Legacy Doublespeak

To the Editors of The Crimson:

What utter nonsense, what Orwellian doubletalk is the statement of Dean of Undergraduate Admissions William R. Fitzsimmons '67 that Harvard's policy of giving special consideration to legacy students helps ensure need-blind admissions! Many legacy students are admitted only because of their legacy status--due, says Fitzsimmons, at least in part to the deep pockets of these students' families.

So how is this need-blind? Many legacy applicants are admitted, Fitzsimmons seems to be conceding, solely due to their lack of need. They take spots away from other applicants who may be better qualified but are not legacies, and therefore are more likely to be in need of financial aid.

Any college with an admissions policy giving special treatment to legacies cannot claim to be "need-blind." Dean Fitzsimmons should either admit that the current system is biased towards the wealthy, or he should treat all applicants the same regardless of where their parents attended college. Eric Columbus '93