Public universities in the state of Virginia have been banned from considering “legacy” status in their admissions deliberations, as per a new law. The controversial practice, which gives an advantage to applicants related to donors or alumni in admissions decisions, was discontinued last year by Virginia Tech, one of Virginia’s biggest public universities.  

In 2021, Colorado became the first state to ban legacy admissions at public universities. Notable private colleges like Amherst College, Wesleyan University and New York University have recently announced that they will no longer consider legacy status in admissions. This shift against legacy admissions is notable due to how widespread the practice is, with more than 600 colleges considering it in their admissions criteria. 

The University of Virginia, a consistently top-ranked university nationally, accepted 42% of its legacy applicants for the class of 2023. That acceptance rate is twice that of non-legacy applicants, according to their student paper, The Cavalier Daily. 

Legacy admissions have been under more scrutiny following the 2023 Supreme Court decision that banned the admissions practice of affirmative action. Some consider legacy admissions to be the most significant form of “affirmative action,” though one that tends to benefit white, upper-class applicants. 

Dickinson is one of the hundreds of colleges in the United States that considers legacy status in its admissions decisions. In an interview with The Philadelphia Inquirer, President John E. Jones said, “[W]e don’t put our finger on the scale. We measure them the same way we measure everybody else,” when asked whether legacy applicants get any preferential treatment in the admissions process. According to Jones, Dickinson celebrates legacies, which make up roughly 5% of the student body, as a way to express gratitude for their families’ support of the institution.  

Dickinson’s admissions department reiterated Jones’ previous sentiment saying, “All applicants to Dickinson must qualify for admissions on their own merits. We do appreciate seeing legacy applications, because it speaks to the strength of the Dickinson experience.” Additionally, the department stated that roughly three to four percent of all Dickinson applicants are legacy applicants in any given admissions cycle. 

While legacy admissions are being discontinued across the country, Dickinson’s admissions department gave no indication that a change in their practice will be enacted in the near future.