The act, which is intended to further open the college admissions process for people from low-income families, will also implement tax credits and refinancing options for qualifying students.
The act also aims to assist minority students through expanded financial assistance and support programs.
Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid Tom Parker supports the bill. "The spirit of the bill ... is to ensure that privilege does not operate in admissions processes as much as it [has]," he said.
An article in The Wall Street Journal noted that Amherst has a particularly high legacy acceptance rate. Approximately half of the legacies who apply to the College are accepted. The nationwide average rate of acceptance is 17 percent, according to Parker.
President Anthony Marx and Parker both said that the legacy acceptance rate is higher at the College because of the guidance legacies receive before applying.
A legacy applicant to the College has the opportunity to meet individually with a dean to discuss his or her resume. The dean then has the opportunity to give the applicant an idea about the likelihood of admission. The student can then make the decision to apply. "We spend some time talking to alumni and alumni children and counseling them as to whether it is viable for them to think about Amherst," said Marx. "As a result a large number of them decide not to apply to Amherst, which of course makes the admit rate [of those who do apply] go up."
Although Parker believes that programs which guide legacies in their decision to apply to the College may account for the increased legacy acceptance rate, he also acknowledges that other factors are considered. "We are a private institution where tuition doesn't come close to covering all the expenses; if it weren't for the generosity of the alumni, we would not be able to provide the education we do," said Parker. "So yes, we do give preference."
The College is working to diversify the student body, according to Parker. Currently 37 percent of the student body identifies as non-Caucasian. As the students at the College become more diverse, he said, legacies applying for admission will reflect that diversity.
The act also targets what its sponsors believe are inequalities in the early admissions system. "Recent studies have shown that applying early is worth the equivalent of 100 added points on the SAT and that blacks and Hispanics are less likely than others to do so," according to The Journal.
The College generally limits early acceptances to 30 percent of the class. "We are proud of the fact that we generally admit less than a third of the class through early decision as compared to our ivy and non-ivy competitors, who are close to half the class," said Marx. "We do that very purposefully because we understand, as the federal government understands, that the higher percentage of early decision works against greater diversity, particularly economic or racial diversity."
Parker believes that there are possible negative effects of early decision programs. "Early decision, if used incorrectly, would benefit white, affluent, urban kids," he said.
According to The Journal, the act would make it legal for colleges to collaborate in eliminating early-decision programs. However, Parker said that he believes that since the College uses the program fairly and consistently, there is no present need to discontinue it.
Another factor that diminishes ethnic and socioeconomic diversity in top schools, according to Parker, is national college rankings. The widespread U.S. News and World Report rankings have received criticism for their effects on college admissions. The rankings, according to The Chronicle of Higher Education, have contributed to the "trophy hunt" for admission to college. The Chronicle suggests that college rankings have made students' selections dependent upon perceived prestige rather than on appropriate fit.
Parker agrees that the rankings have had a significant effect on how colleges make admissions decisions. "Those rankings tempt colleges to make a decision based on how it will affect the rankings," he said. Parker thinks that the rankings do "have some rough accuracy" but they are not representative of a school as a whole. "Amherst has certainly been helped by the rankings. We were number one for many years," Parker said.
However, the College has not altered its admissions process to increase its ranking. "You can be proud of Amherst. We could accept 11 percent of applicants instead of 17 [percent] and increase our average SATs in order to help in the rankings. But, we are more interested in having a diverse and interesting class," said Parker.