<p>Isn't it weird that CalTech doesn't ask if you have a legacy? Its the only school im applying to that hasnt asked.</p>
<p>I don't think so. Caltech tries really hard to only accept people based on merit, so it doesn't make a difference to them if you're a legacy or not.</p>
<p>Yeah I think there's other schools that don't care about legacy either.. like MIT is a meritocracy too.</p>
<p>We see whether you're a legacy based on the box that asks where your parents went to college.</p>
<p>MIT isn't quite so legacy-blind. Denied legacy kids get a personal review by the director, which certainly leads to some reversals. Mere mortals don't get the benefit. Not that I think this is a bad policy. Stroking the alumni is a very important way for a university to maintain its health financially and as a community.</p>
<p>Legacy doesn't play an appreciable role at Caltech, as far as I can tell -- maybe because it's rare for people to want such a demanding education just for the sake of continuing a dynasty. The Caltech offspring who apply usually are good enough, and they really want to go. The few I've seen have been so overwhelmingly good that it wasn't a question whether there were extra factors for or against to push over the boundary this or that way. We just made jokes about how the 1600/800/800/800 must have been in the genes :)</p>