On Point with Meghna Chakrabarti How should American colleges measure merit?
Dec 30, 2025
Richard Kahlenberg, an education expert and author who focuses on socioeconomic policy, advocates for class-based admissions reform. He discusses the implications of a recent Trump administration mandate for universities on data transparency in admissions. Kahlenberg critiques the advantages given to legacy students and athletes at institutions like Harvard and emphasizes the need to consider economic hardship over race. He argues that a meritocratic system should recognize 'strivers'—those who have overcome significant obstacles toward their education.
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Wealth Shapes Elite Admission Outcomes
- Elite colleges heavily favor wealthy applicants through legacies and recruited-athlete preferences.
- Those privileges create a multiracial aristocracy that then requires large racial preferences to mask class bias.
Shine Light On Admissions Data
- Increase transparency of admissions processes and data to reveal hidden preferences.
- Public scrutiny can pressure institutions to reduce opaque advantages like donor boosts and legacy favors.
Inside Harvard's Preference Mechanisms
- Kahlenberg describes Harvard's specific preferences: athletes, legacies, and donor-favored 'Z-List' students.
- He notes recruited sports and legacy boosts disproportionately advantaged wealthy, mostly white applicants.