<p>My brother graduated from Cornell CAS, but there was no place on the legacy part of the app. to include siblings, thus I have encorporated it into my app. in other ways (such as my essay). Anyone know if Cornell considers siblings legacy? Also, anyone care to discuss the benefit of a legacy in regards to a transfer app? I, for one, am completely unsure how beneficial it actually is.</p>
<p>A brother does not make you a legacy.</p>
<p>Ok, thanks hmom5. Could it still possibly add another aspect to my application?</p>
<p>It can be a tip factor if the sibling is at the college when you apply. Otherwise the only plus is if he gives millions!</p>
<p>Different schools have different classifications of which legacy relationships offer any benefit at all.</p>
<p>Some only consider parents; some consider siblings; some consider grandparents; some consider any relative. </p>
<p>Then, how much weight does it earn? Who knows? Some schools give a sort of quantitative estimate of how much “boost” you get. Most can’t quantify it.</p>
<p>I suspect that legacy helps at Cornell, as a tip factor. If it is reinforced by something to give it relevance; eg consequent more intimate knowledge of, and ties to, the college, etc.</p>
<p>I don’t know whether a sibling technically “counts”, depends on how they ask the question. But I would make sure they know anyway. Maybe put "[brother, __<em>, graduated from CAS class of _</em>] " in the legacy box, in brackets or something.</p>
<p>My D2 was a recent transfer applicant, and was accepted to the college D1 graduated from. She would have been admitted on her own merits in any event, but I’m positive somehow the college knew about D1, and gave that some additional consideration as well. That college was not Cornell, but I think Cornell cares as well, at least at the margin.</p>
<p>Monydad, I’m curious about how you’re positive the college considered this. When I worked in admissions it was pretty cut and dried, if you were a legacy by the school’s definition, a sticker was put on your application and it was handled differently. Recent books seem to say this is still the way it’s done. If anyone knows this is not the case, I’d be interest to hear the facts.</p>
<p>We all discussed the “legacy” aspect, during her application process. We expected her ties to be asked for and considered. When she got in, she was not that excited because she thought her tie gave her an edge. Consequently, given that expectation and sequence of events, I believe that if D2 did not have opportunity to make evident her tie to D1 during the application process she would have mentioned that to us.</p>
<p>If it comes up somehow I’ll ask her.</p>
<p>Even where it is cut and dried as to who a particular college will or will not “sticker”, such group may not be identified identically by all colleges. For example, some evidently include alums of their grad schools as “legacies”, IIRC others may not.</p>
<p>But even if it doesn’t “count” by a school’s particular definition, and they don’t put a sticker on it, people read the whole application and make mental notes accordingly, they are human, right? My common sense would suggest that if your brother went there, there is some connection which might make some impression on the reader, however trivial. Though perhaps less than “stickered”, at that school.</p>
<p>If the alumni magazines that Happydad (M.S. and Ph.D. College of Human Ecology) and I (M.S. Ag. and Life Sciences) receive are any indication, then I’d say that yes, having a sibling who is a Cornell grad is definitely worth mentioning! In almost every mailing from these two colleges there is some article about multiple family members who have attended Cornell.</p>
<p>Wishing you much luck with your applications.</p>
<p>I get those mazines too, and yes that did in general contribute to my opinion as well, regarding Cornell specifically. </p>
<p>Another case which helped form my general impression was at D1s high school .A really super kid attended a top LAC; and evidently he did great there. A couple years later his brother, in D1’s class, applied and was accepted there too. We knew the brother reasonably well, he was a decent kid, but no great superstar. Nobody at D1’s school thought his acceptance was completely unconnected with his brother. His brother was still there, but I can’t see how that should make any difference in their decision process whatsoever, vs. if he’d graduated a year before.</p>
<p>But admittedly I may be mistaken. Though how this other kid would have gotten in to that LAC would then remain a puzzler.</p>
<p>It depends entirely on the school how strong the legacy counts and what counts as legacy. Some schools are very stingy about this, counting only mom and dad, and only if they were in the same school of study where the kid is applying. In other words, grad school would not count for legacy, for a kid applying undergrad. Some schools are very eager to get familial connections going and will count nearly anything and showcase the relationships in their magazines.</p>
<p>As to the general benefit of legacy status to a transfer applicant there, in a case where their definition of legacy is indisputably met:</p>
<p>I have reason to believe it may be given consideration, in a case where a resulting superior connection to, and knowledge of, the university and how it matches your needs is made evident.</p>
<p>But then again:</p>
<p>If a great, fully qualified, kid gets in, who happens to be a legacy, how do you really know how much the legacy angle contributed, vs. the kid’s own merits?</p>