<p>^^ The Common App asks you to list where your parents went to college and graduate school(s). Princeton knows you are a legacy from this information. You also might want to double-check with admissions about how a parent attending a Princeton graduate school is regarded. My understanding is that you are still considered a legacy but it has never been quite clear to me if this is truly the case. Perhaps, someone on this forum knows the answer?</p>
<p>Remember all that orange and black clothing your alumni parent made you wear as a kid? That orange dye had special intelligence-inducing chemicals that entered your body via osmosis. That is why legacy kids have a higher admit rate.</p>
<p>^Ha. Or it’s because they know that if you’re parent went there you have a higher chance of attending the school if you’re accepted.</p>
<p>Sparkle, I’m sorry to say at most schools a parent who went to grad school there (and not undergrad) is not considered a legacy. I think there might be a bit of a bump for a “graduate legacy” at a place like Princeton that has a much smaller percentage of grad students than other similar Us, but I don’t know. It might also be a bit of a factor if the applicant is from far away, as the grad legacy gives some indication the applicant will matriculate if accepted.</p>
<p>^Aw. I don’t know. That seems strange to me. I mean, he went there. Does it really matter if it was for grad or undergrad? I have a parent who went to their school.</p>
<p>I am curious how the child of anyone who attends grad school at a post secondary institution could possibly NOT be considered a legacy. Is the suggestion that undergraduate work is more credible or significant than graduate work? Please explain the rationale.</p>
<p>The fact that 9% of the class is legacies even legacies are admitted at a 40% rate implies that a lot of legacy kids are not applying to Princeton. </p>
<p>It’s very possible that unqualified legacy children are discouraged from applying by their parents. That would also tend to increase acceptance rates for legacy students. Perhaps parents would be embarrassed if their kid wasn’t accepted despite legacy status, so only the ones that have a solid chance regardless apply.</p>
<p>Depends on the school. Yale considers the children of grad students to be legacies and admissions sends parents a letter explaining what that means - that they care and can ensure the application will be looked at thoroughly. This is usually, tho not always, followed by a rejection letter. </p>
<p>Each school sets its own policy. It shouldn’t be too hard to get the answer from Princeton.</p>
<p>Princeton DOES consider children of graduate alumni to be legacies.</p>
<p>@Falcon1: Did you check with the admissions office about this? </p>
<p>Does being a legacy mean, with a UPEnn/Columbia/Duke resume one can get into Princeton? What would be a reason for why legacies have a higher acceptance rate? If you already have a HYPS resume then obviously being a legacy is going to make no difference in your admissions, right? My question is to what extent does the does legacy hook help?</p>
<p>If you are getting Bs and Cs and have no major awards or ECs being a legacy will not help unless you have a grandfather who donated a wing. Of course those come under developmental admits which I believe are different from legacies.</p>
<p>The information came from an AO.</p>
<p>At most schools, legacy doesn’t mean what it used to although Princeton seems to consider it more than most. Having an “active” alumni parent can be even more of a feather on the scale than just having a parent who attended the school. Obviously, parents who are doing development work have the greatest impact on admissions as you point out. However, even then, there are many cases of kids of such parents being rejected as I and many of the veteran posters can attest to.</p>
<p>I don’t know how to answer the rest of your questions (UP/C/D vs. HYPS). I think you have it backwards, if you already have a “HYPS” resume, whatever that is, then I suppose being a legacy would, in fact, make a difference. Just having such a “resume” in itself does not guarantee admissions because it is far too competitive and these schools don’t have enough room to accept all those with stellar credentials who qualify for admission. Whether being a legacy helps to tip a UP/C/D resume (again, whatever that is) into the yes pile would be speculation on my part. For one thing, I am not so sure that there is that much of distinction between the two groups these days to begin with. There are many instances on CC of kids who got into say Harvard but rejected at Columbia or UPenn. I would imagine if you qualify to to get into a Columbia, UPenn or Duke then you are strong enough to be seriously considered for Princeton and being a legacy won’t hurt :)</p>
<p>If you are getting Bs and Cs - forget the having no major awards or ECs - then you are not going to get in, legacy or not. Yale, for instance, rejects 80% of its legacy applicants. The kids they do let in are almost all qualified to get in on their own without the help of a legacy boost. So, to answer your question, being a legacy only helps if you already have the credentials to get in. It can help in a tie-breaker situation.</p>
<p>Thanks Falcon1:
That was a great explanation and I agree that for the most part it only acts a tie-breaker.</p>