Legacy students debate their admissions boost

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Legacy students debate their admissions boost

As calls mount in universities and state legislatures across the country to end legacy preference in college admissions, the News spoke with legacy students at Yale about how legacy status affected their application processes and experiences at Yale — and about whether the practice should continue.

Growing up, Michael Garman ’25 talked extensively with his parents –– who were both undergraduates at Yale –– about the University’s use of legacy preference and the fact that he would benefit from it. He said that the concept struck both him and his parents as unfair, but it was “taken for granted long ago” that since he had the admissions advantage, he would apply.

Garman said that he opposes legacy preference because it gives a further boost to applicants who already have an edge. He explained that growing up with college-educated parents means that legacy students like him have the upper hand even without explicit legacy preference policies.

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