Legacy matters for out-of-state UNC applicants

Applicants who have family ties to certain universities could have a significant leg up on admissions.

A recent study by a Harvard University student found that legacy applicants are seven times as likely to be admitted to universities than non-legacies.

Some UNC administrators say this rings true on campus, but mainly for out-of-state applicants.

Stephen Farmer, associate provost and undergraduate admissions director at UNC, said the University does take into consideration if an applicant’s parents or stepparents graduated from UNC, but legacy is looked at more for out-of-state applicants than in-state.

“That means that alumni sons or daughters do have a greater chance of attending UNC,” Farmer said.

According to UNC’s admission policy, preference can be given to non-resident applicants that are children of alumni.

The policy does not mention in-state applicants.

“Legacy doesn’t really go into play for North Carolinians but can be used,” Farmer said.

He said the admission office does not overrule academic factors.

“It offers some benefit to some out-of-state students, but that doesn’t overcome poor academics.”

Of the 2,824 out-of-state students who were accepted to the University in 2010, about 7.7 percent were legacies.

“I think that the way we practice legacy admission here is measured in a moderate response to the relationship the families have already established with the University,” Farmer said.

Richard Kahlenberg, a senior fellow for a public policy research organization called the Century Foundation, said he is against colleges using legacy preferences.

The foundation published a book titled, “Affirmative Action for the Rich: Legacy Preferences in College Admissions.”

“Individuals should be judged on merit and talent rather than an artificial aristocracy,” he said.

The legal argument against legacy preferences at a public university, like UNC, is that it violates the 14th Amendment because it is a form of discrimination based on ancestry, Kahlenberg said.

“So long as the children of wealthy alumni are given a preference, they are taking slots that would otherwise go to more highly credentialed students,” he said.

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