How much will legacy help me?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

I don’t think I could get in to U Chicago, but both my parents went there. How much does that heighten my chances of getting in? My mom wants me to apply ED to Chicago, but if I have no chance of getting in I’d rather use my ED on another school. My sister got in but chose to attend elsewhere. I don’t know but this might (?) affect how much legacy would help me.

GPA: 3.66 UW, 3.93 W, Upward Trend
SAT: I haven’t received my scores yet, but I predict around 2000-2100 based on my practice tests. My goal is over 2100 so I will be retaking the SAT most likely after studying throughout the summer.
Course Rigor: I’ve taken every honors course I could take besides french junior year. We can only take APs senior and sometimes junior year.
Predicted Senior Schedule: AP Physics, AP Statistics, AP Calculus II, AP Biology, Advanced Research seminar history, honors english seminars, and some art electives
ECs: -Dance (9-12)
Volleyball (9-10)
Volunteering at the Special Olympics (annually)
Volunteering at an animal shelter (~50 hours so far, I plan to be spending a lot more time there in the future)
A couple other of small volunteering opportunities.
Community Service Club
Environmental Club
I’m applying for membership to the National Honor Society now that my school recently became affiliated with them.

Obviously, I don’t have the strongest credentials for applying to a school with such a low acceptance rate. I personally don’t believe I have any chance of getting in, but my mom wants me to apply and I’d like to know if it’s worth using my ED spot on such a selective college and if legacy would help me at all. Thank you.

2

Honestly, I’m not sure how much UChicago will be influenced by your double legacy status. But if you want to go there, apply ED!! You never know what’s going to happen. Don’t not apply because you don’t think you’ll get in. If you truly don’t want to go there and it’s just your mom that wants you to apply, then use your ED spot for a college you want to go to.

3

U Chicago has Early Action, not Early Decision, and I think it’s non-restrictive so you can ED to another school and apply EA to UChicago at the same time I believe. Legacy does help a little, but I can say that with your GPA UChicago is kind of a reach for you. You have really good ECs and rigor, and if you get the SAT you want all that’s really hindering you from UChicago and other top schools is GPA. If you right good essays you’ll have a good shot at a lot of schools, potentially even UChicago despite it being kind of reach for you. If you have a clear top choice even above UChicago I’d ED their first for the best odds, but I’d still apply UChicago as EA (just realize if you get into both ED trumps EA and you have no choice where you must attend). Good luck!

4

My wife is a U of C alum. I remember looking into this a few years ago and being told on this forum that legacy status at U of C does not offer any advantage. Things might have changed though

5

Thank you so much for posting and replying everyone. So basically legacy probably won’t help me very much, but I might as well just apply anyways just because? I do think there are other schools I like better than Chicago. Thanks everyone!