Glossary · Financial Aid
Legacy Admission
An admissions practice where children or grandchildren of alumni receive preferential consideration in the admissions process. The degree of preference varies by school, from a slight tip to a significant advantage.
What it means
Legacy admission has been under increasing scrutiny since the 2023 Supreme Court affirmative action ruling, and several schools have officially dropped it (Johns Hopkins, Amherst, MIT were early movers). But many selective schools still consider it, and the advantage is real. At schools that use legacy preference, legacy applicants are admitted at rates two to three times the overall rate.
For merit aid strategy, legacy status matters at schools that offer holistic merit, because the admissions committee that evaluates the student’s overall profile may weigh the family connection. At formula merit schools, legacy has zero effect on the scholarship amount because the award is tied to published stats, not committee judgment.
Legacy preference is most relevant at selective private schools with large alumni giving programs. Public universities generally do not use legacy preference in admissions, though some out-of-state tuition waivers or alumni association scholarships do favor legacy families.
Worked example
A legacy applicant at Notre Dame with a 1420 SAT applies alongside a non-legacy applicant with a 1460 SAT. Notre Dame considers legacy status in its holistic review. The legacy applicant receives admission and a merit scholarship invitation. The non-legacy applicant is waitlisted. At Alabama, both students would receive the exact same automatic merit tier because Alabama uses formula merit that ignores legacy status entirely.
Related terms
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