Legacy applicants certainly get rejected from colleges and universities, despite popular misconceptions that familial ties guarantee admission. Even at elite institutions with long-standing historical preferences for alumni children, the vast majority of legacy applicants face fierce competition against an overwhelming pool of candidates with flawless academic transcripts, perfect standardized test scores, and extraordinary extracurricular achievements. Furthermore, as universities increasingly abandon legacy preferences entirely, being the child of an alumnus no longer shields applicants from strict merit-based rejections.