The common app asks whether you have relatives who ever attended Penn. My cousin-in-law actually has and he’s really enthusiastic about the Penn and encouraged my interest in the school.
1.Should I check the “yes” for having a relative who attended Penn? He’s part of my family, but still I feel weird about this.
Quote from other post:
Yes. Per Eric Furda, Dean of Admissions:
At Penn, legacy is defined as having a parent or grandparent graduate from any of Penn’s undergraduate or graduate schools.
http://thechoice.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/27/pennq-and-a-part-2/?_r=0
FYI, the legacy hook carries weight for ED,only, in general.
An applicant’s affiliation with Penn, either by being children or grandchildren of alumni, is given the most consideration through Early Decision.
http://www.admissions.upenn.edu/apply/freshman-admission/early-and-regular-decision
@f2000sa those links were very helpful, thank you! I couldn`t find any information about siblings/cousins attending Penn, though. Do you think that may count as a “plus” for an applicant in the ED admissions?
Sibling, maybe, relatives beyond the definition of legacy, no
Cousin-in-law is not a legacy. Legacy is children and grandchildren of alumni only. If you check yes for a legacy on the basis of a cousin-in-law, I think you would do your application more harm than good.