<p>I know anyone chances are small (as are anyones who is wait-listed), but does my situation as a legacy hurt or help me?</p>
<p>they waitlisted, like, over 1,000 people. they expect to take ~25 off the waitlist.</p>
<p>i'm not sure if legacies are given preference.</p>
<p>Last year, I believe, they took no one from the waitlist.</p>
<p>I can't speak for Amherst, but for most prestige schools, a legacy is often placed on the waiting list as a simple courtesy. The reason why that is the case is simple. If and when they use the waiting list, they use to fill gap in "slots" created by accepted applicants turning them down (the necessary oboe player, the potential neurolinguistics major, the student from the school where there is a close relationship with the GC that needs to be maintained, etc.) Legacy wait-list admissions, by itself, fulfills none of these ends.</p>
<p>I thought Amherst had a waitlist of about 1400 this year; enough for an entire school completely, since they're about 1800, right?</p>
<p>That said, if you're on the waitlist of course it means you were good enough to get in but there weren't enough spots.</p>
<p>It's not an automatic honor, either. Our S has an older brother who graduated, and Amherst enjoys taking sibs. But he wasn't waitlisted. His essays were fine but his stats just weren't good enough for consideration. We're not upset; it seemed a longshot, given the stats, but curiosity caused him to apply; you never know where the luck might fall. So it was worth a try for him. You care more to ask this question. </p>
<p>My advice: always be proud you got onto the waitlist; it means you yourself WERE "good enough" -- over and beyond being a legacy. Just no room. You were probably just as good as 5 applicants that could be lined up with similar merits to whatever you offer the world (and still offer the world).</p>
<p>I wouldn't wait or expect to get off a waitlist. Just take that pride to wherever you do attend.</p>