<p>As for the legacies that Harvard's admitting, as an alum interviewer, I have seen outstanding legacies accepted and legacies that many top colleges in the country would happily take rejected by Harvard. This includes a URM legacy with state recognition in 2 academic-related ECs.</p>
<p>I have not seen any legacies accepted who were mediocre or who didn't stand out in the local Harvard pool.</p>
<p>Back in the old days -- decades ago -- I'm sure that there were some borderline folks accepted because of legacy. I don't think that happens now unless, perhaps, they are legacies and have billionaire donor parents.</p>
<p>Basically, if you're a celebrity, you're guaranteed admission to a top notch, prestigious university. That's b/c these schools want the publicity that they have a famous actor/actress/singer on their campus.</p>
<p>Of course, there have been exceptions to this rule. Actress Scarlet Johannson was already a fairly accomplished actress when she applied to NYU's Tisch program. However, for undisclosed reasons, she was flat out denied to Tisch. She ended up turning down an SUNY school and instead she became even more famous.</p>