In this episode of The Study Space Podcast, we discuss our opinions on legacy admissions and their implications for college students applying to certain universities. We talk about what legacy admissions are, which schools have historically had preference for legacy students, and the arguments for and against having preferences for legacy students. Legacy preference in the college admissions process is nothing new. For the overwhelming majority of students looking to apply to famous schools in the United States, legacy preference is something that is not at the forefront of their minds. The focus is primarily on their academic performance and what extracurricular activities they have to demonstrate in their applications. However, for some schools, the additional variable of legacy status is one that can tip the scales between admission and rejection. This episode discusses this very variable.

Things mentioned in this episode:

• Johns Hopkins University ended its legacy admissions
• University of California system does not consider legacy status in admissions
• Notable universities that do not prefer legacy in their admissions decisions:
  • California Institute of Technology (CalTech)
  • Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
  • UC Berkeley
• Ivy League universities are infamous for legacy admissions
• Technology-oriented universities tend to not have preference for legacy students
• Julian feels less inclined to apply to Ivy League schools due to legacy culture
• Harvard claims legacy preferences claiming it fosters a different kind of diversity
• Students For Fair Admissions cites multiple studies that show legacy preference doesn’t result in increased donations
• Students of varying abilities enjoy legacy preferences, not just academically inclined ones

Your hosts: David Chuong and Julian Vu

Music: “Please Listen Carefully” by Jahzzar is licensed under a Creative Commons License.