<p>In the 1998 book The Shape of the River: Long-Term Consequences of Considering Race in College and University Admissions, authors William Bowen, former Princeton University president, and Derek Bok, former Harvard University president, found "the overall admission rate for legacies was almost twice that for all other candidates."</p>
<p>We all know that legacies get a boost in the admission process, but do differing relationships give you more or less of an advantage? For example, two of my cousins went to a certain ivy league school, while my grandfather, aunt and uncle went to a different ivy league school. Would one school give me more of a "legacy boost" than the other?</p>
<p>I'm assuming children of alumni and major financial donors would have the largest advantage. Do other relationships differ in their weight in the admissions process?</p>
<p>Your cousins and your aunt gives you no boost. If your grandfather went to Penn you may get a boost there. Also keep in mind that there are legacies and there are legacies. If your grandfather is a legacy and a major donor to his university than that will also help to raise your stock. However, if he has done little or nothing since graduating, it will not help much.</p>
<p>Usually they do have ways of identifying alumni ties, and "strong legacies" are the ones with the real edge. I've also heard a seriously borderline candidate who is almost there might get a boost over someone else by a weaker connection, say, having a sibling at the school or a parent who didn't maintain much alumni connection, but I doubt cousins or an aunt would help.</p>
<p>I think the sibling thing would probably be something they would look at favorably in the sense that you'll have a fairly strong connection at the school. You'll be more likely to be familiar with it and because of the connection maybe less likely to drop out after one year than someone with no support. That's just my guess though, I don't have any data to back it up.</p>
<p>The only thing that will improve your chances as much as two or thre times is if you are a child of alumnus. Nothing else helps nearly as much, not even siblings. Of course if your grandfater donated a new tennis center or something, thats a little different.</p>
<p>It's not a matter of opinion, Sybbie is totally correct. I'll add that a grandparent who has not given generously won't help at any top school. A parent is all that counts.</p>
<p>This is really school dependent, like so many questions. For instance, Cornell asks you to list any relatives who went to any schools of the university, while Columbia says legacy is only parents who attended one of the undergraduate colleges. So there are no general rules.</p>
<p>what about cousins?, My cousins family happens to donate a lot of money to UPENN. Would that help me get in? Plus, my pitching coach is on the board of directors so hopefully I'll get recruited.</p>