UNC's legacy admission policies differs from those of its peers

To be Tar Heel born and bred can have a different meaning for some students at UNC. 

As the number of admissions have risen to historical numbers, some question whether legacy students —children of a UNC alumni — receive priorities in admissions.

Ashley Memory, senior assistant director of admissions, said students applying in-state who have legacy status do not have the upper hand in admissions.

“We do ask for (legacy status),and we are fully aware of that and the students of alum here fair really well. Alumni status plays more of a roll for out-of-state admissions than in-state,” Memory said. 

“If we have two (out-of-state) candidates with similar credentials, (the) one who is not a child of an alumnus, we would give slight preference to the student who has an alumnus as a parent.”

Even though the admissions office states that legacy status does not play a roll in the in-state application decision, a March-April 2012 edition of the Carolina Alumni Review stated that for the fall 2011 decision, in-state students legacy students had a 12.3 percent higher acceptance rate than non-legacy in-state students. 

Memory said the Office of Undergraduate Admissions shows appreciation to alumni, though it values all applicants. 

“We are fortunate to have the interest of so many students applying for admission. So many talented, passionate and good-hearted students apply,” Memory said.

The admissions office sends letters to the parents of prospective legacy students thanking them for encouraging their students to apply to Carolina, Memory said. 

“Our ability to track the great students that apply is a tribute to the alumni here," Memory said. "The alumni that are graduates of this university are at work in this state and in the nation making a difference everyday.”

While the University puts great emphasis on legacy status and alumni relations, some other public universities do not put such bearing. 

“(The University of Georgia) has an optional question on our application which collects data on any family members of the applicant who have attended the University,” said Nancy McDuff, associate vice president for admissions and enrollment management, in an email.

“However, legacy does not play a role in our admission decisions. We simply use the information to report what percentage of our enrolling students have family members who have attended UGA.”

Rick Fitzgerald, director of public affairs at the University of Michigan said legacy status is not something they track through the admissions process.

The University of Virginia declined to comment on its admissions policies.

Prospective transfer student Phong Dinh, who is not a legacy student, does not believe that legacy status should be a deciding factor in the admissions process.

“I think it would be unfair if legacy students were given special privileges when it came to applying to the UNC, or any school, as the student’s standing with the university shouldn’t be determined by their familial history, but by their own merit,” Dinh said. 

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