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The University of Virginia is the latest school in the U.S. to change its legacy admissions policies since a civil rights group’s federal complaint challenging the process was filed days after the Supreme Court struck down affirmative action, ending a decades-long practice used by universities to diversify student bodies.
Multiple colleges and universities across the country have updated admissions policies, with some choosing to end preferences given to applicants who are considered legacy students.
The University of Virgina announced Tuesday that people reviewing admission applications will not have access to any self-disclosed “checkbox” information containing the applicant’s personal or historic relations to the university.
Additionally, the university has altered its Common Application questions to allow people with connections to the school to “explain those relationships and why they matter.” The Common Application is a platform on which students can apply for admission to multiple colleges at once.
“We hope this prompt will give all students − not only, for example, the children of our graduates, but also the descendants of ancestors who labored at the university, as well as those with other relationships −the chance to tell their unique stories,” University of Virginia President James Ryan and Executive Vice President and Provost Ian Baucom wrote in the joint statement.
The University of Virginia is not the only school to change its policies recently. Here’s what to know about legacy admissions and a look at schools that have changed their stances.
Affirmative action ruling outcomes:After Supreme Court’s affirmative action ruling, race-based scholarships under scrutiny
What are legacy admissions?
In the past, legacy admissions policies have fast-tracked prospective students who have family members who are alumni or donors, often securing them admission into a school for having that familial connection.
A July 2023 report studying admissions at the Ivy League schools, Stanford University, MIT, the University of Chicago, and Duke University, showed familial alumni connections give students a clear advantage.
Legacy students that come from families in the top 1% are five times as likely to be admitted to the schools studied as the average applicant that has similar test scores, demographic characteristics, and admissions office ratings. Additionally, legacy students that come from families below the 90th percentile are still three times as likely to be admitted as peers with similar credentials.
Colleges and universities are handling admissions policies differently; some are changing how legacy admissions are handled, while others or removing the program altogether.
Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University, a selective liberal arts school in Middletown, Connecticut, announced earlier this month it would be ending its legacy admissions program altogether.
“We still value the ongoing relationships that come from multi-generational Wesleyan attendance, but there will be no ‘bump’ in the selection process,” Wesleyan President Michael Roth wrote in a blog post announcing the decision. “As has been almost always the case for a long time, family members of alumni will be admitted on their own merits.”
Opinion:Legacy admissions helped me get into college. They should be abolished.
Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech has also opted to end its legacy admissions policy along with its early decision program.
The university announced the changes on July 28. The school has placed less emphasis on legacy for admission in recent years but are still seeing strong legacy numbers, Virginia Tech Associate Vice Provost for enrollment management Juan Espinoza said in the release.
“While around 12% of our applications are legacy, they comprise over 20% of the incoming class. This demonstrates that legacy students are applying with all the academic and extracurricular preparation that they need to compete for admission,” Espinoza said.
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota updated its admissions policies following the Supreme Court decision, opting to no longer consider “family attendance” as an admissions factor.
Carnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon University said in its 2022-2023 common data set it did not consider legacy status in applications, a change from prior years.
“CMU’s admission process uses the same criteria for all applicants, regardless of legacy status,” the school’s website states. “The Alumni Association has no involvement with the admission process.”
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh ended its legacy admissions policy in 2020, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
Amherst College
Amherst College ended its legacy preference policy in October 2021 when it unveiled a new financial aid program supporting lower- and middle-income families.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
MIT has not considered alumni connections when deciding to admit students since at least 2006, according to blog post on the MIT admissions webpage.
Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins formally decided to end its legacy admissions policy in 2014 after years of transitioning away from the process.
How are legacy admissions being received by the public?
In the wake of the Supreme Court’s striking down of affirmative action, multiple schools have been criticized for their continued legacy programs, including Harvard University, which currently has a federal complaint filed against it and is being investigated by the Biden administration.
More on legacy admissions:After Supreme Court’s rejection of affirmative action, complaint targets legacy admissions
According to a 2019 analysis conducted for the plaintiffs in the Harvard and University of North Carolina affirmative action cases, 43% of Harvard’s white admits were made up of legacy students, recruited athletes, children of faculty and staff or were applicants affiliated with donors.
The current complaint against Harvard cites records indicating that 70% of Harvard’s donor-related or legacy applicants were white. Additionally, it states having a legacy status makes an applicant nearly six times more likely to being admitted to the Ivy League institution.
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