<p>I recently had a conversation with a teacher, and she told me about a former valedictorian at my school. He aspired to attend one particular Ivy League college and definitely carried the proper credentials. Despite his sparkling application, the school rejected him. On the other hand, the college accepted another legacy student of the same graduating class. This student didnt even make the top 10 percent of the class. From what Ive heard, he flourished at his legacy college, but I couldnt help feeling sorry for the valedictorian.</p>
<p>What is the deal with "legacy" admissions?
Do you not think that it is completely discriminatory to admit students to college based upon who their relatives are?
The idea seems to go against the basic principles of American equality.</p>
<p>Just like how all sports teams like to have fans. Colleges need ‘fans’ as well.</p>
<p>It is promotional and beneficial to colleges when they have returning (or seeking to return) legacy people. I shows a sense of longevity and establishment.</p>
<p>Once you are accepted into a private colleges, you in essence join their family and you get taken care of for the future.</p>
<p>It’s also an economic decision. Happy alumni give money. They are happy if their kids get into their alma mater. Tuition and fees do not cover the cost of attendance–they rely on donations from alumni. Colleges are looking at the long term–not just tuition for a few years, but donations from an estate, stock donations, etc. Also, legacy students help produce a happier campus and they are a tie to the school’s history and traditions.</p>
<p>Being the child of an alum is carrying less weight these days. Many alums just don’t donate enough money (or any money) to make that at issue anymore. </p>
<p>My niece, who had stellar stats, did not get into Columbia even though her dad is an alum and gives a modest donation every year.</p>
<p>Of course legacy doesn’t always help a kid get in, but it never hurts. (Some schools don’t weigh it as strongly, and some schools say clearly that it does help.)</p>
<p>Here’s one other possible reason: schools do not want to be turned down. Anything that messes up their acceptance rankings is a problem. It seems likely that a legacy student might be more likely to accept a place if accepted, bringing up the acceptance rate for the university. They won’t always accept, of course, but the school knows that the parent accepted that school years ago, stayed through graduation, and felt good enough about the university to have child apply. The child has probably heard about the university his or her whole life, probably cheered for their teams, maybe attended events there, and may have more alliances to that school than to just some random school where they have no affiliation. The odds just seem higher that the applicant would lean toward that school.</p>
<p>Schools that are often used as a “safety” or “second choice” for kids with certain scores may be particularly concerned with keeping up their acceptance rates. Of course for the very top schools, kids will often want to go no matter what. But even within the very top tier, they are all in competition with each other, so they want to make sure their applicants want to come to their school in particular.</p>
<p>Some schools will only give legacie preferential treatment if they apply ED. It is not explicitly stated, but it’s understood. Most of the time, legacy status is limited to parents and UG.</p>
<p>True, true. Also, colleges like to think of themselves as a big family and make no apologies for treating their family well. And with people living longer and longer having 3 generations of gift givers to an alma mater is not an unpleasant thought for a college.</p>
<p>OP: the degree to how much of a “big factor” legacy status also varies college to college. Don’t paint every one with a wide brush. For my alma mater, they send letters to those of us who have kids nearing college age saying basically “it’s not like the old days” and admissions is super competitive, regardless of our kids’ legacy status.</p>