“I don’t think universities need to challenge this ban because there is no basis for actually enforcing it,” Banks said. “The law simply provides a kind of moral shame for universities, because those who break the law will have this fact made public by the government. »

Adrian Navarro, a college and career counselor at Oakland Technical High School, said he was happy to hear about the law because “anything that opens up opportunities for our students, for different communities, is great.”

“I felt like the Varsity Blues scandal had kind of been swept under the rug,” Navarro said. “It is gratifying to see action on behalf of students who, due to historical inequities, do not enjoy the advantages of wealthy parents. »

The students would have been admitted anyway

Although they opposed the bill, some private colleges said they would comply with the law and that it would make no difference to their admissions process since all of their students met the college requirements anyway. admission. In general, private school admissions criteria are based on a multitude of factors, including academic achievement, leadership skills, the ability to overcome challenges, and how a student might benefit from the opportunities offered at a particular school.

Yet six of California’s 90 private, nonprofit colleges said they admit hundreds of students a year based on relationships with alumni or donors, according to information they provided to the ‘State. In fall 2023, USC admitted 1,791 students with alumni or donor ties. Stanford admitted 295. Santa Clara University admitted 38, but the year before that number was 1,133. Harvey Mudd College, Claremont McKenna College and Northeastern University in Oakland also admitted to the least one student with ties to donors or alumni.

These schools also emphasize that they admit large numbers of students who are the first in their families to attend college and that they are committed to creating diverse student bodies despite the Supreme Court ruling of the year last prohibiting positive discrimination.

“All admitted students meet our high academic standards through a contextualized holistic assessment that values ​​each student’s lived experience, considers how they will contribute to the vibrancy of our campus, thrive in our community, benefit from a USC education and will fulfill the commitments of our unifying commitment. values,” USC spokeswoman Lauren Bartlett said in an email.

Richard Turner, a Stanford graduate living in Piedmont in the East Bay, said he was upset about the end of affirmative action because he believes racism remains a systemic problem in the United States. But he had mixed feelings when the admissions ended. As an African-American parent, he hoped his daughters would benefit from one, if not both, of these policies.

“Legacy admissions perpetuate privilege,” said Turner, a physician. “But on the other hand, we all know that connections are vitally important. Would I have used every advantage I had to get my daughters admitted? Yes, I absolutely would.

None of his daughters ended up at Stanford, which disappointed him. But they both did well at their chosen schools, he said.

“It should be right”

Daniel Alfaro, a senior at Oakland Tech High School, said he was glad the state ended legacy admissions. Colleges should admit students based solely on their abilities, he said, “not based on who their parents are.”

Alfaro’s own parents are not able to help him much with his college applications. Immigrants from Latin America, they work long hours, have limited English skills and are poorly educated themselves. But they always encouraged him to study hard and pursue higher education.

Alfaro said he can’t wait to make them proud. He’s taking three Advanced Placement classes this year, playing two sports and taking French, economics and political science classes at a local community college. He is also active in the Latino Student Union and the Key Club. He often stays up until 3 a.m. studying to maintain a near-perfect grade point average.

“Education is a privilege,” said Alfaro, who hopes to study biotechnology or kinesiology in college. “I feel like my family sacrificed so much so that we could go to college. So for me it all comes down to this moment. And that should be right.