<p>As a Swarthmore grad who has done admissions interviewing, my perception (based on small personal sample size and conversation with other alums) is that being a legacy is a small plus. The fact that admissions rates may be (I have no data, but ID may well be right) higher is more likely due to the preparation that alum kids have: growing up in a household where, presumably, books and ideas are important and educational success highly valued. Here I’m a bit more on the nuture side of the nature vs. nuture debate.</p>