Yes, it’s easier to get into an elite college if your family donates — but here are 5 other ways the wealthy have an edge

Despite elite colleges’ efforts to diversify, they are still limited in their ability to serve as true engines of economic mobility, said Mark Huelsman, a senior policy analyst at Demos, a left-leaning think tank.

“It does go against what we think higher education should be and it goes against our belief in a meritocracy,” he said. [...]

Flagship public colleges have faced revenue challenges over the past several years as states spend less on public higher education. “That biases you towards a group of people that have more money to pay for college,” Huelsman said, including out-of-state and international students. [...]

“It’s the affirmative action that no one talks about,” Huelsman said of legacy admissions.