Among the bills signed into law by Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin Friday, one will end the practice of preferential treatment of prospective students who have ties to alumni or donors to Virginia’s top colleges.
NBC News reported:
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed a bill banning the consideration of legacy to public universities, making the commonwealth the second state to end admission advantages through family connections.
These ties to alumni and donors cannot be taken into consideration for application under the terms of House Bill 48, which the Republican Youngkin signed on Friday.
So this means that family connections will no longer be of any help to applicants to such prestigious institutions such as the University of Virginia and William & Mary.
The University of Virginia and William & Mary were ranked the Nos. 24 and 53 national universities in the most recent ratings by U.S. News & World Report. No. 47 Virginia Tech, in Blacksburg, announced last year that it had removed legacy from its admissions calculations.
Colorado was the first state to end the consideration of legacy status in admissions decisions, having done so in 2021.