The Daily

Affirmative Action for the 1 Percent

Jul 27, 2023

David Leonhardt, a Senior Writer for The New York Times, uncovers the surprising favoritism toward the wealthy in elite college admissions. He discusses how recent studies reveal systemic advantages for affluent applicants, even among peers with similar qualifications. The podcast highlights the influence of legacy admissions and athletic recruitment practices in maintaining social inequalities. Leonhardt challenges the ideal of meritocracy and emphasizes the urgent need for reforms in the admissions landscape to promote true economic diversity.

38:24

Creator website

Episode guests

David Leonhardt

Highlights

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Academic Qualifications vs. Economic Background in College Admissions

01:26

The Role of Legacy Admissions in Institutions

03:09

Sports and Athletic Recruitment Reinforce Privileged Advantages

00:54

Intro

2min

Privilege in College Admissions

13min

Athletics and Economic Privilege in College Admissions

8min

Exploring the Roots and Impact of Legacy Admissions

5min

The Complexities of Legacy Admissions in Elite Colleges

2min

Navigating College Admissions and Equity

9min

Courtroom Controversy: Hunter Biden's Plea Deal Unveiled

2min

A major new study has revealed just how much elite colleges admissions in the U.S. systematically favor the rich and the superrich.

David Leonhardt, a senior writer for The Times and The Morning, walks through the data and explains why the study is fueling calls to abandon longstanding practices like legacy admissions.

Guest: David Leonhardt, a senior writer for The New York Times and The Morning.

Background reading:

From the Upshot: A study of elite college admissions data suggests being very rich is its own qualification.
Here’s David Leonhardt’s article for The Morning discussing the results of the study.

For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.

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