Does Being a Legacy Help College Admissions?
As the Supreme Court case on affirmative action continues to play out, more colleges are expected to abolish legacy preference in their admissions processes. They do so in order to maintain a diverse applicant pool and guarantee that students from underrepresented backgrounds have access to higher education opportunities.
Some might argue that the social status and career advantages conferred to legacies at elite colleges do more harm than good. On the other hand, these schools have become increasingly diverse in recent years.
Getting in
Students and their parents often ask whether being a legacy helps with college admissions. In the past, many students were able to gain acceptance into elite colleges due to their family connections to these institutions; however, it has become increasingly difficult for these families to secure admission into their dream institutions.
For students, this can seem like an insurmountable obstacle to overcome. But there are several steps students can take in order to boost their chances of being admitted with or without legacy status.
As a general rule, primary legacies like parents are more likely to get you into an elite college than secondary ones. This is because parents have more influence over admissions decisions than other relatives like siblings or grandparents do.
Another way for students to increase their chances of acceptance is improving their test scores and grades. These metrics are crucial as they help determine your academic profile as well as which school you will be accepted into.
If you want to maximize your chances of admission into an esteemed college, it is essential that you submit a strong application package with impressive transcripts and test scores. A high GPA, SAT/ACT score, and compelling essay can help convince admissions officers that you deserve their consideration.
In addition to an impressive academic record, students should strive for a well-rounded outlook and acquire experience that supports the college mission. For instance, they could get involved in school activities or volunteer work.
These activities can show that a student is invested in his or her school and has an eagerness to learn. Furthermore, such experiences may foster a sense of belonging to the institution and encourage them to stay on after graduation.
Despite the growing criticism of legacy preferences, some still support them as essential in helping colleges reach their diversity objectives. Some even speculate that legacy preferences could ultimately provide historically underrepresented groups with access to the institutions of their dreams.
Admissions process
Many prestigious colleges and universities take into account legacy applicants, the children or grandkids of alumni in their admissions process. While these students may not necessarily be more or less qualified than other applicants, they do stand out from the crowd and may receive special consideration.
According to a 2018 Inside Higher Ed survey, more than half of private schools and about a fifth of public universities consider legacies when making college admissions decisions. However, even at these elite institutions, these students make up only a small proportion of their student body and often experience minimal benefits in the admissions process.
Natasha Warikoo, a sociology professor at Tufts University in Massachusetts, believes that legacy preferences only serve to exacerbate existing inequities. They’re anti-meritocratic, restrict social mobility and reinforce what amounts to an informal class system.
She and other scholars view the practice as an effort to favor wealthy white applicants at the expense of more talented students who would contribute to campus diversity. This is especially evident for black and Latino applicants who are disproportionately denied admissions to elite universities.
Despite these criticisms, legacy preference remains a common admissions feature at some of America’s most selective colleges and universities. These schools have an established connection with their alumni, who often contribute financially to support the institution.
Therefore, institutional endowments are an essential source of funding for many schools. They support institutional operations with large portions of their operating budgets and contribute to annual funds that provide student aid.
Schools typically take legacy status into account when making decisions about secondary review, though their policies may vary. Generally, schools will either tag legacy students with a notation on their application or give them preference during secondary review depending on the policy in place.
Schools typically allow legacy students to apply for early decision or early action, which is a type of deadline where acceptances come sooner than regular decision applicants. While EA applications aren’t binding, they’re an effective way to jumpstart your admissions process and boost your chances of getting into a school that interests you.
Financial aid
College admissions can be a stressful process, but there are ways to make it simpler. Take advantage of the resources offered at your dream college – many offer personal advising sessions, tours of campus and application reviews; however, these opportunities may not be available everywhere.
As a legacy student, your first step should be to reach out to the admissions office of your top choice. Most universities will have policies in place that indicate legacy applications are important for them to consider and some even give preference.
Though these policies don’t guarantee admission, they can help you stand out from other applicants. Furthermore, they could increase your chances of receiving a scholarship to pay for school expenses.
Legacy preferences have recently come under scrutiny as a donor boycott against elite colleges is on the rise. Organized by EdMobilizer, this boycott seeks to punish institutions that prioritize legacies over first-generation and low-income students.
These policies have been accused of being anti-meritocratic and restricting social mobility. Opponents also contend that they serve to further entrench a de facto class system.
Furthermore, legacy preferences can be an unfair benefit to those already fortunate. This can impede the college experience for lower-income students who may not have enough money to attend a school that grants them such privilege.
There are many ways to combat this disadvantage, such as demonstrating your academic merit. For instance, improving test scores or volunteering on campus will demonstrate that you possess a special talent.
To avoid this issue, strive to achieve your highest college goal. With a good academic record and no legacy status issues, there should be no reason why you shouldn’t be accepted to your dream college regardless of its size or location.
Senator Jeff Merkley (D-Oregon) and Representative Jamaal Bowman (D-New York) have introduced a bill that would prohibit higher education institutions from giving preferential treatment to legacy students or the children of donors in admissions. This measure has gained support from numerous organizations, such as the American Civil Liberties Union.
Scholarships
Scholarships are financial assistance offered by colleges to students who cannot afford tuition. They may be awarded due to financial issues, socioeconomic conditions, age, merit or other considerations.
Many universities provide legacy scholarships for applicants whose family members attended their university. These awards can range in value from a few hundred dollars up to thousands of dollars.
If you are thinking of applying to one of these schools, research if they offer scholarships by searching online. Additionally, ask your parents, uncles or grandparents for recommendations.
Some colleges are willing to help legacy applicants gain admission, though some have a reputation for doing so only in certain instances. Others prefer to leave the decision up to the student.
These facts have led some to label legacy admissions a “zero-sum game”, in which there is only one place left for other applicants who don’t meet the legacy admissions criteria.
The legacy preference isn’t inherently wrong, but it does raise serious concerns for the American college system as a whole. It reinforces class bias and inequality already prevalent in higher education, leading to opportunity gaps and other issues for lower-income and first-generation students.
There is a select group of highly selective colleges that do take legacy status into account when making admission decisions. These elite institutions include Harvard and Radcliffe, among others.
According to an article in the New York Times, legacy applicants are twice as likely to be admitted at top colleges than nonlegacy peers. This difference is equivalent to receiving a 160-point boost on the SAT test.
Due to the majority of legacies being white, affluent and with college-educated parents, it should come as no surprise that they perform well academically.
Legacy students’ GPA may not be as high as that of nonlegacy peers, but they often earn better grades than the average student in their major due to being more likely to be children of alumnus and having an intimate understanding of the university’s academic climate.