<p>If my dad was a graduate student at MIT, does that count as a legacy? And if it does, how much (compared to other schools), will that help me in the admissions process?</p>
<p>While I'm sure it counts as legacy, the difference it makes is nominal. Having legacy (or even double-legacy) makes absolutely no difference in the MIT admissions process.</p>
<p>Edit: I actually have a link by someone</a> officially affiliated with MIT to back me up.</p>
<p>Too bad. My kid is a double legacy at Harvard, but he is so not a Harvard kid. He has great grandparents and even a great great grandparent that went to MIT.</p>
<p>I believe according to NACAC or whoever loosely tries to define these things, legacy only refers to immediate parents or step-parents, and not grandparents or siblings.</p>
<p>The only thing that being a legacy does for you is that Marilee herself will look over your app when you're about to be rejected - and this is done so that when irate alum parents call claiming that there must have been a mistake, she can say "Well, I read Johnny's application myself," and make them shut up.</p>
<p>I heard, though I can't confirm it, it's just hearsay, that an MIT professor's kid was rejected at some point in the last couple of years. If you get in, you get in on your own merit.</p>
<p>lol damn.</p>
<p>Just wondering, there's a spot on the app if any of your family members have attended MIT - what's that for then?</p>
<p>As Jessie said,
[quote]
... Marilee herself will look over your app when you're about to be rejected - and this is done so that when irate alum parents call claiming that there must have been a mistake, she can say "Well, I read Johnny's application myself," and make them shut up.
[/quote]
:)</p>
<p>Also, I would not be surprised if they're collecting statistics on the percentage of applicants with alum relatives, or something like that, for institutional research purposes.</p>