Legacy Admissions Across All Ivies

Legacy applicants enjoy a 30% higher admission rate than non-legacies across all eight Ivy League schools, directly contradicting claims of merit-based selection. This structural preference inflates each school's selectivity by crowding out more qualified candidates, making the entire system less competitive than advertised. Worse, this practice is 15% more impactful on class composition than the runner-up at #8, proving legacy bias is the most corrosive factor in Ivy admissions. With 5% to 10% of every Ivy class reserved for legacies, the data underscores a privilege that cheapens every acceptance letter and perpetuates a cycle of overrated prestige.