<p>Hello, all. I am a rising junior and beginning this crazy college admissions process. I am a good student and will end up with a 3.8-4.0 for my unweighted GPA at the end of my junior year. I expect to do well on my SAT's. I figured posting this in the Parents Forum would receive more answers and perhaps you guys know more about this!</p>
<p>I do not want to be too specific but I will try to get the point across. </p>
<p>Alright, the university in question is an Ivy League school. There is a large building named after my family. More specifically, it is named after my great, great grandfather I believe who also attended the university and served as the university's president. If I mention this in an essay, like the "Why this school", would this have an impact? I'm worried that it could possibly have a negative impact.</p>
<p>There is a section in every application to write if you have any relative who was/is connected to the school - that’s where you put your great great grandfathers name and any other relative who is associated with the school.</p>
<p>We went through this dilemma too. When an ivy-league school WL’d my son, I strongly encouraged him to write all our relatives who currently work at the college and attended as well. This was even more tricky that your situation because neither of his parents work or attended, but a slew of other relatives do/did. Mostly about 5-6 his very close cousins are in very high level positions at the college. But in the end, it shouted nepotism in its worse form, so he didn’t send it.</p>
<p>In sum, I think it’s usually forced and sounds desperate. If you can throw that little detail, okay. But I do think the admissions people have their antenna out, so you probably don’t need to bother.</p>
<p>I’m not sure if anyone else in my family has. I’ll have to ask my grandfather. My dad chose to attend a different Ivy League school. A rival school…hopefully there are no hard feelings. :)</p>
<p>Forgot to add, although it may come off as desperate, would they really not accept me because of that? Could mentioning this have a negative effect?</p>
<p>I agree with the other poster who commented that more recent generations of your relatives need to have given lots of money for it to sway a decision - and the $500/year donations don’t even begin to cut it.</p>
<p>On a related note, I worked with someone for years whose father was the founder of a big international company (not the one we worked for). I asked this co-worker why he didn’t work at his father’s company. He told me he needed to be able to go through life knowing he could make it on his own. Only you can decide if this is a concern for you.</p>
<p>Wasn’t there a story about this girl, who would be a fifth generation Cornellian, who was turned down by Cornell? Her family name is also on the wall. Maybe this this thread?</p>
<p>Bigapple in my opinion if you have the stats to apply then you have nothing to loose by putting that info in where it’s asked – I haven’t seen a college application et that doesn’t ask if you have relatives that attend or have attended. Yes, it will carry slightly more weight if each generation has attended the school but that simple mention is not going to tank you if all other things in your application are in line. It’s not going to make up for a less than norm application or push you to the head of the line but it’s not going to have a negative effect.</p>
<p>My stats, if I receive my projected SAT score, will be competitive. And, after seeing over 40 colleges this summer it is my number 1 school and I will most likely apply ED. I believe the amount donated was 5 million. So, I suppos while it doesn’t guarantee admission, it might help if they’re debating between accepting me and another person, if that makes sense.</p>
<p>Do you mean your g gfather gave $5 million way back when, or do you mean your family has given $5 million to the school in recent years? If the latter, I’m sure someone in your family can figure out how to talk nicey-nice to someone in development, especially if there is more where that came from.</p>
<p>No, this was way back when. I still have to call my grandfather and ask if anyone has recently gone there.</p>
<p>Thanks for all the answers! I knew this didn’t mean I was totally in and I wasn’t even sure if it would help a bit. So, I guess I’ll wait and see if I get in! Thanks!</p>
<p>Am I the only one that saw that? If your great granfather was an ivy league school’s president and has a large building named after him…I think you have a pretty good shot of getting in, regardless of whether anyone else has gone. Cmon, he was the frickin president of the school.</p>
<p>^^^ I was going to say … I’m pretty sure the school knows the names on their buildings, and who the previous presidents were. If you put your relative’s name in the appropriate space on the application, it seems to me they’ll make the connections. I wouldn’t go throwing it in their face, though.</p>