"As admission to top universities becomes more competitive each year, the smallest differences between applicants can mean the difference between acceptance and rejection. By placing importance on factors such as legacy status, qualities of an applicant’s profile that are outside of their control can make or break their application.
Vanderbilt considers legacy status but does not explicitly state the required level of alumni relation in order to be considered a legacy in admissions. Students must self report their relation in their application.
At Vanderbilt, legacy status is considered at the same level as other non-academic factors, such as geographical residence, volunteer experience, work experience, first generation status and racial/ethnic status, according to the website for Vanderbilt’s Office for Planning and Institutional Effectiveness. This makes it more important than demonstrated interest and religious affiliation, factors which are not considered, according to the Office for Planning and Institutional Effectiveness website, but less important than extracurricular activities, personal qualities and talent/ability.
While legacy status is considered in admission, there is limited public information on the extent that legacy status helps an applicant, and statistics on the demographics of each year’s legacy class aren’t made publicly available.
According to Dean of Admissions Douglas Christiansen, Vanderbilt strives to find the best students to make up each incoming class, regardless of legacy status." …
https://vanderbilthustler.com/29597/featured/vanderbilt-brings-back-legacy-admissions-preference/