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When Harvard University admitted several candidates linked to influential donors in 2013, including one who had promised to pay for a building, the dean of the Kennedy School sent an email calling the admissions officer "my hero" .
"Once again, you have done wonders. I'm just delighted by everyone you've admitted, "David T. Ellwood, then director of the University's Kennedy School of Government, wrote to William Fitzsimmons, the Dean of Admissions.
Ellwood praised Fitzsimmons on the "big winnings," including the candidates linked to an anonymous donor "who's already engaged in a building" and two others who had "hired". large sums of money for scholarships before your decision is made.
The exchange of congratulatory e-mails among university administrators was one of several internal documents presented on Wednesday as part of the Harvard admissions practice trial.
The purpose of the Boston Federal Court case is to determine whether or not the Harvard admission process is hurting Asian American applicants, but it has also highlighted the benefits that white applicants mostly enjoy. And the trial gave a rare glimpse of how wealth and ancient bonds, sometimes built from generation to generation, come into play in admissions to the oldest and richest university in the country, renowned for the formation of presidents and actors of power.
"The white advantage of admissions is a problem," said Genevieve Bonadies Torres, a lawyer with the Committee of Lawyers for Civil Rights under the law, who represents several minority students who will testify later this month. in favor of race-based admissions at Harvard.
The university has increased its diversity over the years, said Bonadies Torres. According to a poll by the student newspaper, about one-third of last year's freshman class had parents who had attended Harvard, and the vast majority of these students were Caucasian.
Over a six-year period, Harvard admitted nearly 2,680 white sports students, tied to a donor, the child of a graduate or a staff member, according to the documents presented in the lawsuit. This is more than all Asian students admitted during this period (2,460) and slightly less than all black and Latino students (2,693).
"We are talking about a system of wealth and privileges rooted for a long time," said Bonadies Torres.
On Wednesday, Harvard defended his admission practices in court, claiming that most of the students whose parents had attended university were on a par with the rest of their class and that the group was diversifying as the university workforce evolved. Athletes and students whose parents work at Harvard also help to strengthen community spirit and to ensure that the university can attract high-level staff, officials said.
Harvard points out that donors fund scholarships and financial assistance for low-income students and help finance the university's research and other university activities.
And donating money does not guarantee admission, said university officials.
"There are some [children of] donors coming in and others who will not, "said Harvard attorney William Lee in an interview with reporters. "If you focus on things, no one claims that the admission of donors or children of donors or family members to the dean's list has any effect on Americans of Asian descent. No economist claims it.
Students for Fair Admissions, the group representing American students of Asian descent in the lawsuit, presented the emails Wednesday in court. The organization sued Harvard, alleging that its race-based admission process limited the number of Asian Asians it admits each year.
The landmark case should eventually be decided by the Supreme Court in the coming years and could upset positive action in matters of admission to colleges.
The lawsuit caught the world's attention on both its disruptive potential and case law, but also because it shed light on Harvard's secret admission process – a lawsuit involving more than 42,000 students per year. year for only 1,600 seats.
Students for Fair Admissions supports blind admissions to racing and suggested that Harvard eliminate some of thepreferences for the children of graduates and other insiders and focus on socio-economic factors if he wishes to increase diversity.
Harvard argued that blind admissions to shopping would significantly reduce the number of black and Hispanic students on campus.
Harvard has never hesitated to pay special attention to the "lineage" or to students whose parents have attended university. And Harvard, like many universities, is aggressively researching donors.
But many e-mails on Wednesday at the tribunal illustrate how Harvard officials can be pragmatic about the process.
In the case of a student who had no parental affiliation with Harvard, but whose late grandfather had paid $ 8.7 million to the university during his lifetime, Fitzsimmons consulted with the officials of the collection office. funds.
Grandpa was a "generous donor," wrote an official at Harvard's development office. "In the future, I do not see any significant opportunity for other important gifts." The official noted that the donor, whose name had been redacted, "had a collection of art that could possibly reach us, more likely in the [redacted] Museum."
The official suggested that the student gets the second highest score in terms of admission.
Another email from the Harvard men's tennis coach at Fitzsimmons in 2014 highlighted a rookie whose family also had the attention of one of the school's deans. The coach noted that the student's family donated to two Chairs and donated $ 1.1 million over four years.
The student had visited the campus and "we rolled out the red carpet and we are all delighted that [the student] Had a good time, "wrote the tennis coach.He added," It would mean a lot "for him to be at Harvard.
Fitzsimmons told the coach that the student would likely be admitted in October, a special notification that Harvard offers to students of his choice who are recruited by other universities.
Fitzsimmons said on Wednesday that all Harvard candidates were subject to the same rigorous admission process.
And, he noted, candidates receive a special consideration or "plus" factor for many reasons, which are not limited to sports relationships, race, family. or financial relations.
Harvard also offers an advantage to candidates from Boston and Cambridge, low-income students and those from more rural states, Fitzsimmons said.
"By the time you're admitted to Harvard," said Fitzsimmons, a Harvard graduate and admissions officer for more than 30 years, "you're part of our community forever."
Deirdre Fernandes can be contacted at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @fernandesglobe.
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