Do legacy students donate more?

Some studies suggest legacy admissions practices marginally increase donations from alumni, though other analyses have disputed this conclusion.

Do legacy students have an advantage?

Legacy Advantage, Quantified. Children of alumni had a large admissions advantage. But when they applied to other elite colleges in the study, their admissions rates were only slightly higher than average.

How much does being a legacy student help?

Castilla says legacy students are often more likely to be financially able to pay for tuition and require less aid, and are more likely to accept an offer from their legacy institution. Legacies may also be more likely to make larger and more frequent donations after graduation.

Does Harvard prefer legacy students?

Not just Harvard but all Ivy League institutions, considered some of the world's most prestigious, give consideration to legacy status. Other leading institutions, including New York University, Georgetown University, Vassar College and Michigan State University, also follow the practice.

Why do colleges prefer legacies?

The “logic” is that legacy students are most likely to matriculate, most likely to graduate, most likely to be happy with the school, and most likely to donate. They continually support the school. Students are familiar with what their parents do and did, and where they went to school.

‘Affirmative Action for the Rich.’ Legacy Students Confront Their Privilege | NYT Opinion

Why do Ivy Leagues care about legacy?

In fact, legacy admission isn't just a non-merit-based advantage — it is the mechanism by which elite schools shield themselves from having to demonstrate their own merit. The first time I applied to Harvard Law School, I was waitlisted, then rejected. My mother had attended the law school three decades earlier.

Why does Harvard like legacy students?

Given how Harvard and other high-status schools have valued legacy students, it's unlikely they will give up the practice easily, even with the Department of Education investigating the practice. These institutions say legacy admissions help foster relationships with alumni and promote an intergenerational community.

Which top colleges don t consider legacy?

What percent of Yale is legacy?

Eleven percent of the Yale College class of 2027 are legacies, according to the admissions office's First-Year Class Profile. This number marks a slight decrease in legacy population from the class of 2026, which has 12 percent legacy students, and the class of 2025, which has 14 percent legacy students.

What percent of Ivy students are legacy?

At many Ivy League schools, about 12 to 16 percent of each class is made up of legacies. (The portion is smaller at some.)

What are the disadvantages of being a legacy student?

The bigger drawback is that legacy admissions tend to reenforce a lack of diversity in a university. Historically, since most college students were white and upperclass, legacy admissions are likely to be white and upperclass. By definition, they will not be first generation college students.

Does Notre Dame care about legacy?

While institutions such as Wesleyan University and the University of Minnesota join the ranks of schools such as Johns Hopkins University and Amherst College in not considering an applicant's legacy status, legacy admissions continues to play an important role at Notre Dame — more so than at its peer institutions.

Does Penn care about legacy?

“Legacies who apply to Penn—like all applicants—receive thorough consideration in the application process.” The most important markers in the application process are scores and grades. The rest of the application can't make up for subpar grades and scores.

Does MIT consider legacy?

The selection process at MIT is student centered: each application is evaluated within its unique context. No school, state, or regional quotas are applied, and we do not consider legacy/alumni relations in our process.

Does NYU consider legacy?

“And, to repeat: NYU does not admit students on the basis of legacy; being the child of an alum is not a factor in our admissions decision-making; we don't pay heed to legacy status in shaping a class; and NYU doesn't have legacy 'tips.

How do colleges know if you're a legacy?

Colleges can include questions about legacy status in their supplements on the Common Application, and it's often just two or three questions. Are you related to an alumnus? What is your relationship to that alumnus? Who is that alumnus?

Does legacy help at Cornell?

Some applicants have a parent (or parents) who graduated from Cornell University. In general, when two students with similar, strong credentials apply to Cornell, the applicant who is a direct descendant of a Cornell University alumna/alumnus may have a slight advantage in the admissions process.

What percent of Yale is white?

Enrollment by Race & Ethnicity

The enrolled student population at Yale University is 38.1% White, 16.2% Asian, 11.2% Hispanic or Latino, 6.42% Black or African American, 5.18% Two or More Races, 0.261% American Indian or Alaska Native, and 0.137% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders.

What percent of Cornell is legacy?

At Cornell, 13.7 percent of students are Black, whereas 14.7 percent are legacies. In addition to the legacy admissions advantage, Tempelman said that legacy students already have a systematic advantage because of the resources, familial support and educational opportunities they often benefit from in their upbringing.

Are colleges getting rid of legacy?

But the broader movement to end legacy preferences appears to have hit a wall. Relatively few of the most competitive private colleges and universities have renounced the legacy factor. Even some public universities, such as William & Mary and the University of Virginia, are continuing the practice.

When did MIT get rid of legacy?

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

MIT has not considered alumni connections when deciding to admit students since at least 2006, according to a blog post on the MIT admissions webpage.

What schools don t care about legacy?

Only a handful of elite schools have shed the practice entirely from their admissions formula. These include MIT, Caltech, and Cooper Union. While controversial, being a legacy can provide a massive boost to your odds of acceptance.

What university has the most legacy admissions?

In short, Ivy League and other top schools typically admit legacies at two to five times their overall admission rates. Among top universities, the University of Notre Dame and Georgetown University are known to weigh legacy status heavily in their application processes.

Who got rid of legacy admissions?

States have taken matters into their own hands. California enacted a law in 2020 that requires colleges to submit potentially embarrassing annual reports on legacy admissions. In 2021, Colorado became the first state to ban legacy preferences in public universities.

What is the problem with legacy admissions?

In the case of legacy admissions, elite universities are effectively discriminating against less privileged students for the benefit of the wealthy — and some donors are enabling them. Fortunately, some universities have already taken legacy preferences off the table. MIT and Wesleyan, for example.