<p>If one of your parents is an employee at a university that you are applying to, how much leverage does that have on admission decisions?</p>
<p>It depends on the kind of employee. Desk secretary? Professor? Department dean? If they're a professor, how high do they rank in their department?</p>
<p>It may give you an advantage in terms of yield: if you're on the edge they may tip in your favor because they think you're more likely to attend.</p>
<p>Parent works in the accounting department (accountant), but just started working there a while ago.</p>
<p>Btw, I'm a junior, so parent will have worked there for almost a year by the time I apply.</p>
<p>The advantage is mostly for children of professors.</p>
<p>For the most part, outside of being a Facbrat, department chair or the child of a high ranking administrator (VP, director, associate director, etc.) where it would be a hook, the only advantage you have in your parent's working for a university is tuition admission should you be accepted. </p>
<p>If your parent is a clerical worker, department supervisor, custodian, etc. their working at the university is not going to be a boost in getting you admitted.</p>
<p>It really depends on the college. Some employees (usually faculty) have it in their employment agreement that they get a tuition discount at the school so if their kids are qualified, it would be a touchy situation if they don't get in. And if the child of a long-term maintenance worker is qualified to get in the admissions office would probably feel favorably towards that student.</p>
<p>I agree with Muffy, it really all depends on a lot of stuff. And typically it does not boost a poor applicant, rather it may help a competitive applicant get a nudge ahead. A number of years ago S applied to an ivy. At the time we knew that 5 faculty kids applied, but only two made it, and they had the best profiles.</p>
<p>Thanks for all the replies. I didn't think it would give a significant boost either (no instant admit for poor applicant), but I'm pretty competitive, so it might give me a small advantage.</p>
<p>hikids, interesting story..so 3 kids were rejected even though they were well qualified?</p>
<p>I know someone who works for one of the best colleges in the country. Her employer will pay her kids 100% of tuition if they attend the school, or reimburse an amount equals to 85% of the school tuition if the kids attend another private school. In this case, is it an incentive (financially) for her employing college to admit her kids over other kids with about the same qualification as hers? If I were the employer, I'd take this approach.</p>
<p>Well qualified but apparently something was missing. Who knows, since you only have peoples word for what the profiles are like and there is some amount of puffery that goes on.</p>