American author and journalist Norah Vincent is well-known for her writing on gender issues. She spent seven years living as a man in New York City and Los Angeles for her seminal book "Self-Made Man," which examined how society treats people differently depending on their gender.

Vincent's views on equality and justice in higher education are reflected in her remarks regarding legacy admissions. There has long been discussion about legacy admissions, which give preference to candidates who have family connections to the school. Supporting this system, according to Vincent, is problematic for a number of reasons.

First of all, it runs counter to the position that many people hold against affirmative action, which seeks to promote diversity by taking socioeconomic status and race into account. Affirmative action and legacy admissions both entail providing preferential treatment based on predetermined standards, but whereas legacy policies frequently maintain privilege across generations, affirmative action aims to right historical wrongs.

Additionally, Vincent argues that legacy admissions are fundamentally unfair because they give preference to applicants based solely on their familial ties rather than their qualifications or individual accomplishments. Many students who do not have the same advantages and may be equally qualified but do not have family connections to prestigious institutions may find this to be a barrier.

Vincent might use the analogy of a race, in which some competitors are given head starts while others must start from behind the finish line, to highlight her point. Similar to how it would be viewed as unjust in a competitive setting, giving legacy applicants preference goes against the meritocratic ideals that many universities profess to support.

Vincent's criticism draws attention to more general issues with access and equity in educational systems. She challenges society to reevaluate what it means to promote genuine diversity and inclusivity by challenging these established customs.