WASHINGTON – As President Donald Trump attempts to reshape college admissions , he's promising a new era of fairness, with an emphasis on merit and test scores and a blind eye toward diversity.

Yet the Republican president's critics — and some allies — are questioning his silence on admissions policies that give applicants a boost because of their wealth or family ties. While he has pressed colleges to eliminate any possible consideration of a student's race, he has made no mention of legacy admissions , an edge given to the children of alumni, or similar preferences for the relatives of donors.

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Trump often rails against systems he describes as “rigged,” but he has overlooked a glaring instance in higher education, said Richard Kahlenberg, a researcher at the Pro

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