How important is legacy for college?

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 being a legacy help college admissions?

A recent study by Harvard economists, using data from several élite colleges, found that legacies were nearly four times more likely to be admitted than other applicants with the same test scores.

Does legacy increase acceptance rate?

Legacy status can deliver a potent boost to an applicant's chances at some of the nation's most competitive colleges. A landmark study, released this summer, found that legacy applicants from wealthy families were five times more likely than other students to gain admission to an Ivy League or Ivy-caliber school.

What are the cons of 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.

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.

Harvard Targeted on Legacy Admissions

Which top colleges don t consider legacy?

Is it easier to get into an Ivy League as a legacy?

Legacy admissions—which gives a leg up to the children of alumni—are the largest contributing factor to the overrepresentation of the top 1% at Ivy Plus schools. Legacy applicants from the top 1% are five times more likely to be admitted than students with comparable credentials, the study found.

Why do colleges care so much about legacy?

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.

Are colleges getting rid of legacy?

A 2022 report from nonprofit think tank Education Reform Now found that colleges were turning away from legacy admissions. Eighty-nine percent of college admissions directors did not support the use of legacy admits, and three-quarters of public colleges and universities didn't even provide a legacy preference.

Does legacy still matter for college?

Just under 50% of private universities still consider legacy status in the admissions process, and the rate is north of 80% at selective colleges with lower acceptance rates. And the advantage conferred in the admissions process can be enormous.

How much does legacy matter for college?

Elite colleges say they prioritize legacies for a few reasons. It helps maintain strong ties with alumni, which assists with donations, networking and a sense of community. When admitted, children of alumni are much more likely to attend — helping with something admissions offices call their yield rate.

How much does legacy impact college 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.

What schools are getting rid of legacy admissions?

Why do colleges like legacy students?

Colleges say that legacy preferences help create an intergenerational community on campuses and grease the wheels for donations, which can be used for financial aid.

How much does legacy actually help?

A study actually found that students are 45% more likely to get into a highly selective college if they're considered primary legacy.

How many colleges consider legacy?

Nearly 600 colleges consider an applicant's legacy status during their admissions process, according to data released Tuesday by the U.S. Department of Education.

How rich kids get into Ivy League?

Children of the top one percent, earning more than $611,000 a year, are significantly overrepresented in the Ivy League — more likely to attend selective private colleges than students from any other income bracket with comparable SAT and ACT scores.

What is the easiest Ivy academically?

Cornell is the easiest and youngest Ivy League school. It was established in 1865 and is situated in Ithaca, New York. Out of 49,114 candidates, Cornell accepted 5,330, for an admission percentage of around 10.9%.

Does Yale consider 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 schools don t care about legacy?

Some schools, though, are publicly rejecting the practice. New York University, Michigan State University and Bryn Mawr College all told The Washington Post they do not use legacy preferences and will make that clear on a survey, known as the Common Data Set, that had previously shown otherwise.

Do legacy admissions increase donations?

In fact, a 2010 study by researchers at The Century Foundation of 100 top colleges also found "no statistically significant evidence that legacy preferences impact total alumni giving." When Amherst ditched legacy from its admissions process in 2021, it acknowledged it would be just fine financially without legacies, ...

How do schools know if you're a legacy?

Some institutions, such as Stanford and UNC, only consider "primary legacy" status—where one or both applicant's parents are alumni. Yet, most schools will also grant favor to "secondary legacies" who claim a grandparent, sibling, or other non-parental familial affiliation to the school.

How do schools verify legacy?

When you declare legacy, the admissions office sends a note to the alumni association, which confirms it. The alumni association also reports how active was your legacy in school affairs, fund raising, etc..

Do legacy admissions offer an advantage?

There are several benefits. A legacy admission is both more likely to enroll and to be retained. The applicant knows what they are getting into and what the campus life is like. They also have someone who can provide advice.

Why do people support legacy admissions?

Legacy admissions — the practice of preferentially admitting the children of alumni — is one of the powerful, tangible characteristics that helps foster that sense of community. By going to these schools, you open up opportunities for yourself, but also your family and children.