Legacy admission, the practice of offering preferential treatment to the progeny of a university’s alumni base, is under attack in the state of Colorado. This week, a bill that would prohibit the consideration of legacy status at Colorado’s state-supported institutions, was introduced before the Colorado General Assembly. It’s a bill that we at Ivy Coach fully support as legacy admission is a vestige of a bygone era, one that was initially designed to restrict the admission of Jewish applicants to America’s elite universities. It’s a practice that must go. And since Dr. Seuss is all the rage this week (or not!), we’ll add: Marvin K. Mooney, won’t you please go now!

As Nicole Brady reports for ABC 7 in a piece entitled “Bill would prohibit legacy status consideration in Colorado college admissions,” “HB21-1173 is sponsored by Adams County Democratic Rep. Kyle Mullica and Democratic State Sen. Brittany Pettersen of Jefferson County. Among the bill’s backers is the University of Colorado. Executive Director of Admissions Clark Brigger said this is not a primary consideration for CU, but he explained the reason why colleges are interested in legacy status. ‘If a student’s family members attended CU Boulder, they probably grew up watching CU football games, they probably have sweatshirts and things that say Colorado on them, and therefore the predictability of that student actually coming to CU is very high,’ Brigger said. Brigger said removing legacy status consideration will even the playing field for students, and increase access for first-generation college students and students from lower income families.”

We are rooting hard for HB21-1173 to pass the Colorado General Assembly. May legacy admission be banned in Colorado. May it be banned in Alabama. And Mississippi. And Nebraska. And every state across the land.