Hi I am thinking about applying to wash u in saint louis. My test scores are pretty solid but my gpa isnt great around 3.8 my dad has legacy there and is an active alumni who gives money to them every couple of months. Was wondering how much this would help my chances of getting in! Thanks!!
Being an active donor and alumnus – hopefully one who has had several alumni leadership/governance appointments – can be a FAR greater boost than ordinary legacy status, alone. You probably need to ascertain how WU/StL really deals with legacies. Often, the Alumni Association has a fulltme staff member whose primary function is undergraduate admissions. If this is true for WU/StL, a visit or telephone conversation between your father and that staffer would probably be an excellent starting point.
Legacy helps a lot, especially if he’s a big donor too. And 3.8 isn’t even that low. Definitely apply, you have a better shot than most.
Legacy often matters most in Early Decision. My understanding is that this is the case for Washington University.
The CDS for WUStL shows Legacy is only considered (http://wustl.edu/policies/assets/pdfs/wustl%20cds%202012-2013.pdf) but I think for large active donors it’s probably considered more than for just a run of the mill grad. JMO
^ ^ ^
I fully agree. Many people erroneously believe all “legacy advantages” are equal. They simply are not. For most legacies, the advantage is small, really minuscule (and, this presumes the university recognizes a “legacy hook” – many do not), because the alum has not made any noteworthy or substantial contributions (extensive time and talent devoted to the institution are generally at least as important as treasury, excepting “mega-charity”) to his alma mater. However, the legacy whose parent has constantly invested considerable efforts and expertise – normally accompanied by modest financial gifts – may obtain a much more significant advantage.
Many legacy candidates apply early decision and it means much more in the smaller private schools. It can mean quite a bit assuming the candidate is remotely acceptable. Op you have a big advantage. If that is your choice. Apply ED and do interview.