Publication: Newsweek Magazine
While it's common knowledge that knowing people connected to a school can boost an application, universities and colleges in California now have to disclose if they give preferential treatment to those applicants.
On Friday, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed assembly bill 697 into law. California Senators passed the bill, sponsored by Assemblyman Phil Ting, in August and the Assembly followed suit in September.
"We must strive for a level playing field in the college admissions process, so there can be equal opportunity for all," Ting said in a statement on Friday. "We should know how prevalent donor and alumni-based preferential treatment is in California so we can compare that to the amount of state-funded benefits, like Cal Grants, flowing toward the school."