<p>Does UVa actually deny a legacy admission or does it instead place them on the waitlist so as to not possibly alienate the parent(s)?</p>
<p>There are legacies on the deny list.</p>
<p>My friend had the same level of participation in ECs as I did. My GPA and SAT scores were significantly higher than hers. However, pretty much every family member she’s ever had has attended UVA.</p>
<p>I was denied. She was wait listed.</p>
<p>Who cares if this is what UVa has to do to secure it’s funds. The world isn’t a pretty, fair, everything’s perfect world. Would you rather they just admit them? Because essentially, UVa is risking those donations, and future donations, by not admitting legacies. So what if they try to boost some egos by waitlisting legacies instead of downright denying them. Most likely, these kids have the crappier end of the stick: they’ll probably get denied anyways, now they play the WL game, and they probably have their entire family breathing down their necks to hold out for UVa.</p>
<p>kta: you never know the full facts. She may have had a hook, or her essays might have been spectacular. To say “oh we were exactly the same” is not a good approach.</p>
<p>There probably are a lot more pity waitlists for legacies than for non-legacies. I think most schools concerned with fundraising and alumni involvement do that sort of thing. Of course, moron legacies with horrible applications are probably rejected, but unless their parents have donated mega-millions, that result was probably expected anyway.</p>
<p>While there are legacies on the deny list, there is a tendency across schools to place them on the waitlist. This is designed to encourage continuous funding from alums; at least, their sons/daughters didn’t get flat-out rejected.</p>
<p>If I had a kid on the waitlist, I’d be more inclined to give a generous donation to the University so s/he could get off the waitlist.</p>
<p>Donations can not get someone off of the waitlist. Also, I have been advised that selecting people off of the waitlist is a need blind process.</p>
<p>Actually, it’s no so blind. Dean J, can you confirm this? I specifically asked a Dean (I won’t name who) point blank, does not needing financial aid help in deciding who to let off the waitlist?, answer: It certainly helps.</p>
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<p>Perhaps not, but a good number of people are admitted to UVa each year because of their family’s generosity towards the University…</p>