<p>both of my parents graduated from the same university that I am applying to, and I'm curious how seriously colleges consider legacies. My dad was an excellent student in this school, receiving his Ph.D degree (he enrolled for a graduate degree) a couple semesters before his anybody in his college could. Also, my mom graduated with a perfect GPA, which makes both of my parents look even better.</p>
<p>When I apply ED to this college, will this college take a look at how well my parents did in college, or will my parents' legacies remain as one line of text filling in the Common Application?</p>
<p>If colleges do not take legacies as seriously as I would expect them to do, who call it a "legacy?" Why not call it "family education background?"</p>
<p>since your applying ED, then i dont see how you can possibly get rejected if your a double legacy... your chances just doubled and you should get in.. unless of coarse you have a 2.5 GPA and a 1500/2400 on the SAT and thinking about Harvard lol.... im not sure if they know how your parents performed in college but im sure they'll be aware of it if your parents were of any sort of significance.... good luck.</p>
<p>The university will be more interested in how much/how consistently your parents donated or (to a lesser extent) how active your parents are in the university alumni association. It won't matter how well academically your parents did in the university - it is their achievement and not indicative of how well you will be doing in the future.</p>
<p>thanks lobzz and frankchn..
but what the heck? donations are weighed more heavily than my parents' academic performance in college? that's unfair.. my parents started donating recently, and i wonder if that might be too "obvious" that my parents want me in their alma mater..</p>
<p>Unfortunately, that is the reality. Even if your parents didn't go to your target school, if they donated a few million dollars (or a new library wing or something similar) with promises of more to come - you are pretty much assured of getting in.</p>
<p>I must emphasize again that your parents' academic performance are basically irrelevant to the university at present (admitting the son/daughter of a top student 20 years ago doesn't bring the university any substantial benefits or diversity to its student population). It is their achievement anyway, not yours. Your parents getting 4.0s and graduating a few semesters early doesn't mean you will too.</p>
<p>Legacy matters to Top 50 universities only in terms of $$$$. Legacy matters to <em>all</em> LACs because it shows interest and knowledge of fit .. an area LACs are much more concerned with than Universities.</p>
<p>Agree with all of the posts above. It matters not a whit how well your parents performed while in school; top of the class or bottom of the class makes no difference, since no one is going to bother to look up their old records anyway. </p>
<p>All that matters is how "connected" to the school they still seem to be now -- which can be expressed in terms of annual donations or large special gifts (like that building named after them, lol) but it can also mean active participation in alumni events.</p>
<p>lobzz... i had 2 grandparents and 4 great-grandparents (among other extended family members such as great-aunts, etc.) go to the university I applied ED to... yet I got rejected. and my sats and gpa were well above 2.5 and 1500... so as you can see legacy does not guarantee anything.</p>
<p>that was really unlucky haha... and when you say well above 2.5 and 1500... if its 2.8-3.2 and a 1700.. wouldnt be much if your applying to a "top 20" school</p>
<p>
[quote]
since your applying ED, then i dont see how you can possibly get rejected if your a double legacy... your chances just doubled and you should get in
[/quote]
With a few minutes of google searching, I found the following[ul]At Penn, over 41% of the legacies that applied during Early Decision were accepted. [<em>]at Harvard, the legacy admission rate is between 34 and 35 percent [</em>] at Brown forty percent of legacy applicants were accepted [/ul]</p>
<p>You also need to check the school's defintition of legacy. At some colleges, if your parents did not receive their undergraduate degree at the school, you would not be considered a legacy for undergraduate admissions. At other schools as long as your parents, grandparents, siblings received a degree, you will get a legacy tip.</p>
<p>I agree with the previous posters that there are legacies and there are legacies. If your parents have been active at the school since graduation and have donated consistently it does give a bigger tip.</p>
<p>Also note most schools make clear that a double legacy is treated no differently than one who only had one parent attend. And as Sybbie noted, many schools will not consider the child of someone who attend grad school there a legacy.</p>
<p>Where the legacy boost helps at top colleges is when your stats make you fully qualified. You'll get in with weaker ECs or a weaker complete picture. But the stats need to be fully in range unless a lot of money is involved. </p>
<p>Starting to give money when your kid will be applying is usless unless it's 7 figures.</p>
<p>SAT was 2090 and GPA is 89 (my school doesnt convert to a 4.0 scale). i know when im just saying 89 it doesn't seem very good, but my school isn't the kind of school where a lot of people have 95+ GPAs... an 89 is very respectable at my school.</p>