Legacy Admissions

Applying to College
1

I have a complicated situation. There’s a member of my family who is legacy at a school I’m applying to, and a very large donor. But I don’t receive any monetary benefit from them, and am applying as a low-income applicant. Will putting their name on my application help or hurt my application? I’m not sure if it will add an extra boost or discredit the application. Please let me know

2

Most schools that are still practicing legacy admissions (Yale, Harvard, etc.) have a very narrow definition of what that means, usually someone in direct line of succession, like a parent or a grandparent. Siblings don’t count; uncles and aunts don’t count. Cousins don’t count. Otherwise, all you’re doing is dropping a name which IMO is seldom a good look unless the person in question is willing to write you a sincere letter of recommendation.

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3

Legacy is usually if you have a parent who went there. Wealthy donor child has to do with the wealthy huge donor asking the “development” department to give someone special consideration for admission, presumably a close relative who needs no financial aid. I doubt any donor admit would then be awarded fin aid. So, is the wealthy donor willing to pay for you?

4

If the university considers legacy, and not all do, they define it as they see fit - usually a parent. A more distant relative will not have a benefit. Name-dropping will not help, and will likely hurt.

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5

They are willing to write me a letter of rec- but I’ve been told it won’t hold weight because it comes from a family member. Would this be the better option than just using their name?

6

@parentologist Thank you, no I was hoping to receive financial aid. Would my best bet be to leave their name off of my application? Have them write a letter of rec? Or is there an alternative option that could help? My family member is willing to help me in any way they can

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7

First of all, is your family member a huge multimillion dollar donor? Second, are they willing to pay for you? Wealthy donors who can influence an admissions decision have made huge donations.

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@parentologist Yes, they have donated throughout generations and their names on on two buildings on the campus, but they are not willing to pay for me. At first I thought putting their name on my app would help, but someone told me it could discredit my application as someone who is low income and comes from a disadvantaged school

9

What is the purpose of the letter ? Do they know you in an academic or professional setting ?

I’d answer yes /no based on how the school defines but a letter won’t likely do anything.

I imagine if someone gets passed through, it would be via back channels, not a letter from an unqualified to write one person read by an AO.

Is the school need aware or need blind ? If you have need, you might get anyway.

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The school is need blind but I do mention certain aspects of my underserved school in my application. I do not know them in a professional/academic sense, just a very close family member

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Hmmm. Putting their name down will not help. A rec letter wont help. Ask them to contact the person at alumni donations or development or whatever to put in a request for you to be put on the special donor list. But it would be odd for the wealthy donor to say, this kid is close enough to me that i am asking you to take him, but not close enough for me to pay for him. On the other hand, youd qualify for fin aid, since the school is need blind.

Very odd, to have someone receive preferential admission due to family wealth, who then needs and gets a full ride.

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12

This is why contacting the development department might be just as awkward as listing the relative on one’s application. IMO, all it does is start a chain-reaction that ultimately puts an unwelcome bite on the rich relative. Adcoms get LORs all the time from senators, mayors, celebrities, etc… and, yes a lot of the time they are just window dressing. But of all the choices out there, it probably does the least harm.

13

Okay thank you, So just to be clear I should have them write a letter of rec, but not add their name on the part of the application where it asks “Do you have any relatives who are alumni at this school”

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I was thinking more in terms of making a big deal of it in an essay or something. As a totally truthful answer to a written question, I would say go ahead and list them. Just don’t expect it to carry the weight you want it to.

ETA: If the relative has already agreed to write a LOR - even better. Do both.

15

I would not have them write a letter. They have no basis for doing so.

If they are that connected, they would be better to reach out to a contact they know directly.

You’re asking fir an admission, not based on your merits, but because a relative is a big donor. A letter to admissions will not help - IMHO.

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16

Is exactly that question on the application form? If so, then I would be inclined to answer the question honestly (which would be “yes” plus the name and relationship). Then you do not need to mention this again in your application.

One daughter applied to a small university where a close relative was faculty. I am pretty sure that admissions knew the relationship (the faculty member knows the head of admissions). We never explicitly mentioned it. I doubt that it made much difference either way but this was a school where admissions was very likely given sufficiently good stats.

Does the family member know that you are applying? If so, then they might know what to do.

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17

Yes that’s the question. I’ve decided I will put their name on my application, but still torn over the letter of rec. I’m getting mixed answers - I think I’m leaning towards having them write a letter of rec, but I will make sure they talk about my aspirations/accomplishments (which I’ve discussed with them multiple times). Still not sure if this will hold weight though

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18

But if I do decide to submit a letter of rec- could it potentially hurt my application? Or it just won’t help? Also I believe I have a strong application as I’ve been told by my counselor- so I would be admitted on merits, it’s just helpful to have an extra boost in this increasingly competitive college admissions world

19

Your aspirations and accomplishments will already be on your application.

So what can they add about how you add value, besides we need the school to do you a solid?

That’s why if you want the relation to matter, it needs to be via a back channel to a person who can override an AO.

This type of behavior may be frowned upon. You may get in on your own merits but someone at an AO level will likely not be comfortable being pushed and then bring your situation to another for validation.

All firms have ethics policies and this type of activity will be heavily scrutinized upon at the bottom level. Even if you are qualified, someone may bring your situation forward because of the letter. No one wants to be caught in an ethically challenged situation.

For example, I have to report any gifts over $50. I just don’t accept. I wouldn’t want to be in the position of being further questioned.

It’d be easier for someone at a highly rejective school to just say no.

20

I think just listing the person and their relationship with you is sufficient. It would seem strange (and it does to me) that you are writing about coming from a disadvantaged school system, yet you have a close relation who is making multi-million dollar gifts to the school and is writing letters on your behalf. They may think your essay about your disadvantaged background is inauthentic.

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