Legacy Admissions to Independent Schools

[Anonymous]

Hopefully, if nothing else, sibling preference is considered.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our school will have a conversation with legacy families (sort of a “pre-read”) to make sure it’s a potential fit. They also set the expectation that legacy families will apply in the first possible entry year (5th) and it’s made clear that they will be at a disadvantage if they apply in the larger intake years (6th and 9th).

I think this is more typical in older years. Admissions criteria becomes way less subjective by 5th and certainly by 9th.

[Anonymous]

It’s not what it used to be. We applied as a legacy once and went through an entirely different process. Then we were given a handshake acceptance.

Now the kids go through identical processes. Many are waitlisted and many downright rejected. They are still advantaged in that the officer takes the time to get to know the child and family instead of breezing through the application and sorting into a pile. However for some children and family, it can be a disadvantage to be known.

[Anonymous]

I'm a "big 3" alum and it is shocking how many of the kids were legacies. I knew it'd be high but it's almost 25%!! The other 50% seem to be siblings of older students. It's tough out there to get in without a hook.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm a "big 3" alum and it is shocking how many of the kids were legacies. I knew it'd be high but it's almost 25%!! The other 50% seem to be siblings of older students. It's tough out there to get in without a hook.

And then you throw in faculty kids, VIP, DEI admits....there's only a handful of spots left for everyone else.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a "big 3" alum and it is shocking how many of the kids were legacies. I knew it'd be high but it's almost 25%!! The other 50% seem to be siblings of older students. It's tough out there to get in without a hook.

And then you throw in faculty kids, VIP, DEI admits....there's only a handful of spots left for everyone else.

We live in another city that has only one k-12- k-5, k-8 and 6-12 is more common.

I attended a kindergarten information session and was told that they gave preference to legacies and siblings. They then said that given expected sibling applications for that year, they anticipated 3-4 truly open spots and that they were seeking racial and geographic diversity. Some people just walked out at that point, especially anyone who wasn’t an URM. We are a URM family but didn’t apply because it seemed pointless. I at least appreciated the transparency.

The flip side of that is that 6 years later, they’re struggling with numbers in grades 4 through 8 as kids leave for schools that can better handle their academic needs or move away.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm a "big 3" alum and it is shocking how many of the kids were legacies. I knew it'd be high but it's almost 25%!! The other 50% seem to be siblings of older students. It's tough out there to get in without a hook.

Only 25%? The southern school I worked at was more like 60%, and even whispering that maybe legacy kids shouldn't be an auto admit was a one-way ticket to being ostracized. I'll never forget the Head of School talking about increasing financial diversity at the school, followed by the director of alumni relations standing up and practically snarling "And what am I supposed to tell my alums when their children can't get in because you want to make room for more financial aid kids?" I was already considering leaving, but the way she said "financial aid" with such utter disgust and contempt sealed the deal for me. I left at the end of the school year without another job lined up because that was just one example of the toxic, insular culture at that school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does being the child of an alum still help you get into an independent school in the area?
Or have DC schools begun to stop this practice like some universities have?

Still gets you in. And no universities have really stopped this process. Why donate if it doesn’t at least give you this advantage? To allow some stranger’s kid to benefit? Get real.

California just banned it for both lrivate and public universities

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a "big 3" alum and it is shocking how many of the kids were legacies. I knew it'd be high but it's almost 25%!! The other 50% seem to be siblings of older students. It's tough out there to get in without a hook.

And then you throw in faculty kids, VIP, DEI admits....there's only a handful of spots left for everyone else.

If only your kid were more qualified, you wouldn't have to worry about the darn 'DEI' admits

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does being the child of an alum still help you get into an independent school in the area?
Or have DC schools begun to stop this practice like some universities have?

Still gets you in. And no universities have really stopped this process. Why donate if it doesn’t at least give you this advantage? To allow some stranger’s kid to benefit? Get real.

California just banned it for both lrivate and public universities

They should have no say over how private schools admit their students.

[Anonymous]

My child was rejected from the school I went to when we applied for PK. The next year, she was diagnosed with autism and later, with several LDs. It would have been a terrible fit, we just didn't know that when she was 4. I'm glad the admissions office did.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes - it’s a huge advantage. People saying otherwise have no clue.

And this thread has more than the average number of clueless contributors.

The local DC privates are not giving up on admitting legacies. Their alumni base is far too important to them as a source of students, financial support and other types of support in these small worlds.

It’s a fantasy to use the current university situation as any sort of model or predictor of direction.

Legacy preference will remain unchanged. Thinking otherwise is self-delusion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does being the child of an alum still help you get into an independent school in the area?
Or have DC schools begun to stop this practice like some universities have?

Still gets you in. And no universities have really stopped this process. Why donate if it doesn’t at least give you this advantage? To allow some stranger’s kid to benefit? Get real.

California just banned it for both lrivate and public universities

What’s that got to do with the small, independent schools in this area?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a "big 3" alum and it is shocking how many of the kids were legacies. I knew it'd be high but it's almost 25%!! The other 50% seem to be siblings of older students. It's tough out there to get in without a hook.

And then you throw in faculty kids, VIP, DEI admits....there's only a handful of spots left for everyone else.

Amazing! A poster who actually understands. You can add to this the graduates of a small number of schools that the schools depend on to send them students. These are long-term symbiotic relationships that have weight in the admissions process.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a "big 3" alum and it is shocking how many of the kids were legacies. I knew it'd be high but it's almost 25%!! The other 50% seem to be siblings of older students. It's tough out there to get in without a hook.

And then you throw in faculty kids, VIP, DEI admits....there's only a handful of spots left for everyone else.

... DEI? Really? None of these schools are swimming in diversity.