Biden aims to end legacy admissions, despite his family’s past benefits.

The Biden Administration Investigates Elite Universities for Preferential ⁤Treatment

The Biden administration is currently investigating whether ‌elite universities ⁤violate federal civil‌ rights law by giving ⁢preferential treatment⁣ to the children of alumni and‌ donors.

This opposition to legacy‌ admissions, however, may be an awkward ⁢policy position for President Joe ⁤Biden to embrace, considering that his own family has benefited from this practice. Five members of⁣ the⁣ Biden clan, including two of Biden’s⁤ children‌ and three of his grandchildren, have graduated ⁣from the ⁤University of Pennsylvania. In at least one instance, Biden used⁤ his influence to secure his ‍granddaughter’s admission by calling in a special favor with the university’s⁤ president.

Now, the ‌president wants⁢ to address​ this issue. The Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights recently ⁣informed Harvard University that it is under‌ investigation for ‌potentially discriminating against minority students by admitting allegedly underqualified white applicants from wealthy and connected families. This investigation follows a lawsuit filed by liberal groups,‌ claiming that Harvard’s legacy admissions practices ​violate⁤ the Civil Rights Act.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre stated that the president ‌believes “legacy admissions hold back our ability to build ‍diverse student bodies.”

Biden’s‍ Personal Connection to Legacy Admissions

Interestingly, ​just five years ago, Biden ‌himself hoped that​ legacy admissions ⁢would benefit his granddaughter, Maisy Biden.​ Despite lacking⁢ the ‌typical 4.0-plus GPA required ⁢for a school with a 5.9 percent acceptance ⁣rate, ‌communications from Hunter Biden’s​ laptop reveal that Biden frequently communicated with the University of Pennsylvania president, Amy Guttman, about Maisy’s application. Guttman even ‌provided updates on​ the admissions process and offered⁢ tips to boost Maisy’s application. Biden ‍was so involved that he⁣ expected to⁢ hear about Maisy’s acceptance before she did.

This special ⁢treatment stands in stark contrast to the typical college application‌ process, which often leaves high ‌school students ⁤stressed and disappointed.

These practices are​ also ​the same ones that left-wing groups criticized​ in their​ lawsuit against Harvard. They argue that legacy and donor‍ admissions are granted without considering the applicant’s‌ credentials or merits, solely based on being born into a particular family.

The ⁢University of ⁢Pennsylvania‌ has not responded to requests for comment.

Biden’s Close Relationship with⁣ the University of ⁣Pennsylvania

Few politicians in ⁤recent⁣ history have had a closer relationship with a university⁢ than Biden and the ⁣University of ‌Pennsylvania.⁢ After leaving the​ White House in 2016, the ‌university became his de-facto base camp, housing a lavish office that contained classified documents. Biden often refers to himself as a⁣ former “professor” at the university, despite never teaching⁤ a class. He was⁢ paid nearly​ $1 ‍million⁤ for a series of lectures and events.

In ⁢2018, the‌ Penn Biden Center for Diplomacy and ‍Global Engagement ‍was⁣ established, aiming to strengthen American global leadership ⁤and‍ engage a new generation. However, this think tank’s inauguration led​ to an influx of donations from foreign nationals, including Chinese nationals linked to Hunter Biden’s past business dealings and⁢ the Chinese​ Communist Party, who ⁢have donated at least ⁤$105 million to the school from ⁤2018⁤ to mid-2022. Both ‍the White House and UPenn ​have⁤ refused ⁢to⁤ disclose the Biden Center’s donors.

After Biden’s election, he ​appointed⁢ Amy Guttman as ambassador ⁢to Germany in 2022, further solidifying‍ their relationship.

In total, ‍two of the president’s children, Ashley​ and the late Beau, attended the University of⁤ Pennsylvania. ⁤Additionally, ​all three of Hunter’s children with his first wife, Kathleen Buhle, also ⁣attended the university.

Hunter Biden was so ⁣confident in his family’s connection to the university that he even‍ planned to‌ join the faculty‍ himself. In a text ⁢message to his uncle Jim Biden,⁣ he expressed his⁣ desire to work as‍ a ‌professor at the University of Pennsylvania ⁢after overcoming⁣ his addiction to ‌crack cocaine.