[balderdash]

They basically already do. It’s called people that pay full tuition (and subsidize people that don’t - full usually doesn’t mean cost, it means cost+). Private universities are typically only using legacy status to add a slight advantage to candidates that are in the paying full freight pool (I.e. they’re not giving a spot to a below average legacy candidate that needs financial aid)

[tnecniv]

They certainly give away a few of those spots, but the price is a significant donation that will cover more than one student who needs financial aid, and the Ivies give very generous aid to those that need it. I know more than one person that chose an Ivy because they got significantly more aid than from other elite schools to which they were accepted.

[naveen99]

Full tuition is still merit based admission in theory. I mean there should be a quoted price for completely merit blind admissions.