<p>Hi all,</p>
<p>Long story short - I was adopted at an early age, and am in college process. Is it beneficial to mention that your biological parent attended (and got a degree from) the school that you are going to apply to? Or will that counteract my intention? </p>
<p>Thank you. </p>
<p>If your biological parent didnt raise u, isn’t paying for college, and u have no ongoing relationship w this person, it seems incredbly lame to mention it. It seems like slap in the face to your adoptive parents.</p>
<p>No they did for several years. Aside from personal feelings of different parties, would adcom see this positively or negatively? </p>
<p>That’s a new one. It’s hard to find an original question on this forum. Congrats. I don’t know what to say, but I think the last comment was pretty insensitive and wrong minded Hummmm, have to think on it. But what do you mean counteract your intention, that is a strange thing to say.</p>
<p>I try to be as original as possible! </p>
<p>In simple words, will it be a plus factor for admissions or will they see it like what GMTplus7 saw?</p>
<p>Honestly I don’t know. My thoughts are to mention it if your parent is deceased. If not, and there is termination of parental rights, I don’t think I would. Did you think to ask your GC for opinion?</p>
<p>No I haven’t, mostly because I don’t want other people to know. But I’m curious what people on CC think about this. </p>
<p>When I was growing up, I knew a girl in a small southern town who had been adopted at birth by a fantastic family. She was their only child and was doted on. All that she knew about her biological mother was that she was a (very prestigious arts school)-trained concert pianist. She was an exceptional student, pianist and person. She didn’t harp or obsess about her biological mother, but when time came to apply to her biological mother’s alma mater, she most certainly told them her story—and was, of course, accepted. </p>
<p>Sometimes, it doesn’t really matter the circumstances surrounding a parent allowing a child to be adopted by a family. There is still a strong emotional bond to the biological parent or, rather, the best bits of that person. I think that, if handled with care, your story could be seen in a favorable light by an admissions committee. Your biological mother’s connection with the university gives the university a very special place in your heart, regardless of the story behind your estrangement from her. Your college application is about YOU and not any of your parents. So, if your emotional tie to the school is stronger because of your emotional ties to the best things about your biological mom, I think you should communicate that to the school.</p>
<p>Would appreciate any other views. </p>
<p>Do you have a relationship with the biological parent who attended the school? Is that a reason you are drawn to the school? I’d say if the answer to those questions is yes, you could mention it. If not, I’m not sure it would make much of a difference.</p>
<p>I think we’d need more facts in order to give a decent opinion. The most important one would be what your relationship is with your biological mother.
If, as somebody said, you were adopted because your biological mother died, I would certainly mention it, and I think most colleges would treat you as a legacy.
If, on the other hand, you were adopted at birth and never had any relationship with your biological mother at all, I don’t think it would help.</p>
<p>I wasn’t adopted at birth, but in my early childhood when I was just beginning to grip a sense of reality. No my biological parent is still alive, although we rarely establish contact. </p>
<p>I really don’t want to ask opinions in person to people such as guidance counselors or teachers mostly because I don’t want them to know and feel sorry for me. Also the “talk” always evokes emotional stress deep inside, although I know how fortunate I am to be part of a wonderful family, who I will always call mom, dad, and sister. </p>
<p>Short answer - any legacy is a plus, and I really don’t think they pry to find out people’s personal lives. If your GC can see your app, there might be questions. But you would just have to prove to the college that you are a legacy, and you are.</p>
<p>I would say it is completely fair to list yourself as a legacy. They sometimes ask for a parent’s name in such cases.</p>
<p>If an alumni parent passed away, let’s say a woman in childbirth, and the child were raised by the father and a step-mother, wouldn’t it be fair to say you are a legacy? I don’t see how this case differs at all (except assumedly your bio parents are still kicking!)</p>
<p>You don’t have to mention why your parents are not the same person as you list as the legacy, but the school could ask if they want to.</p>
<p>I don’t agree that it is different depending on the reason you were not raised by your biological parent, nor do I agree it is different how many years you spent being raised by your biological parent.</p>
<p>Can you imagine this?
<p>etc.</p>
<p>The spirit of being a legacy is that your parent or grandparent loved going there and sold you on the idea. That spirit is pretty much broken by more than half the legacies in my opinion. I know plenty of kids with parents who hated their alma mater, and the kids have no problem listing themselves as a legacy.</p>
<p>List him or her as an alumni, or you are lying. Of course, if you think your adoptive parents will plotz, then lie and say you aren’t a legacy.</p>
<p>Remember that many top schools only consider legacy status for ED, so the point may be moot if you aren’t applying ED.</p>
<p>You say “counteract my intention”. What intention is that?</p>
<p>Most likely, the college application will ask if you have any relatives who have attended. It will ask you for their names, and their relationship to you. Personally, I don’t feel that you’d be lying if you choose to omit your biological mother from such a list, but at the same time, as rhandco indicates, you are free to list her if you choose.</p>
<p>If they are giving out the benefits for being born a legacy, I kind of agree that you should get the benefit of being a legacy. Discuss it with your parents first and get them on board.</p>
<p>I know many children of professors of Latin American origin who get all kinds of benefits of being Hispanic even though their parents came from Latin America’s wealthiest families. </p>