Students with a family legacy at their university are more likely to experience academic problems than both athletes and minority students, according to a Princeton University study released Monday.

According to the study, conducted by Douglas Massey, professor of sociology and public affairs at Princeton, so-called "legacy students" are often not prepared for the academic rigors of top higher-education institutions, and often do not receive the additional resources available to athletes and minority students.

Massey said minority students have traditionally been viewed as victims of the "mismatch hypothesis" — the disparity between a student's pre-college academic preparation and the amount of preparation needed to meet the academic demands of college.

However, Massey said his study found that the mismatch hypothesis more accurately described legacy students.

According to Massey, legacy students are often given special consideration throughout the admissions process at Princeton but are often not on the same level academically as their peers.

"Legacies who are beneficiaries of preferential admissions earned significantly lower grades than other students," Massey said.

Massey said children of alumni have a better chance for acceptance at all Ivy League schools, and added that having a parent who graduated from Princeton can increase a student's chance of acceptance by approximately 50 percent.

However, Massey said he approves of affirmative action for legacy students, adding he hopes his research will aid the academic community in understanding the various types of affirmative action — not just for minorities.

"I personally have no problem with legacy admissions," Massey said. "But unless one is willing to criticize preferential treatment in admissions for athletes and legacies, then logically one should not criticize race-sensitive admissions."

Thomas Reason, associate director of admissions at the University of Wisconsin, said a student's legacy is a minor factor in the admissions process at Madison.

"Having connections to UW — siblings, parents, grandparents … is something we look at," Reason said. "UW is not like some other institutions where it is a significant factor."

Reason added a student's legacy is only one factor in the admissions process — a factor that is not as important as academic success and extracurricular activities.

"[Legacy] is one small thing to consider," Reason said. "It is a tiebreaker for two otherwise identical applicants."