Q. I hear that admissions offices at some elite colleges favor the sons and daughters of rich families, in anticipation of large donations after enrollment. Do you think this is ethical?
A. No, if the rich applicant’s family has no previous connection to the school. Colleges should never solicit or accept large donations from such a family if a child is in or about to enter the admissions process—a corrupt practice revealed in Daniel Golden’s 2006 exposé, The Price of Admission.
But an admissions preference for a qualified applicant whose alumni parents or grandparents have long supported the college as passionate volunteers and donors? That’s okay. It’s just one of many weightings given to applicants of all sorts.
From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance
Become a smarter, better informed investor. Subscribe from just $107.88 $24.99, plus get up to 4 Special Issues
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
In an ideal world that has never existed, admissions decisions would be based solely on factors for which the applicant is personally responsible, such as grades, test scores, demonstrated leadership, athletic or artistic talents, and a record of helping others. No weight would be given to factors over which an applicant has no personal control, such as race, sex, geography and the socioeconomic circumstances of the family, whether high or low.
But for decades, colleges have gone far beyond individual traits in deciding whom to admit. To craft a well-rounded, multitalented student body that reflects the diversity of their region, if not the nation, they routinely admit applicants who might be academically less stellar (by the numbers, which are themselves not highly reliable) than the college’s typical freshman.
Band directors and sports coaches will get the musicians and athletes they need, even if the academic bar is lowered a bit for the top recruits. Underrepresented racial minorities will be cut some slack, especially if they have shown grit in overcoming poverty. For geographic diversity, an applicant from rural North Dakota will get the nod over an academically similar (or better) candidate from Westchester County, N.Y.
All of these preferences—like the alumni donor preference—strike me as legitimate, provided that every admitted student meets the college’s basic academic qualifications.
Have a money-and-ethics question you’d like answered in this column? Write to editor in chief Knight Kiplinger at ethics@kiplinger.com.
-
Stocks Keep Climbing as Fed Meeting Nears: Stock Market TodayA stale inflation report and improving consumer sentiment did little to shift expectations for a rate cut next week.
-
Your End of Year Insurance Coverage Review ChecklistStop paying for insurance you don't need and close coverage gaps you didn't know about with this year-end insurance review.
-
Crypto Trends to Watch in 2026Cryptocurrency is still less than 20 years old, but it remains a fast-moving (and also maturing) market. Here are the crypto trends to watch for in 2026.
-
Should All Student Debt Be Forgiven?student loans My favorite reform would be making the repayment of all student loans proportional to the borrower’s future earnings.
-
Should Lenders Mail Unsolicited Checks to Potential Borrowers?credit & debt When it comes to preying on weak credit risks, it looks like Wall Street is at it again.
-
Do Adult Children Have an Obligation to Support Needy Parents?savings Even if some siblings can afford to help more than others, no one should shirk the obligation to assist in some way -- financial or otherwise.
-
How Can the Approval Process for New Drugs Be Speeded Up?investing There are many reform proposals, including some from free-market think tanks.
-
Should Ethics Determine Who You Do Business With?Smart Buying Consumers seeking to do business only with ethical companies should ask these questions.
-
Should Colleges Use Collection Agencies for Overdue Student Bills?college Colleges have many potent options for getting students to square their accounts.
-
Hold Soda Makers to Account for Health Woes?Business Costs & Regulation A strong case can be made that it’s unethical for companies to target the very customers who shouldn’t be heavy consumers of a given product.
-
Ways to Protect Borrowers From Predatory Home Lendingreal estate Land contracts drain low-income communities of resources.
