Legacy Admission

Colleges and Universities A-Z Wellesley College
1

<p>To my surprise, upon interview, I learned that I am a legacy. Apparently, having an aunt who is a Wellesley alumna renders my status "legacy". No complaints. I was advised to have my aunt write a letter to the Dean of Admission (from the angle of knowing WC and me very well and why it would be a good match).
I am a strong student with strong essays, grades, ECs (serious French horn player, among things), and SATs (all areas exceed 760 barring math). My stats look similar to some of the more competitive ones posted here, though I did go to a very small high school which did not offer APs (took classes at Harvard Extension where I have a 4.0). Sorry to be vague about my stats; I don't like to post them publicly (if anyone wants to know more, please feel free to PM/IM me).</p>

<p>My question is this: how helpful will my aunt's impassioned letter be/my legacy status in setting me apart from all the other incredibly well-qualified applicants? Thanks!</p>

2

<p>Well, I always got the impression that legacy is definitely not the most important aspect of the application. I think schools ask if you have legacy because it means that if you are accepted, then you are more likely to attend the school, which brings their percentage of how many accepted applicants say 'yes' to Wellesley up which is what they want. My first cousin and little sister both applied to Wellesley, both put me down as legacy, the former got rejected and the latter waitlisted. Perhaps your aunt as an alumna has more weight, but I would take this legacy thing with a grain of salt.</p>