Legacies are students who have parents, grandparents or siblings who are alumni or currently enrolled at a university. At NC State, the Alumni Center offers ample opportunities for legacy students to become well-educated on the process for admissions to NC State.

Jon Westover, associate vice provost and director of admissions, discussed via email that legacy is one of many factors contributing to admissions, but it is not weighed higher than others. Some other contributing factors can be a student’s status as a veteran, if they are from a rural community and many more.

NC State regards academic accomplishments as the main item in admissions.

“The most important factor when reviewing a student for admissions is their academic performance, including their grade point average, the rigor of their course of study and performance on standardized tests,” Westover said. “We use a holistic review of applications that takes into consideration a number of factors when making admissions decisions.” 

According to Westover, one of the biggest encouragers for legacy students attending NC State are their parents. If one of their parents enjoyed their time at NC State, chances are the child has been involved in the NC State culture before reaching college age. 

“Some of our applicants have grown up attending State athletic events for years and points to that as a big reason why they apply,” Westover said. “For others, it could be cultural events or some other connection to campus that all stems from their parent’s affinity to NC State.” 

Legacy students at NC State make up approximately 15% of the student body population, according to Benny Suggs, executive director and associate vice chancellor for alumni relations. Suggs said that as soon as a child of an NC State alumni reaches the 7th grade, that child can attend the Legacy Admissions Event. This event focuses on advising middle school and high school students on how to better prepare themselves for receiving an acceptance at NC State. 

“Once legacy students receive admissions, they are welcome to attend a Legacy Luncheon that takes place during move-in weekend,” Suggs said. This event celebrates family tradition at NC State. 

Suggs emphasizes that just because an applicant is a legacy does not mean that they are guaranteed automatic admissions. Many legacy students have been turned down because of other factors.

“We get emails and phone calls from alumni because they are not happy,” Suggs said. “I talk to them and give them some data on transfer students.”

Suggs stated that NC State receives generous donations from alumni. Just this past week, the university has received over $13 million in donations. However, donations never influence any decisions that the university might make. All of the decisions are transparent and fair as part of NC State values.

“NC State has a great culture and part of that is because of core values,” Suggs said. “Work hard, do well and get rewarded.”