<p>I found that some people assume that the fact of being a legacy alone will make you a “shoe in” to an Ivy League (Brown University in particular). I would like to hear your opinions on this matter. My cousin, a legacy/donor, got into Brown (currently a Freshman) with low SATs (1980 i think) and all around low stats.</p>
<p>I’ve heard some stories about legacy kids with much higher stats getting rejected. </p>
<p>So, is being a legacy that much of a hook?</p>
<p>Post away-</p>
<p>At Brown, it at least doubles your chances.</p>
<p>Not a shoe in. Though legacies have a far higher admit rate, they are also, on average, more qualified than the rest of the student body at most schools.</p>
<p>Your cousin is below the 25th percentile of Brown’s SAT range. Those students are almost always HEAVILY hooked (recruited athlete) or come from circumstances which may make evaluating an SAT unfair (typically impoverished from an area of concentrated poverty or someone who used a TOEFL because English is not their first language and is a recent immigrant, things like that). Legacy alone is probably just not going to cut it, although it gives him a hope and a prayer to hang onto that some other students may not in his situation.</p>
<p>@modestmelody, i think the OP is saying that his/her cousin DID get in with those stats!</p>
<p>While the legacy acceptance rate is higher, about 65 percent of legacies do not get in. I know many legacy applicants with extraordinary stats and ECs who were rejected. Perhaps the OP’s family were also big donors. Typically legacies with weak stats do not get in.</p>
<p>To clarify things, my cousin got in. He wasnt too motivated but i guess he managed to get in. Also, my cousin was applied to Brown RD as a reach. (Vanderbilt EA i think…)</p>
<p>Moral of the story:</p>
<p>-all legacies apply to brown, you never know what the hell will happen</p>
<p>To be honest, I don’t understand why legacies are hooked. At least minorities contribute something to the student body and make the school a more desirable, diverse place, but legacies are no different than any other applicants.</p>
<p>@The<em>B</em>Of_Living</p>
<p>Here’s my read on the situation:</p>
<p>As much as the admissions team would love to be 100% impartial in building their class, at the end of the day Brown is a private university and they must therefore take economic matters into consideration. Seeing how one of the biggest sources of money for institutions like Brown is through private donations, it is very important for them to maintain a strong alumni network – a group of people who are committed to supporting the school, financially and otherwise. Now, I don’t have any statistics to back me up here, but I can imagine that, due to a number of factors, big families with multiple generations of Brown graduates are a lot more likely to donate than your average isolated alumnus… So to make a long story short: legacies are not “hooked” because they inherently offer anything special to the student body, but because they keep the money coming in.</p>
<p>Someone correct me if I’m wrong, but I’m pretty sure that’s the deal…right?</p>
<p>My take on legacies, even if it occasionally goes too far.<br>
</p>
<p>Also, what year was your cousin admitted, and what else was on his/her app that looked good? College apps are all about putting your best out there, and just because you know personally that they’re not motivated doesn’t mean they couldn’t present a compelling narrative that made it seem otherwise.</p>