Quetion about legacies

[Anonymous]

I've heard it rumored that legacies don't matter at UVA. (IDK whether this is true or not. It sounds unlikely, but there may not be a space on the application that asks the question. Easy enough to check online.) Donating a few $ each year will establish an ongoing relationship with the school and make them take a look. I would do it. Every little bit helps. DC may not choose to go there or even to apply, but to keep that option available, if it helps, I would. In the worst case, you are supporting a school which helped you and DH get your educations, which isn't a bad thing, right?

[Anonymous]

Legacies are a controversial issue in higher education and very few policy makers believe that there will be any legacy preference once your child is old enough to apply for college.

[Anonymous]

What's a lifetime member of an alumni association? Doesn't that apply to anyone who graduates?

I think small donations won't hurt, and I believe in giving back to the colleges/schools that provided me with the opportunity the get where I am, but doubt that a couple of hundred will make a real difference in admissions. I'd focus on your child's education instead.

[Anonymous]

Maybe you're worried about this a little early but you're wise to stay on top of the college admissions process. I wish we had started looking at schools freshman year (while on vacation or visiting friends/family). Starting the college search process Junior year is a mistake. The process (applying, testing, interviewing, early decision vs regular decision) has become way too time-consuming to wait until that time.

[Anonymous]

I have to disagree with the last PP. Every family is different, but we have gone through the college application process 3 times, each time starting junior year. Each of our 3 kids was accepted at his first-choice school in the early round. The folks who started earlier just seemed to prolong the stress, with no better results. In most cases kids -- even very good students who are mature for their age -- are really not ready to think about this in a productive way until junior year.

[Anonymous]

Immediate PP here -- just want to add that much of the information you'll need to start putting together a list of schools won't be available to you until mid-way through junior year. This includes SAT scores and junior year grades -- critical factors in determining your child's range of schools.