Without a true hook your son’s stats are well below the standard for Princeton. So for ED Dartmouth is a much more likely choice though still not likely. A 4.09 weighted GPA for a non-hooked applicant is well below the typical admitted student at Dartmouth as well. Unless you have other things you haven’t mentioned the odds are not good. A legacy with a 4.5 GPA 35 ACT has a good chance for admission but once you are below the 50th percentile the value of normal legacy diminishes greatly.
@jman457 , I don’t have enough of a sense myself about how much value is placed on legacy connections but I would be afraid the two connections you have are a bit on the light side. It seems the legacy contact that matters most is a direct parent or sibling connection (or a relative who donated enough $ to name a building?). That said, I believe in going for it if you feel you are even near the ballpark because you never know what in your story is a meaningful aspect. Even the fact that your father does not have a full four year college degree so you are borderline first generation. If that has had an impact on your life, talk about it.
And thanks, @SAY. If several of the 6 relatives went on to particularly influential positions (ambassador, etc), do you think it would matter at all? Hate the thought that 6 relatives could not count for much of anything legacy wise. You mention the GPA in terms of a non-hooked applicant to Dartmouth. Is legacy not a hook?
@jman457 , you could tell your story in terms of your mother’s conservative background and the appeal of Brown’s more liberal climate. (tongue in cheek here-might be risky talking politics at all). Have a story that matters and makes a logical connection. (not tongue in cheek.)
Hey Thanks, that is actually what my essay is about.