<p>I applied to northwestern as an undergrad, twice actually, i really wanted to go, but i did get turned down both times (the first time i tried to get into engineering and i think i just missed, the second time it was for a transfer to liberal arts, which if i applied to first i would have gotten in, but now i looked a little worse after a poor freshman year of college).</p>
<p>anyhow, soon i will be graduating from college and i was curious how much being a legacy affects a school like NU. I've heard some of the east coast ivys secretly place alot of emphasis on it, it seemingly didnt help me all too much when i applied before though.</p>
<p>another thing to note though, it was my aunt that was an alumnus, not a parent, and she has just recently passed away, not sure if that makes a difference.</p>
<p>My parents both graduated from NU, and I was accepted this spring. I wondered if the legacy thing had something to do with it, but when I got my financial aid the vast majority of it was in the form of a very good scholarship. I don't see why they would do that if I were being thrown a bone because of my double legacy status. </p>
<p>My parents have never donated any money, either.</p>
<p>I thought NU didn't give merit money?</p>
<p>They don't officially give merit money. That's true. But it is also true that kids who are accepted and have the same financial need don't always get it split up the same way (between grants and self-help, like loans). I know people who were awarded practically non-existant grants but got almost the full tuition's worth of federal loans and work study. Even if NU doesn't give money labeled for "merit," it sort of does still operate that way, if only within the bounds of a student's financial need.</p>
<p>financial aid is less a concern over actual admission as it relates to legacy status.</p>