University of Illinois admitted 800 applicants based on political connections

[tj2001]

June 11, 2009
Panel to Investigate Admissions at U. of Illinois
By KAREN ANN CULLOTTA

CHICAGO — Gov. Patrick J. Quinn of Illinois appointed a panel on Wednesday to investigate accusations that the University of Illinois admitted hundreds of applicants based largely on their political connections.

Mr. Quinn said the Admissions Review Commission would look into 800 applicants who, as first reported by The Chicago Tribune, won spots at the university’s Urbana-Champaign campus after intervention from state lawmakers and university trustees. The Tribune said these students, whose names appeared on an internal list, were admitted even though some did not meet the university’s admission standards.

“We want to make sure that the taxpayers, parents and students of Illinois know there is no kind of special process where individuals who have less qualifications are admitted because of their political influence or clout,” Mr. Quinn, a Democrat, said. The University of Illinois, which has three campuses, is considered the state’s most prestigious public university....

State Representative Michael J. Boland, a Democrat from Moline, said that since the accusations were made public last month, it was hard to walk down the street without being stopped by a disheartened parent, sharing a sad story with a familiar ring. “People are telling me stories about their son or daughter, excellent students, who earned all A’s and one B, but got a rejection letter from the U. of I.,” Mr. Boland said. Earlier this week he called for the resignation of the university’s president and any trustees involved with the list of applicants...

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/11/education/11admissions.html?ref=politics

[zbdent]

1. gee ... whodathunk that legacies would get preference over qualified candidates?

I don't know of any white guy who got that kind of affirmative action ... oh, wait ...