When discussing admissions policies, colleges love to use lofty terms like meritocracy, access, and egalitarianism. The vast majority of elite U.S. universities still give so-called legacy applicants, or those with familial ties to an institution, a sizable advantage in the admissions process, making declarations of a focus on social justice and opportunity seem a little hollow. S. colleges and universities. Here is a legacy admissions stat that may (or may not) shock you: 36% of Harvard%E2%80%99s Class of 2022 can claim a relative that previously attended the university Interestingly, the Class of 2025 legacy admissions percentage was 16%. and, in 2024, only 12% of incoming Crimson freshmen said the same
Whether the percentage for a given year is 12% or 36%, if you happen to be interested in attending your parent%E2%80%99s alma mater, you will likely find this news encouraging If not, it’s still crucial to understand that not all decisions to accept or reject are made solely on the basis of merit.
Does Harvard Consider Legacies?
The preference based on family history dates back a century and has a history that is entwined with that of racial preference. Does Harvard take legacies into consideration? A new generation of students competed for spots at American colleges like Harvard in the 1920s, many of whom were Jewish or immigrants. At the same time, family histories were raised for prospective “Harvard men.” ”.
Several years forward, a legacy admissions statistic that may or may not surprise you is as follows: 36% of the Harvard Class of 2022 may claim a relative who was a student there in the past Harvard legacy acceptance rate for the Class of 2025 is fascinating to look at, which is 16% Similarly, only 12% of the new Crimson students who enrolled for the Class of 2024 identified themselves as legacy students
The admissions office at Harvard University refers to applicants who have at least one parent who graduated from either Harvard or Radcliffe, the university’s former sister institution, as “legacy applicants.” Legacy students have received this “tip” for many years.
It was officially unknown how big the “tip” was or what its characteristics were prior to a federal judge ordering Harvard to release admissions data for the previous six years. Just prior to the successful conclusion of a federal trial in which Harvard was charged with discriminating against Asian-American applicants, this information was made public.
Both sides of the litigation agree that legacy preference can be a significant factor, despite the fact that their expert interpretations of Harvard’s statistics differ in many ways. And this is not exclusive to Harvard.
Today, Harvard (and other esteemed colleges in the United States) contend that they use legacy status and release Harvard legacy acceptance rate in the same manner that they use race or other student characteristics: to foster a vibrant and diverse campus community and alumni network.
What Exactly Is Considered A Legacy At Harvard?
First things first, what exactly is a legacy at Harvard? A legacy is someone who is connected to an alumnus of a university. Typically, a legacy is the child of an alumnus. Most of the time, distant relatives like aunts, uncles, and cousins are ignored. Grandparents are counted on some occasions, but not always.
For instance, you are considered to be a part of the Harvard legacy if your mother graduated from Harvard College. However, if your uncle attended and graduated from Harvard Law School before you, you would not be regarded as a Harvard legacy. In general, if one or both of your parents graduated from a particular school, you are regarded as a legacy student there.
But it’s important to remember that the undergraduate admissions offices will be most interested in you if one or both of your parents received their undergraduate degrees from that institution. It is less likely that you will be considered a legacy in the context of the admissions process for undergraduate programs if your parents received professional degrees from the institution rather than their own undergraduate degrees.
The main factors influencing institutions to value legacy status are their contributions to the economy and community. The reasoning behind allowing former students’ children to attend college is that they are more likely to stay connected to the school (by participating in alumni activities, helping out on committees, etc.) and support it financially.
Many institutions anticipate that these students will be particularly engaged alumni in the future because legacies have a family tie to the institution. In summary, educational institutions see accepting legacies as a way to ensure future students’ participation in addition to maintaining the involvement of current students.
Different Kinds of Legacy Applications
However, not all legacy candidates are equal or alike, and they are frequently categorized into different levels and types. Those whose parents received a degree from the college while they were undergraduates are the most competitive legacy applicants. Some institutions may view your attendance there as a legacy even if you don’t graduate from the school.
Applicants who are the first in their family to attend college are also given this kind of consideration; for instance, an applicant would no longer qualify as a member of the first generation if either of their parents had gone to college. The following category consists of legacy applicants, or those who are children of graduates or undergraduates. Even though it’s not a common practice, attending and graduating from graduate school may occasionally count as primary education.
The secondary legacy category also includes people who have grandparents, aunts, uncles, or siblings who were undergraduates at the university. Primary relationships are given preference over extended families or other people in this case, unless there has been a strong connection demonstrated by volunteer work, board service, endowment gifts, or other means, such as annual fund and endowment donations.
If a candidate’s family member is more generous with their time or legacy gifts, their application will be given more weight. At this stage in the process, the nuances of how much legacy status influences college admissions can be confusing or unpleasant.
What Percent of Harvard Students Are Legacies?
According to the recently released Harvard legacy acceptance rate, more than 36% of the students in the Harvard Class of 2022 are decedents of former Harvard students. The previous year, the proportion of first-year students accounted for just over 29% of the class
In comparison to applicants from Harvard families, those without any relatives who attended the esteemed university had a five times lower chance of admission as of the year 2015.
According to the Harvard legacy acceptance rate, 43% of Harvard’s white students are either recruited athletes, legacy students, on the dean’s interest list (which means their parents have donated to the university), or are the offspring of faculty and staff. These students are known as “ALDCs,” which stands for “athletes,” “legacies,” and “children of Harvard employees.” If not for the fact that their parents were wealthy, connected to Harvard, or that they were athletes, about three-quarters of these students’ applications would not have been accepted.
Does Being A Legacy Help At Harvard?
In a nutshell, the answer to the big question “Does being a legacy help at Harvard?” is that having a legacy in your family will unquestionably increase your chances of getting into a particular college or university, especially an extremely prestigious one. As of the previous year, the acceptance rate for Harvard Legacy students is anticipated to be more than five times higher than that for Non-Legacy students.
It is estimated that anywhere from 25 to 35% of admitted students at Ivy League schools come from a family with a legacy status That’s a significant issue for educational institutions that accept less than 10% of applicants.
You might think that’s unfair, and there has been increasing criticism of legacy admissions in recent years. The most esteemed colleges have received calls from individuals both inside and outside of universities to stop using legacy admissions. Despite this, the vast majority of American colleges and universities still take legacy status into account, with very few notable exceptions.
You should be aware that your legacy status may have a significant impact on the higher early decision admission rate at many schools. A disproportionate amount of legacy applicants are admitted early because most universities prioritize legacy status in the early round of admissions, which can increase the early decision or early action percentage.
Second, inquire with the admissions office at the institution where you have your heart set about the support programs they offer legacy students. Prospective legacy applicants have access to a variety of resources, including personal advice, tours, and even application reviews, at many prestigious educational institutions, including Brown and Vanderbilt. It’s a good idea to check for it even though it’s not available everywhere.
In the media’s coverage of higher education, the problems of money, privilege, and equity in the admissions process receive a lot of attention. Additionally, a disproportionate amount of ink is wasted on the most esteemed universities in the country, which together enroll less than 1% of all undergraduate students. Despite this, as demonstrated by the Varsity Blues controversy, people are still curious to learn more about it.
In today’s top news stories, discussions about access through the lens of affirmative action are found in addition to discussions about legacy admissions. The case Students for Fair Admissions v. The Supreme Court will hear the President and Fellows of Harvard College case, which alleges discrimination against Asian Americans, in the spring of 2019. A ruling could be handed down at that time. A fundamental aspect of both of these issues is the practice of giving some applicants preferential treatment based on criteria other than quantitative achievement.
Legacies are not even close to the majority of students at elite schools, despite the many alleged benefits of admitting them. Despite the fact that acknowledging legacies is thought to have many advantages Furthermore, admission to a prestigious educational institution is not in any way guaranteed by belonging to a well-known family.
Being a legacy won’t, by and large, magically increase a candidate’s chances of admission to an institution. Being a legacy does not guarantee admission to a school if a student’s grade point average and standardized test scores are below the school average and the student is not actively involved in any extracurricular activities.
According to a quip attributed to a former admissions representative at Harvard University, “Legacy can cure the sick, but it can’t raise the dead.” ”.
It is common to refer to someone’s legacy as a “push,” “bonus,” or “tie-breaker.” Being a legacy could make the difference between a candidate winning the election and losing it.
According to the Harvard admissions website, legacies may be taken into consideration in addition to other highly qualified applicants for daughters and sons of Harvard College alumni/ae. ”.
Or to put it another way, admissions decisions may be based on a family’s track record of success. Having said that, it won’t help a candidate who isn’t particularly exceptional in other ways get into a school and is in no way a guarantee of acceptance.
However, this differs from school to school. At various points in the admissions process, some educational institutions give legacies more weight than others do or give them more significance.
How Important Are Legacy College Admissions?
They tend to believe that giving legacy candidates an advantage helps them attract donations from alumni, which is why they believe that giving legacy applicants an advantage is important for college admissions. Institutions assert that a financial one is the most important one.
For instance, a Harvard committee established in 2017 to evaluate potential changes to the admissions process came to the conclusion that getting rid of the school’s legacy preference could jeopardize the “generous financial support” that “is essential to Harvard’s position as a leading institution of higher learning” and that helps fund financial aid. The committee also discovered that dropping the legacy preference would not have an impact on the number of applicants to Harvard.
On this front, the aforementioned Harvard committee came to the conclusion that the legacy preference is one method of encouraging alumni to “remain engaged with the College for the rest of their lives” — yes, through financial gifts, but also through giving their time and energy, for example, by interviewing Harvard applicants.
To put it another way, the legacy preference encourages alumni to have a long-lasting impact on the university. (While Harvard declined a request for an interview, the school did issue a statement in which it reaffirmed its commitment to admitting students who are “diverse on several dimensions,” including their “academic interests, opinions, and talents. ”).
Like all other eligible applicants, legacy applicants are expected to succeed academically (high GPA, challenging courses), perform well on standardized tests, engage deeply and meaningfully in extracurricular activities, and seek out a variety of intellectually stimulating experiences. Admission is not guaranteed just because a candidate has a family history with the institution.
The legacy applicant preference in the admissions process means that, if all other factors are equal, for instance, the applicant with legacy status at any level may be given preference. However, it does not mean that the overall bar is lowered.
Because legacy applicants are given a preference in the admissions process, schools like to see that they are excited to attend. Legacy applicants are strongly encouraged to apply through the school’s early admission program (early decision, restricted early action, or early action), if offered, to demonstrate their genuine interest and desire to attend. This helps schools see that legacy applicants are enthusiastic about attending.
Due to those programs’ stricter requirements, there is a higher possibility that legacy applicants will receive preference in the first round. The standard choice round, in contrast, raises a lot more questions about the students’ potential involvement in the program. The best course of action for educational institutions is not to waste their time interviewing candidates who are not likely to enroll in their programs.
It is crucial to stress that being accepted to Harvard with a legacy application does not guarantee your place in the legacy acceptance rate. Although legacy applicants are given some preference, determining the level of preference is a multi-step and complex process, and legacy status is not the only factor taken into account when making admission decisions.
Being accepted to Harvard may seem like a far-off dream, but it is actually incredibly difficult. The applicant pool is very strong, and there are a lot of people competing for the few available positions. But AdmissionSight is more than willing to help you get into your dream school. Consider reviewing the Harvard legacy acceptance rate and working on other areas of your application with AdmissionSight if you are a Harvard aspirant with a legacy. To learn more, you can schedule a free initial consultation with us.
What Is Legacy Admissions? (College Application Tips) #shorts
FAQ
Do legacy students get in easier?
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 Secondary legacies receive a lesser pick-me-up of 13%.
How common are legacy admissions?
Use of Legacy Preferences Is Widespread, But Decreasing It is difficult to pinpoint the exact scope of legacy admissions at this time. According to a 2020 Wall Street Journal report, 56% of the nation’s top 250 institutions considered legacy in their admissions process That’s a decline from 63% in 2004.
Does Harvard accept legacy?
Several years forward, a legacy admissions statistic that may or may not surprise you is as follows: 36% of the Harvard Class of 2022 may claim a relative who was a student there in the past Harvard legacy acceptance rate for the Class of 2025 is fascinating to look at, which is 16%
Do colleges like legacy students?
At private universities in the U.S., legacy students frequently experience a significant increase in admissions. S. However, many prestigious institutions, including MIT, don’t even take legacy status into account.