This practice is not without controversy. We like to think that we live in a meritocracy. We like to think that each person should stand on their own. But in practice, being from the right family can be a real advantage.
This practice isn't exclusive to university admissions. There are a lot of situations where knowing someone can get you a foot in the door. It might be helping a relative get a job at the local factory or putting in a good word with management or having a relative on the right board or committee.
I once heard a story about a person who was hiring for a specific position. They had one opening and 200 applicants. They took 50 resumes at random at tossed the others back in the drawer without a look. Think about that, the first cut which eliminated 75% of applicants was random. We can see that having a person on the inside that just got your resume looked at would be a huge advantage.
There is one place that no legacy points are awarded and that is in our standing with God. None of us can measure up to the holiness of God and all of us need the redemption promised by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. And it doesn't matter what family we are from.
Sure, living in America makes it more likely that you will have at least heard the Gospel. And if you happen to grow up in a Christian family, all the better. But none of that can make the commitment for you. We all have free will and no matter how faithful our parents or grandparents, faith is between us and God and no one else.
In this story the Roman Centurion was praised by Jesus because he had faith where others did not. Jesus made it clear that being one of God's chosen people was not the key to salvation. Salvation comes from faith and faith alone and so it is accessible to us all.
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