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how important is legacy for gettin into schools

By Ariesathena (Ariesathena) on Thursday, November 06, 2003 - 12:10 am: Edit

Normally, not very - only in borderline applications. For example, if your parent went to the school, isn't overly involved as an alumnus, and you have the stats to get in, legacy might give you the edge over very similar applicants.

If your parent is more involved, or if your entire family went there, it might give you more of an edge.

Only in RARE cases, i.e. a building is named after one of your family members, it will help an unqualified person get in.

It really depends on the school: Harvard accepts a ton of legacies, even ones with below-average (not bad, just below average) stats... my alma mater, Tufts, does not give much consideration to legacies in most circumstances, and I know of legacies with great grades and good SATs who haven't gotten in...

By Laceycheer (Laceycheer) on Thursday, November 06, 2003 - 07:01 am: Edit

Yeah... My friends boyfriend is accepted to Yale.
When we all heard this we were like, "WOW! What he get on the SAT?" her response... "1310"... ours- "WHaa?!?".. our friend, "Oh and his dad is like a alumni and he bought a building or something like that." .... yeah then it all makes sense lol

By Wahoos (Wahoos) on Thursday, November 06, 2003 - 03:00 pm: Edit

For some schools it varies. With schools that have a preferential admissions policy, legacy is very important and can give you a clear edge over many applicants, some who are better qualified than yourself. By the way, I hear that if you have legacy at UVA that it really gives you an advantage. Is that so? If so, how much of an advantage?

By Chasgoose (Chasgoose) on Thursday, November 06, 2003 - 03:45 pm: Edit

It also makes a difference if your school suffers from the so-called "Tufts Syndrome" basically that they will waitlist/reject you because they do not believe that you will ultimately attend. If you were a legacy, they wouldn't do that to you.

By Aeg315 (Aeg315) on Thursday, November 06, 2003 - 05:19 pm: Edit

A person in my school a couple years ago who was the valedictorian did not get into Princeton with a 1480, but some other person who was 14 ranks lower than the person got in with a 1270, and of course, legacy... it depends on the school

By Thelazyone (Thelazyone) on Thursday, November 06, 2003 - 05:52 pm: Edit

Legacy = money... if you never give any it will hardly help you at all. My dad gave like $10 to Caltech and nothing to Stanford, so I doubt that will help much

By Patient (Patient) on Thursday, November 06, 2003 - 10:32 pm: Edit

No, I don't think that's right. There are development applicants, whose parents gave a lot of money (but it has to be a lot), and there are just plain children of alumni, and I don't believe that they distinguish among those as far as giving levels to the college. Can someone more knowledgeable correct me if I'm wrong?

By Metz (Metz) on Thursday, November 06, 2003 - 10:51 pm: Edit

There are two types of alumni:
1. Regular alumni
2. Alumni that have given tons of money, as in over $1 million.

Donating $10 a year as an alumni or donating $1000 really doesn't make a difference. The only way they distinguish a big donor is if someone gives upward of a million dollars.

BOTH types of alumni are given significant preferential treatment at Ivy Leagues, even if your parents didn't donate much money. Of course if you did donate over one million, it will make an even larger impact in admission decisions. Ivy League adcoms do know whether or not a student they are reviewing is legacy or the child of a parent donating HUGE sums of money.