The children of Virginia Tech alumni will no longer get special preference in the admissions process.
Virginia Tech will stop considering legacy as an admissions factor, administrators announced Friday.
“We’ve placed less and less emphasis on legacy in recent years, to the point that it’s not factoring into admissions decisions in any significant way, and yet our legacy numbers have remained really strong,” Juan Espinoza, associate vice provost for enrollment management, said in a statement. “While around 12 percent of our applications are legacy, they comprise over 20 percent of the incoming class. This demonstrates that legacy students are applying with all the academic and extracurricular preparation that they need to compete for admission.”
The university, located in Blacksburg, also announced they will end the early decision admissions option and comply with the Supreme Court ruling on explicitly considering race and ethnicity in admissions.
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The school will continue to attract and retain a diverse student body by "lowering barriers to admissions, creating effective pre-college programs and supporting our students while on campus,” Virginia Tech President Tim Sands said in the statement.
Virginia Tech will eliminate its early decision program. This process "created unneeded pressure on students (…) particularly those needing financial aid,” Espinoza said.
"By eliminating early decision, we are simplifying our application process and also leveling the playing field for all students, regardless of their household income,” he said.
The changes will begin in the 2023-2024 admissions cycle.
Legacy college admissions that favor applicants with family ties to alumni are under scrutiny after the Supreme Court decision striking down affirmative action.
“Let’s be clear: affirmative action still exists for white people. It’s called legacy admissions,” Rep. Barbara Lee, a California Democrat, said on Twitter.
Supporters say legacy admissions encourage donations and build an alumni community.
The University of Virginia still factors legacy into its admissions process. The University of Maryland says it considers "family educational background" but doesn't specify whether legacy weighs into a student's acceptance.
The Associated Press contributed reporting.
