Keen On America

The Hypocrisy of Trump's War on Universities: How Wealthy Families Game the College Admission Process

Sep 2, 2025
Beverly Daniel Tatum, former president of Mount Holyoke and Spelman Colleges and author of 'Peril and Promise', exposes the hypocrisy in Trump’s stance on college admissions. She argues that wealthy families manipulate the system, benefiting far more than any diversity initiatives aimed at equity. Tatum shares her controversial shift from NCAA athletics to wellness programs at Spelman, critiques financial priorities in higher education, and discusses AI's potential to reshape college costs and teaching methods.
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INSIGHT

Counting Race While Banning Race

  • The federal push to ban 'racial proxies' while demanding demographic counts is contradictory.
  • Beverly Daniel Tatum calls this stance hypocritical and highlights the inconsistency.
ADVICE

Design Classes To Fit Institutional Mission

  • Colleges with heavy selectivity can and should shape classes to match mission and leadership goals.
  • Tatum defends academic freedom for elite institutions to craft diverse cohorts that prepare leaders.
INSIGHT

Wealth Trumps Race In Admissions

  • Wealth-linked categories (ALDCs) grant far larger admission advantages than affirmative action did.
  • Tatum notes these categories disproportionately benefit affluent white families and skew access.
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