A legacy student is someone who has a close family member, normally a parent, who attended the same college. Legacy preferences or legacy admission is a preference given by an institution or organization to certain applicants on the basis of their familial relationship to alumni of that institution. Legacy students often receive a big boost in admissions at private universities in the U.S. However, legacy preferences are controversial, as the legacy students tend to be less qualified and less racially diverse than non-legacy students. Legacy preferences are particularly prevalent at Ivy League universities and other selective private universities in the United States.

Legacy students are economically beneficial to universities, as they are perceived to be more likely to donate to their university after graduation and have parents who are perceived to be more generous donors. However, legacy status is not a guarantee of admission, and legacy students usually have to be at least “somewhat in the ballpark” in terms of grades, test scores, and extracurriculars.

Legacy admissions are a practice in which colleges give special consideration to children of alumni when deciding who to admit. They have been making plenty of headlines recently, and colleges are increasingly being called on to rethink the merits of the practice. Some colleges are beginning to heed those calls, and legacy preferences are being reconsidered.

Legacy admissions are controversial, and many experts agree that the true value of legacy status is contextual – it depends on both the institution and the applicant. Legacy status offers a significant boost at many schools across the country, but it isn’t sufficient to warrant admission on its own.