You rub your hands together as you stare intensely at your computer screen. Exactly at 3:00 PM, your club will announce the new president they selected. After a month of anticipation, your heart is racing. An email comes into your inbox—it’s from the club advisor. Opening it, you read that you have not been selected. Your chest deflates as you read on and realize that the advisor chose the club president’s little brother. You feel more annoyance than defeat. The club president’s little brother did not show up for half the meetings nor did he fit the requirements. This is a prime example of nepotism. Nepotism is when one uses their power in order to give positions and benefits to family and relatives—typically family or relatives that are unfit for or unqualified for the position. You may be wondering why only family members are mentioned and not friends. This is because nepotism is often confused with cronyism.

It is important to note that there is a vast difference between nepotism and cronyism. Whereas nepotism is often related to family, cronyism is related to friends. One is often used to help and benefit, while the other can be used to negatively affect others. For example, cronyism can be seen when a superior rejects a qualified candidate from a position due to previous bad relations. While it may not be obvious, preferential treatment is all around us.

Although it is often overlooked, nepotism is everywhere. Just look at college admissions. You may be wondering: how could colleges use nepotism in their admissions? Well, just think of the college admission process of a legacy student. A legacy student is a student whose parents or sibling attended a college or university in which the student is applying to. Legacy students often receive a boost and advantage. Even though it may not be direct nepotism, it is giving an unfair advantage because of a family member. While nepotism may be seen as unfair, it may not be all that bad. 

Afterall, one can’t exactly control which family they’re born into. I mean if I was born into a family where both my parents went to Harvard, I would gladly take advantage of the fact that I am a legacy student. Plus, with the existence of nepotism in the world of academia, it would be a great way to transition into the workforce. Despite being unqualified, many could learn new subjects and ideas through this way. Working with relatives allows for better communication and collaboration. While nepotism may be beneficial to some, nepotism also has its bad effects such as resentment in school or in workspaces. Plus, it denies an opportunity for those who are deserving of one. 

While nepotism does seem to have its benefits in this world, it is a pretty unfair system. Everyone deserves an equal chance at an opportunity. Even though it may be hidden, it’s all around us. It’s important to foster a healthy and fair work and school environment which could enhance performance.