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.

Why do we need legacy admissions?

Some colleges say that legacy admissions play a financial role in keeping donors engaged. That money is then passed down to students as financial aid.

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.

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.

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.

Harvard Targeted on Legacy Admissions

Why do universities prefer legacies?

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.

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 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.

What colleges are getting rid of 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.

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.

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?

Do cousins count as legacy?

An applicant normally has legacy status at a college if a member of the applicant's immediate family attends or attended the college, but at certain schools it might also mean a grandparent, aunt or uncle, or cousin.

Is it easier to get into college as a legacy?

Yet a quick glance at the statistics on legacy admissions suggests that the proverbial thumb in question must belong to Andre the Giant. A study of thirty elite colleges, found that primary legacy students are an astonishing 45% more likely to get into a highly selective college or university than a non-legacy.

Why is legacy so important?

A legacy gives you an opportunity to live for a purpose that's bigger than yourself. It allows you to change your family tree, not just for your children, but for generations to come! You can decide to use everything you have—wealth, resources, talent and relationships—to bless those around you.

Why does Harvard have legacy admissions?

Harvard and other universities have defended legacy admissions. They argue that giving preference to the children of alumni helps build a valuable sense of loyalty and belonging, and spurs alumni to volunteer their time and give money to the university, which can be used for scholarships.

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.

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.

Do legacy students have a higher chance?

A research group at Harvard conducted an analysis of a dozen elite schools — including the Ivy Leagues, Stanford, and the University of Chicago — and determined that, among applicants with similar test scores, legacy applicants were far more likely to be accepted into the school their parents attended than those whose ...

What is the easiest Ivy League to get into?

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%.

What percent of legacy admissions are white?

The complaint argues that legacy admissions are tantamount to racial discrimination because Harvard grants preferential treatment to legacies – 70% of whom are white.

Which Ivy League is most generous?

Princeton University is the highest scoring Ivy League to make the top ten list of universities with the best financial aid packages.

What is legacy admission controversy?

According to the AP, critics of legacy admissions say it contributes to persistently low numbers of Black students at top colleges. In addition, at many schools with legacy preferences, Black students were not admitted until the 1960s, said Michael Dannenberg, a vice president at the Education Reform Now think tank.

Do legacy admissions pay full tuition?

Legacy status may also work as a proxy for financial need.

In other words, these students are more likely to be able to pay full tuition without help from the university. “It's a way to circumvent need-blind policies,” said Richard D. Kahlenberg, an education expert and a nonresident scholar at Georgetown University.

Does MIT like Legacies?

MIT doesn't consider legacy or alumni relations in our admissions process.

What percent of white students at Harvard are legacies?

34 percent of Harvard students are white. 43 percent of those students are either legacies, children of faculty, kin of donors or a recruited athlete.