(03-31-2021 10:00 AM)mrbig Wrote:  

(03-31-2021 08:36 AM)Owl 69/70/75 Wrote:  

(03-31-2021 07:18 AM)Ricefootballnet Wrote:  What is to be done? I get the distinct impression that our administration, athletics administration, and coaching staff completely dismiss any alumni or former student athlete exhortations to address issues discussed here. Any suggestions are automatically dismissed. I guess we peasants just don’t know our place.

RFN, I agree 100% and I think it is an incredibly stupid approach. Friends in fund-raising positions have told me that it is a significant impediment to them (why should I give money to a school that won't admit my son/daughter?). And you are absolutely right about the Ivies and legacies. If Rice really wants to be the Texas Ivy, this is one thing they should look at seriously.

I think legacies who are otherwise qualified academically should be admitted. A preference but not a priority. A foot in the door but not a leg up.

My understanding is that Rice does exactly that already, but the number of legacy applicants is simply far FAR more than can be admitted, and so inevitably many get turned away.

(03-31-2021 10:00 AM)mrbig Wrote:  I was talking to some older alums in New Orleans a few years back who came to an alumni event. Both Rice alums, both their kids were high school valedictorians with great test scores. But were denied by Rice and both went to Northwestern. The parents still love Rice, but admitted they give more to Northwestern now. Rice's approach is kind of nuts. I knew some legacies at Rice, but the number of otherwise qualified legacies getting turned away seems nuts. Even more true with athletes.

But that's only because the number of qualified applicants of ALL TYPES who get turned away is nuts. Again, my understanding is that the proportion of legacies who get turned away is actually slightly lower than the proportion of non-legacies.

The root issue is simply that, while the odds are not exactly equal for everyone, they are still astronomical for everyone, which results in the vast majority of applicants (including the vast majority of legacy applicants) being turned down.