<p>DILEMMA!
i've been lurking for a while...and i seriously need some advice =D</p>
<p>how much does a double legacy help your chances? (especially for ED, which is what i'm trying to decide right now =T)</p>
<p>yes, i know that it won't automatically get you in or anything, and that the admit rates for legacies is higher mostly because princeton grads tend to emphasize their own kids being raised in an academically challenging environment and make sure they're qualified; blahblah etc etc.</p>
<p>i'm moderately qualified i suppose...but not outstanding enough so that i would feel comfortable applying ED without legacy. i go to the #11 ranked public high school in the nation; in a notoriously hard IB program; my GPA is good -- maybe like top 5 even though my school doesn't rank; i'm captain of the varsity girls and coed volleyball teams; list goes on...BUUUT my SAT scores are not too decent. [broke 700 in all sections but retaking in october. SATII's are like low-middlish 700's.]</p>
<p>so i consider myself a <em>solid candidate</em> or whatnot, but nothing special. should a double legacy be incentive enough to apply ED? cuz...i'm torn between princeton and brown -- i like brown better, but not enough to be deadset on applying ED there without considering princeton.</p>
<p>enough rambling. anyone have any idea how much a double legacy would help out this distressed, high-side-of-mediocre girl? =) thanks so much.</p>
<p>Hey, I think you have a great shot, since the legacy admissions rate is 40% (that's the overall rate; I don't know what the admit rate for ED legacies is, but I'm assuming it's higher). You're stats are good; I personally think they would find a hard time rejecting you. How are you a double legacy? Did both parents go there, a parent and sibling, or a grandparent and parent? And if you got over a 2100, I would say your scores are pretty decent.</p>
<p>I'm legacy too, and I sort of have a dilemma of my own. I know Princeton is my first choice, but I'm not sure if I really want to commit this early, you know what I'm saying? I'll be retaking the SATs in October, and I need to take an SAT2 in November, but other than that, my stats are good too.</p>
<p>You might want to go on ************ and look up some of the stats for other legacies.</p>
<p>I think the asteriks are censoring p r stats. com </p>
<p>Ah you're the result of that 70% pton intra marriage rate :) </p>
<p>I think your app is strong because of a good school, good grades and solid ECs (I consider captainship pretty solid). The legacy factor is just icing (very thick icing lol) bc it will definitely help. And assuming that you improve SAT scores, well, you'd be an even stronger applicant. I thik Princeton prefers legacies that apply ED, because then they know that you're really interested, and not just applying because your parents want you to/you think the legacy thing will get you in. But, if it's not your true #1, I don't think you should feel obligated to apply ED. Someone from my school applied early with a double legacy and got in...another had a single legacy and applied regular and still got in. So, just because you don't apply early doesn't mean your chances are shot.</p>
<p>i think double legacy would be a huge help. However, don't let that dictate where you apply to!!! Make sure you're really willing to sacrifice your first-choice school if you apply ED.</p>
<p>Yea I think it's a rumor, but it's been said many times that 70% of princeton people marry each other.</p>
<p>Please don't "settle" for Princeton just because it's a respectable school. You have to find something that is a good match for you, and if you feel that brown is your true #1, you should go for that. If you're not sure, apply regular to both. Don't feel pressured to apply ED because rumor is that it boosts your chances. It does, perhaps, but it doesn't make miracles happen, and I think you have a perfectly good shot at RD (and that gives you more time to fine-tune your app/raise scores).</p>
<p>hmmm.. sorry; didn't mean to sound like i'm "settling" for princeton. i just kinda feel like it's way too competitive for me to get in without legacy. [i'm not applying to harvard/yale/stanford, which i put in the same category as princeton in terms of selectivity.] and it's not like brown's my #1 super amazing dream school that's way superior to princeton, so i'm not sure about that either. sigh. well, i'll definitely consider RD for both. thanks=)</p>
<p>Top five GPA at a competitive, nationally known, high school, with good EC's (captain of two sports) and over 700 on all sections of SAT and all SAT II's, is certainly good enough to be a viable candidate at Princeton or anywhere else, including Harvard/Yale/Stanford. And with the double legacy, I think your chances at Princeton ought to be pretty good (though obviously there are no guarantees for anyone at a school like Princeton, and there are lots of other factors that may come into play). Your guidance counselor (if he or she is any good) should have a much better sense of your chances based on a more complete profile. In any event, there is no question that applying ED gives you better odds - not that you can't get in RD, but ED odds are better.</p>
<p>Brown's admissions decisions tend to be quirky - I've seen candidates who should have been easy admits get turned down, and others who seemed weaker get admitted. I wouldn't assume your odds at Brown are better than Princeton, particularly when you take into account the legacy factor. And fwiw, I think Princeton is definitely a better school than Brown - and I have no Princeton connection (Harvard undergrad, Yale grad school). But you should try to spend some time at each school you're interested in and get a feel for where you're most comfortable.</p>
<p>yey, slightly comforting words.
it's just, i'm becoming increasingly intimidated as i see other seniors post resumes with amazing scores/85302 EC's -- that are 10x better than mine -- and people tell them they <em>might</em> have a <em>small</em> chance at these top schools...if they're lucky.</p>
<p>i keep looking up stats & percentages & all, but it's better to hear someone's opinions/experiences, as opposed to numbers out of context. thanks for the input...and i'll definitely hafta find out more stuff about sketchy brown admissions=P</p>
<p>Your ECs are a lot better than mine. Sure there might be people here with outstanding hook-worthy ECs, but there are also a lot of average applicants (after all, not everyone can be captain!) so i think you're in the majority</p>
<p>yeah i've visited...i think the weather hates me in NJ though. first time it was dreary/rainy/gray; second time it was like the hottest, most humid day in summer and i was about to pass out touring. so i didn't get a really accurate impression. i think the only conclusion i've made is that it's very....green and lush!...and quiet.</p>
<p>Those are good conclusions. It's green and lush and serene. Luckily you don't have to go to school in the summer:). IMHO you should apply ED to Princeton.</p>
<p>yup it's very picturesque; pretty much exemplified what i imagined the <em>typical college experience</em> to be in my mind. tour guide was raving about how kids actually did study outside under trees just like in all the brochures.</p>
<p>i would hate going in summer! that's one thing i didn't like about some other schools...ahem dartmouth.</p>
<p>i'm definitely leaning towards ED right now...glad someone else agrees !</p>
<p>I am class of '78. I never studied under a tree. But I did study outside, even had a class outside, in the quad by MCosh. Italian. The professor told us stories of his life on his family farm in Siciliy as we dozed in the sun. He rode his horse out picking oranges and grapefruit. Have never forgotten it.</p>
<p>I'm sure alumother didn't have ALL her italian classes outside...as the weather's probably not conductive to that. But I would love to study under a tree, especially if they make the whole campus wireless (have they yet?)</p>
<p>btw, semixcharmed, I can't help but see "sexicharmed" every time I see your screen name!</p>
<p>One of the most important things legacy or not will be how your essays stand out from the crowd. With the Admission Office rejecting perfect SAT scores you will have to prove to be different then the rest of the pack. Tying in your essays with your EC's might be a good way to show them your passions. Your numbers are in the ballpark. Now get out there and be creative:)</p>