<p>Hi,</p>
<p>I was just wondering how much legacy really counts, I have heard some varied responses. By legacy I mean:</p>
<p>-Your parents attended the same institution that you are applying to for all four years and did reasonable well.
-Made donations but nothing even close to significant (the lower end of four figures)
-Most interested in legacy at Harvard and Stanford</p>
<p>I don't know anything about Stanford, but alumni kids at Harvard are often given wait list spots and then offered the opportunity to enroll a year later.</p>
<p>But, in most cases, legacy isn't going to help. And it's really only a boost in the ED round, after that it's a negligible advantage.</p>
<p>If you are qualified to begin with, it will help. but they won't accept you only bc you are a legacy.</p>
<p>It depends on the school. It used to be that the University of Virginia counted you as being in-state, even if you were out-of-state, if you were a legacy. I don't know if this is still the case or not but, if so, it would give out-of-state legacies an enormous admissions probability boost.</p>
<p>At Harvard, legacy can tip one in over a nonlegacy. However, from what I've seen as an alum interviewer for H, the legacies are just as strong as are the nonlegacies who get in.</p>
<p>As for donations, even 6 figures wouldn't be impressive at Harvard.</p>