A descendant of the university's founder...do you say something or do they already know?

[Anonymous]

What if you were otherwise a nobody but your last name was Harvard, Penn, or Jefferson and you were a descendant of that John Harvard, William Penn or Thomas Jefferson. Do you acknowledge in your application? Do you assume they know? If you don't say something and they do know, is that weird?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What if you were otherwise a nobody but your last name was Harvard, Penn, or Jefferson and you were a descendant of that John Harvard, William Penn or Thomas Jefferson. Do you acknowledge in your application? Do you assume they know? If you don't say something and they do know, is that weird?

Interesting question. But with 250-400 years separating you from the founder I'm not sure how much credit it buys you.

[Anonymous]

If you are true descendant, perhaps you can work it into one of your essays and make it a reason why it's this uni and not any other. But you also need sufficiently high scores and grades.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What if you were otherwise a nobody but your last name was Harvard, Penn, or Jefferson and you were a descendant of that John Harvard, William Penn or Thomas Jefferson. Do you acknowledge in your application? Do you assume they know? If you don't say something and they do know, is that weird?

Interesting question. But with 250-400 years separating you from the founder I'm not sure how much credit it buys you.

PP: also, you can't prove it so how do they know if you're lying. They can verify legacy status through enrollment data and will check it out. But if you stated on your application you're a descendant of John Harvard, there's nothing to back it up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What if you were otherwise a nobody but your last name was Harvard, Penn, or Jefferson and you were a descendant of that John Harvard, William Penn or Thomas Jefferson. Do you acknowledge in your application? Do you assume they know? If you don't say something and they do know, is that weird?

Interesting question. But with 250-400 years separating you from the founder I'm not sure how much credit it buys you.

PP: also, you can't prove it so how do they know if you're lying. They can verify legacy status through enrollment data and will check it out. But if you stated on your application you're a descendant of John Harvard, there's nothing to back it up.

Unless they have documentation in the form of letters and land deeds, etc.

[Anonymous]

"I am the grandson of Bob Jones, founder of Bob Jones University"

[Anonymous]

Best path is to apply and get in on your own merit.

[Anonymous]

I would find a way to wryly address it.

"According to family lore, I am distantly related to John Harvard. But I'm trying to stay humble and apply the old-fashioned way."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would find a way to wryly address it.

"According to family lore, I am distantly related to John Harvard. But I'm trying to stay humble and apply the old-fashioned way."

Again, unless there is conclusive evidence that this person is a direct descendant, in which case you state it outright.
Sorry for insisting, but such situations do exist. I have documentation about my family line that goes back a thousand years, thanks to an enterprising great-grandfather who was a historian and genealogist.

[Anonymous]

Op back. It is not one of the three I used as examples. It is completely verifiable without much effort. DC has a 4.0 UW GPA and 35 ACT, etc, etc. Interest in the university is genuine and academic in nature, unrelated to being a descendant. The university will be DC's ED choice. DC's first thought was to not acknowledge but is that weird?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op back. It is not one of the three I used as examples. It is completely verifiable without much effort. DC has a 4.0 UW GPA and 35 ACT, etc, etc. Interest in the university is genuine and academic in nature, unrelated to being a descendant. The university will be DC's ED choice. DC's first thought was to not acknowledge but is that weird?

I would acknowledge by stating in essay or separate letter WHY you decided for ED at that school. Obviously for the programs but also that there has always been a special sense of connection.

[Anonymous]

IMO, if it even mattered, that relationship should have paid off even before you (your DC) having to tell the admissions officer of it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op back. It is not one of the three I used as examples. It is completely verifiable without much effort. DC has a 4.0 UW GPA and 35 ACT, etc, etc. Interest in the university is genuine and academic in nature, unrelated to being a descendant. The university will be DC's ED choice. DC's first thought was to not acknowledge but is that weird?

no it’s not weird. keep them guessing and try to get in on the merit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:IMO, if it even mattered, that relationship should have paid off even before you (your DC) having to tell the admissions officer of it.

OP here. You've kinda nailed how we are feeling. We don't live in the city where the university is and neither parent attended. We are not in any way part of the fabric of the school unlike how we are active members in our own college alumni associations. So we don't really have any connection other than this interesting factoid. So, rather than it being like a Kennedy applying to the Kennedy School of Government (no explanation necessary, everyone knows), it is more akin to having the last name Carnegie (but not the money). An unusual enough name that maybe an admissions officer at CMU would raise an eyebrow and do enough research to see that, hey, yes, this kid is related to our founder and, well, why didn't you say so? Trying to figure out how to navigate those waters.

[Anonymous]

There's a space on the application form to list of any of your family members were alumni. Put it there.