I think there is a special level of cruelty involved with elite universities. They truly allow a student to pay nearly nothing if their parent aren’t well off (<70k annual income) but 1) the system isn’t built at all to support first generation college students 2) the system is built to accept students specifically from rich old money backgrounds.
Almost all students from the backgrounds that would qualify for ‘free college’ end up going to colleges where graduation rate is much lower and financial aid isn’t present.
It’s like patting yourself on the back and going wow 75% of our class comes from rich college prep academy’s who are often alumnus, what are the odds - they don’t even need aid!
At Harvard on top of legacy preferences there’s the Z-list.
Ninja edit: I just noticed that some editor had a sense of humor and added a quote that works like a punchline.
Harvard caters to the children of well-connected alumni and big donors through the “Z-list.” Z-listers are often guaranteed admittance while in high school but are obliged to take a year off between high school and Harvard, doing whatever they wish in the interim.
Former Harvard University president Lawrence Summers has stated, “Legacy admissions are integral to the kind of community that any private educational institution is.”
