Anonymous
Post 06/29/2025 10:57     Subject: How much does legacy help?
I’m a Vanderbilt alum who has never donated $1 and am not involved. My DC who had in-range stats at their competitive public HS was deferred ED2, in for RD this year.
Anonymous
Post 06/29/2025 10:27     Subject: How much does legacy help?
I'm wondering whether legacies will hold more weight in this next cycle?? For schools that still consider, it may be a way to increase donations to offset some of the losses the current administration is forcing on them. As an alum of one of the impacted schools, I'm getting a lot more emails about "helping, now more than ever." There's more incentive to keep alumni engaged and connected to donate.
Anonymous
Post 06/29/2025 09:56     Subject: How much does legacy help?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:My child is “high stats” from a strong private school (stats fall within the 25-75th percentile for top colleges). DC is also a legacy at one of said ridiculously selective colleges (think, HYPS).

But…DC has very average ECs. Their not going to be an athletic recruit, nor will they have national recognition in anything (excluding possibly NMSF). It’s obviously too late to have put a violin in their hand at age 3, and DC will never write a novel.

If you were in the same boat, can you give your honest take on how much legacy status helped? We are not a “development case,” but have donated modest amounts since college graduation.


OP, can you come back and share if your DC applies early to the legacy school and if they get accepted/denied? I will do the same. Mine has the GPA and the ECs/awards, I think, but the SATs might hold them back. Studying for August exam. Public school, humanities major


NP. My DC has the stats to get into Duke, and I am an alum. 2 kids got in this year from their NOVA public HS, one legacy and and not sure about the other. They will apply ED this fall but under no illusions about getting in. I'll post back too. I am not going to be crushed if not accepted.


How involved are you at Duke both financially and otherwise (interviewing, reunions, etc.)? Duke is pretty loyal to alums, though it is far from a sure thing.

Smart to manage your child's expectations. I have seen too many kids think they were guaranteed as a legacy and then be crushed when they don't get in.
Anonymous
Post 06/29/2025 07:39     Subject: How much does legacy help?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:My child is “high stats” from a strong private school (stats fall within the 25-75th percentile for top colleges). DC is also a legacy at one of said ridiculously selective colleges (think, HYPS).

But…DC has very average ECs. Their not going to be an athletic recruit, nor will they have national recognition in anything (excluding possibly NMSF). It’s obviously too late to have put a violin in their hand at age 3, and DC will never write a novel.

If you were in the same boat, can you give your honest take on how much legacy status helped? We are not a “development case,” but have donated modest amounts since college graduation.


OP, can you come back and share if your DC applies early to the legacy school and if they get accepted/denied? I will do the same. Mine has the GPA and the ECs/awards, I think, but the SATs might hold them back. Studying for August exam. Public school, humanities major


NP. My DC has the stats to get into Duke, and I am an alum. 2 kids got in this year from their NOVA public HS, one legacy and and not sure about the other. They will apply ED this fall but under no illusions about getting in. I'll post back too. I am not going to be crushed if not accepted.
Anonymous
Post 06/29/2025 02:17     Subject: How much does legacy help?
Anonymous wrote:My child is “high stats” from a strong private school (stats fall within the 25-75th percentile for top colleges). DC is also a legacy at one of said ridiculously selective colleges (think, HYPS).

But…DC has very average ECs. Their not going to be an athletic recruit, nor will they have national recognition in anything (excluding possibly NMSF). It’s obviously too late to have put a violin in their hand at age 3, and DC will never write a novel.

If you were in the same boat, can you give your honest take on how much legacy status helped? We are not a “development case,” but have donated modest amounts since college graduation.


OP, can you come back and share if your DC applies early to the legacy school and if they get accepted/denied? I will do the same. Mine has the GPA and the ECs/awards, I think, but the SATs might hold them back. Studying for August exam. Public school, humanities major
Anonymous
Post 06/28/2025 21:19     Subject: How much does legacy help?
Anonymous wrote:My child is “high stats” from a strong private school (stats fall within the 25-75th percentile for top colleges). DC is also a legacy at one of said ridiculously selective colleges (think, HYPS).

But…DC has very average ECs. Their not going to be an athletic recruit, nor will they have national recognition in anything (excluding possibly NMSF). It’s obviously too late to have put a violin in their hand at age 3, and DC will never write a novel.

If you were in the same boat, can you give your honest take on how much legacy status helped? We are not a “development case,” but have donated modest amounts since college graduation.


It's a tiebreaker but there are a lot of ties.
The legacy preferences is slowly dying and then it will quickly die.
Without affirmative action to provide cover for other preferences, it is getting harder and harder to defend.
Anonymous
Post 06/28/2025 21:09     Subject: How much does legacy help?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:What major is DC applying for? Non STEM is better. HYPS is tough for STEM without national level awards.


Just stop.

There is nothing to stop. Top colleges look to private schools for non-STEM majors because such subjects are taught much better in private schools. They will pick their STEM students from magnet schools, and kids with STEM awards. I have seen this repeatedly at private schools that the students who apply for non-STEM majors do the best.


Oh, I see. You've "seen it" so it must be true and apply generally across the board.

And how much of this are you actually "seeing?" What's your sample size, how many private and public schools are you "seeing" and how much of the underlying data are you privy to? Are parents of strangers sharing their kids' college applications with you? Are AdComs inviting you to their review sessions?



I have had three kids go through NYC TT private schools. I have seen enough to know that applying as a STEM major (which my oldest kid did and is at a top 15) is much more difficult coming from a private school. My second kid applied as a humanities major and is at a HYPS school. The two kids had similar stats. My third kid is going to apply as a humanities major, it is a simpler process. They can study what they want once they get in.
Anonymous
Post 06/28/2025 20:25     Subject: How much does legacy help?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:WASP grad and my kid didn’t get in despite having higher stats and better EC’s than me. No point in comparing though because the metrics have changed, times have changed and we’re two different people.


How did the kid compare to the modern-day SAT/GPA ranges? Obviously, the metrics from a few decades ago are irrelevant.


Above poster- kid was well within the WASP schools’ 50th percentile range for both SAT/GPA. Strong EC’s but not pointy or anything that truly stood out. Kid applied RD. CC warned kid it was a big reach and CC was right. Legacy alone isn’t enough. There has to be something more. Kid was waitlisted. No hard feelings. Loved my time there and am grateful for the experience.
Anonymous
Post 06/28/2025 20:14     Subject: How much does legacy help?
Anonymous wrote:WASP grad and my kid didn’t get in despite having higher stats and better EC’s than me. No point in comparing though because the metrics have changed, times have changed and we’re two different people.


How did the kid compare to the modern-day SAT/GPA ranges? Obviously, the metrics from a few decades ago are irrelevant.
Anonymous
Post 06/28/2025 20:10     Subject: How much does legacy help?
Anonymous wrote:I am 100% sure legacy is extremely helpful for Princeton


Must the student apply EA or is it also helpful for RD?
Anonymous
Post 06/28/2025 20:08     Subject: How much does legacy help?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I am 100% sure legacy is extremely helpful for Princeton
\\

Do you know legacy applicants admitted with lesser stats and/or lesser ECs?



DP. We know many.
Anonymous
Post 06/28/2025 18:14     Subject: How much does legacy help?
Definitely. All legacies aren’t created equal. Not even close.
Anonymous
Post 06/28/2025 17:55     Subject: How much does legacy help?
It helps if you’re a big donor
Anonymous
Post 06/28/2025 16:19     Subject: How much does legacy help?
WASP grad and my kid didn’t get in despite having higher stats and better EC’s than me. No point in comparing though because the metrics have changed, times have changed and we’re two different people.
Anonymous
Post 06/28/2025 16:16     Subject: How much does legacy help?
Harvard alum, went through two admissions cycles with my kids. Neither got in. I will say that the kids from their school that did end up going to Harvard were ridiculously talented, almost alien level capabilities. My kids are happy where they landed and it all worked out in the end.