<p>If it's only 29% acceptance of legacies, that's amazingly low. I'll bet nearly 29% of H and P legacies who apply to Yale get in, since they have the same demographics. This legacy preference sounds like a fundraising scam run by the IVIEs on gullible parents. What a scam...</p>
<p>Having a higher acceptance rate for legacies probably helps H and P with their yield as well and their fundraising versus Y. But then again it means it is slightly more favorable for a non-legacy to gain acceptance to Y than to H or P, which is probably a good thing for new lines of families to get that chance.</p>
<p>For selfish reasons, my heart likes legacy admissions. But my head believes in a more pure meritocracy.</p>
<p>I believe you're right, mensa160.</p>
<p>You believe that preferences for legacies is a scam, andi? I thought your son was a legacy applying to Yale this year... that's a bold position to take for someone in your shoes, IMO. If I were you, I'd wait a year to say it! :O</p>
<p>Oh nevermind, you could be agreeing with just the first two sentences... in that case, disregard this post entirely.</p>
<p>I wonder if a legacy whose parents have given $0.00 back to the school since graduating are still considered with preference. If anything, that should show the admissions committee that the legacy child is LESS likely to give back to the school later in life.</p>
<p><<i wonder="" if="" a="" legacy="" whose="" parents="" have="" given="" $0.00="" back="" to="" the="" school="" since="" graduating="" are="" still="" considered="" with="" preference.="">></i></p><i wonder="" if="" a="" legacy="" whose="" parents="" have="" given="" $0.00="" back="" to="" the="" school="" since="" graduating="" are="" still="" considered="" with="" preference.="">
<p>I think that's a no-brainer.</p>
</i>
<p>Yale.edu if you read my post about the kids at our HS who were deferred you might understand why I wrote that. I've read the figures, but based on what I've actually seen, the legacy bit hasn't exactly been a 'hook.' Maybe the RD round will prove different, but Yale isn't exactly banging down the door to grab every legacy applicant. I would say that 4 of the 5 legacy applicants that I referred to are highly qualified candidates for admission. It will be interesting to see how many of them get in April 1st. I wouldn't be surprised, if, as mensa160 says, that 29% of H and P offspring get into Y too.
BTW, I'm not necessarily saying this critically. I am all for giving everyone a fair chance. My son would love to go to Yale, but I truthfully wouldn't want to see him gain acceptance due to legacy-though I happen to think he's well qualified. But bottom line, I'm not sure that legacy plays as much of a role as many people think.</p>
<p>come on byerly .... another opportunity to bash yale</p>
<p>I thought we were over the Byerly thing... SHOUTOUT TO ANDI (and her son)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!</p>
<p>I think that's a no-brainer.</p>
<p>If they do, I don't think they can easily justify it.</p>
<p>I'm not sure that legacy plays as much of a role as many people think.</p>
<p>It probably does not. The University of Michigan Law School that got sued over their system awarded 20 points for having the right color of skin or heritage (black, hispanic) but only 4 points for being a legacy applicant. That's probably typical, and using the system from that example, if H/P give 4 points then Y probably gives 2.</p>
<p>But also, for your own situation with Y specifically, remember that Y's EA acceptance rate is miniscule compared to all of its peers. Many EA applicants are still given preference for having applied during that round during the ED process. Yale seems to like to defer the great majority of everyone but 4.0uw/800/800s and URMs, but many EA applicants get in during ED anyway.</p>
<p><<i think="" that's="" a="" no-brainer.="">></i></p><i think="" that's="" a="" no-brainer.="">
<p><<if they="" do,="" i="" don't="" think="" can="" easily="" justify="" it.="">></if></p>
<p>Would they have to?</p>
</i>
<p>byerly must be in his glory with all the attention he has been getting on CC.</p>
<p>I was trying to give the OP feedback based on my own experience during the last few months. What has saved our sanity, or what little of it that's left, has been having a number of other schools that are high on the list. It's excruciating to be on this deferral list. You just can't be prepared for all this waiting. Basically I don't think the OP should be expecting that legacy is some magic key. It's not- nor should it be.</p>
<p>Anyway, hi Chidimma :)</p>
<p>Would they have to?</p>
<p>Well, it depends on the President I suppose. If I was running Yale (and I can assure you that I will never be in a position to do so!) I would prefer that the $0-donating legacies be given the same preference as the $0-donating non-legacies. It should be a meritocracy, although Yale does need to keep its endowment high.</p>
<p>Preference for a non-donor legacy means that the best candidate fails to get the spot, and the endowment also suffers.</p>
<p>Hey, YaleDad, I think your daughter has a pretty good chance. I've seen quite a few legacies with similar stats both on CC and in real life get in.</p>
<p>I'm really surprised Byerly's stats weren't accurate. I suppose the only place you can go for stats is the source.</p>
<p>Regarding legacy, from an applicant's perspective in choosing a school, if there were two schools of equal desirability, he might lean toward the school that his family had attended and might have an added enthusiasm for the place. And I don't mean the person who is just using the legacy as a tool to get him in. That, ignoring contributions and other factors, might justify giving him 1 point. Can't see them getting much more than that.</p>
<p>IMHO I don't see Georgetown as a borderline safety. It's a very competitive school.</p>
<p>Yes it is, I didn't mean to imply it wasn't... while it is a very competitive school, she seems to be extremely qualified. "Borderline safety" was a bad choice of words on my part... but I would be surprised to hear she was not accepted at G'town.</p>
<p>maybe a match then. Georgetown is hot right now. I've seen some really great kids get rejected.</p>
<p>I have seen many Yale legacies denied admissions, and their resumes and academic profiles were sterling. I know several who have been deferred this year, and are hoping to get in RD.</p>