How important is legacy really?

Hey guys, I recently applied ED to a college that both my dad and grandfather attended. Because of this, many of my friends and family members are telling me that I will be accepted. I do have the credentials to get in (I’m the average applicant), but I’m having difficulty understanding why I should be so expecting of an acceptance letter just because of my legacy. In other words, do you think that people are just telling me this to calm my nerves or do they really mean it? Thanks!

It totally depends upon the college in question. For some colleges, legacy matters; for others, it does not. That said, you won’t get “an acceptance letter just because of my legacy” if the rest of your application is sub-par. Good luck.

Legacy status won’t get you into a college that you are not otherwise qualified to attend (unless perhaps your family has buildings on campus named for them). However, as noted on another threads your chances appear to be strong given your stats, your legacy status, and the fact you applied ED to a school that gives a bump for that. There is really nothing anyone else can tell you. I understand you are anxious but asking the same question multiple times http://talk.qa.collegeconfidential.com/lafayette-college/2037012-lafayette-early-decision-chances.html#latest won’t help and won’t get you an answer faster. You just have to sit tight until the letters come. Good luck and let us know what happens.

Thanks for the response! I didn’t really consider my question the same as the last one that I posted; I was really just curious about why people think that it is significant enough to get an applicant in. I was just having difficulty wrapping my head around the idea that they would accept someone just because of a legacy, but it seems that based off of the replies that that is not the case. Thanks again!

The significance of legacy varies by college. As noted above unless your family has made a MAJOR contribution to the school being a legacy will not get your or anyone else into a school that is not an academic match. What legacy status can do is give you an edge over a non-legacy candidate with a similar profile.

Lafayette seems to value legacy status. Lafayette also values ED applicants. They can both work in your favor but will not get you into the school. What is important is that YOUR academic stats appear to be a match for the school profile (especially in the ED round) so if you get in (and I hope you do) it will be because of YOUR accomplishments throughout YOUR high school career.

Thank you!

Look in the school’s Common Data Set, section C7. Or under the admissions tab of the college’s entry on http://www.collegedata.com .

Legacy is a thumb on the scale, with its weight varying school to school. Merely being a legacy will not get you in. Your friends and family are overstating the case. But it does help.

Being a legacy can help you get in especially if your at the bottom of their admittance scale or just below. If they donors, that helps too.

One admissions counselor at one school to us that legacy status is a “leg up” not a “leg in.” I believe every school counts it differently.