Historical admission data across many competitive private universities and selective liberal arts institutions indicates that legacy applicants—students whose parents or relatives attended the same school—historically enjoyed a statistically significant advantage in acceptance rates compared to non-legacy candidates. However, this dynamic is changing rapidly. Amid mounting public scrutiny regarding equity, socioeconomic diversity, and merit-based fairness, numerous top-tier higher education institutions have voluntarily phased out legacy preferences, while several states have enacted legislation banning the practice entirely, leveling the admissions playing field for all applicants.