<p>There's a place to list it on the supplement, but does an honorary degree count as legacy of some sort? How is it viewed in the admission process?</p>
<p>Uhm NO. Are you serious? Legacy is defined as a parent or guardian (you can strech it for a grandparent) attending the university in question. When admissions finds out that you put legacy and it is not actually a degree,your in big trouble buddy.</p>
<p>Well, there is a section on the supplement which states: “If you have relatives who attend or have attended Yale other than parents, stepparents, or grandparents, please list relationship to you, name, year of graduation, and degree.” Perhaps this would be a good place to list your relative’s honor. </p>
<p>Alternatively, use the drop-down options and put the honorary degree level (bachelor’s, etc) and your grandparent’s/parent’s information, using the free-response area to explain the circumstances. Worst case scenario, you call them to clarify.</p>
<p>As for the adcom’s view, I couldn’t say; but if the university has chosen to honor your relative in some way, I can’t see but that it would help your application.</p>
<p>And kukubear, I see no reason for the rudeness of your reply. Rein it in.</p>
<p>I think kukubear may have misunderstood what is meant by an honorary degree. Each year, Yale (like most other colleges) confers a few honorary degrees on famous or accomplished people. If you are the child of such a person, I would certainly mention it on your application–making clear that it was an honorary degree, of course.</p>
<p>It will probably have very little impact on your admissions prospects, but I’d agree with Hunt and Galavantian that it can’t hurt to list the relative and the degree. (Yale doesn’t give very many honorary degrees, and they go to people who are very accomplished, very wealthy, or both.) </p>
<p>For people who are familiar with these things, the name of the degree (for example, Doctor of Humane Letters) often indicates that it’s honorary. But if you put (Hon.) right after the degree, that will be very clear.</p>