My uncle is a tenured professor at Williams College. Does his connection give me a higher chance of getting in or some sort of legacy?
No. You know what legacy is, right?
You need to be a compelling candidate on your own merits. Then, sometimes, a connection helps. And sometimes not.
Yes I do know what a legacy is, and I do sport a gpe and scores
I think that this gives you a relative in the area who knows their way around and a knowledgeable person who can tell you who to contact if you have an unusual question. It might get you a tour of the campus on a day when tours are not normally available, and a place to store your bicycle during the winter (if you are not local).
However, I am pretty sure that you need to get accepted on your own.
Legacy is defined in many ways. Some schools consider an Uncle to be legacy. Others don’t. Not sure if Williams does this.
But having parents who are tenured professors can have a huge impact.
Turtle, I’m newer around here (I don’t have as many posts as others), and I tread lightly with both my tone and the confidence with which I make statements, as many here have gone through the app process recently (I applied twenty years ago, and it will be 3-4 years before my daughter will begin her early steps) and I don’t want to step on toes or contradict others’ advice.
Still, I’m not sure I agree with those who say “absolutely not” to your question. While it is true that many overstate the importance of legacy (typically much more important if one has a parent who was an undergrad at the institution one is applying to), having a relative who teaches at the college in question is an entirely different animal. Maybe it’s a huge negative; maybe it is a small positive. So far, no one has answered this question, which was your original query, not the issue of whether or not an uncle is considered a legacy. My gut tells me that it won’t have an effect. At best, it might have the tiniest of boosts if you’re already a strong applicant, as having a family connection (normally, an uncle would not be a strong legacy argument, but yours teaches at the college) could be seen as a strong indicator that you’d attend if accepted.
Obviously, you’d need to already be the sort of candidate who could consider Williams, even without a possible/questionable legacy connection, but I think you know this. I will say that if you do decide to apply at Williams to not make a big deal of the possible connection or name-drop. AdComs see plenty of essays where unaware applicants mention how their father, grandfather, uncles, and siblings all attended Prestigious U or C. Definite turnoff.
It Absolutely gives you a slight edge, possibly even more so that traditional legacy. This is especially true if he has personal connections with one of the directors in the admissions office. This is an unspoken rule, but be sure to include this in your application in some way, just a short sentence will do, and ensure that your uncle does his part. - Admissions Track
No. This doesn’t qualify as legacy. Could it be helpful? Maybe.
I think it’s quibbling to discuss whether this constitutes “legacy” or not. OP has an uncle who is a tenured faculty member. That’s a pretty good connection. Assuming OP has good stats, and that the uncle knows him well and is willing to help him. I think it’s pretty likely that this could help him get in.
No one is quibbling-they are just very different things. I had a relative who was a chaired professor at at HYP and it did not get me in.
Legacies typically fill out a section in the common app that asks if you have a relative who attended the school. For us, it was a pull down list that says:
Mother
Father
Maternal Grandmother
Maternal Grandfather
Paternal Grandmother
Paternal Grandfather
No listing of Uncle/Aunt but YMMV per school. That was ONLY if said relative went there for undergrad. He could, however, put in a good word with Admissions and ask them to keep an eye out for your application.
MODERATOR’S NOTE:
Closing thread; the OP has long left the building.