&M University says it will immediately end its legacy program because it is not consistent with a merit-based admissions policy. Under the program, children, grandchildren and siblings of alumni received four additional points out of a possible 100, giving them an advantage over similarly qualified applicants who were not related to alumni. In 2003, Texas A&M acknowledged the legacy program had been the deciding factor for more than 300 white applicants but many fewer black and Hispanic applicants in the last two years. Texas A&M is the first major university, public or private, to end a full-fledged legacy program.