<p>ok so yesterday I was checking the mail with my dad (as I've been doing EVERYDAY lately :/) and I see a rather thick envelope from Yale. Now, at my house, whenever something from Yale comes, there's a bit of confusion primarily because my dad and I have the same name, and secondarily because he is a Yale alum.</p>
<p>So anyway, seeing as the letter was from the Yale admissions office, I naturally assumed it was for me. I could see 2 pieces of paper through the envelope and I freaked out. I ripped the envelope open, then looked at the salutation and immediately looked to the bottom to find the REAL signature of the dean of admissions. Only then did I begin reading the body which said, "We are pleased...". That's as far as I got before screaming! Then my dad took the letter from me, read the entire thing and threw it away. I was confused at first, but he told me to read it again.</p>
<p>It was basically a letter that said</p>
<p>"Dear Mr.____</p>
<p>We are pleased to see that Robert has applied to the Yale College Class of 2013. Please be aware that we have been notified of his legacy status... blah blah rest assured his application will be given great consideration lallala.</p>
<p>Greeting from New Haven</p>
<p>____ signature of the dean"</p>
<p>So yeah, I was sad to find that it wasn't a likely letter because I REALLY thought it was :(</p>
<p>Can you be given URM and legacy consideration at the same time? You would think that the latter would cancel out the former...</p>
<p>i meeeeaaan, being a legacy doesn't make me any less blacky</p>
<p>yeah but you don't exactly conform to the underprivileged stereotype. but i guess they just care about those "students of color" pie graphs.</p>
<p>dude i've only had one dream of acceptance (where everyone else got rejection letters.. except for me... of course meaning that I got in), but it pales in comparison to that likely letter thing. although you must consider yourself pretty special to think that you have a shot at an extraordinarily rare early academic likely letter haha.</p>
<p>^ No trust me, I'm not expecting any likely letters. I just assumed that it was because:</p>
<ul>
<li>It was a thick letter!</li>
<li>I have already received my eli account information in the mail, so I knew it wasn't that</li>
<li>It had a legit signature</li>
<li>It began "We are pleased!?!?!"</li>
<li>There's that whole thread on likely letters that I've been following lately, so it's the first thing that popped into my mind.</li>
</ul>
<p>Believe me, I am not even close to being regarded as likely letter material by any school.</p>
<p>Is your dad an interviewer/did he donate a building/something?</p>
<p>I too, am a legacy, and we haven't received a letter anything like yours.</p>
<p>my dad doesn't donate that much (probably less than 5000 annually), but he has expressed interest in doing interviews? (beginning next year, seeing as I'm applying this year and that would be a conflict of interest.)</p>
<p>Likely letters are not usually sent out until early March, or so. Also, the Ivies VERY RARELY send out likely letters, and, if then, to athletes. EVEN MORE RARELY do they send them to non-athletes. Anyway, not this early, and not for Early Action.</p>
<p>sigh...</p>
<p>i already know this... which is what made the situation all the more thrilling for me.</p>
<p>Ah. We don't donate anywhere near that amount.</p>
<p>I guess legacy isn't my hook then, lol.</p>
<p>My understanding is that all the parents of legacies who are applying get this letter. The point of the letter is to give a reality check that admission rates are very low, it isn't like when you (the parent) applied, but we'll give your child a fair shake. If your parent hasn't received a letter, it may just because it hasn't gone out yet. The letter does NOT imply any legacy advantage. Again, my understanding is that it is supposed to do just the opposite--tell the parents to keep their hopes in check.</p>
<p>Also, URM and legacy don't cancel each other out.</p>
<p>And, as I've said time and time again, but always feel the need to reiterate, legacy is NOT a hook unless you are a VERY sizable donor (not talking a piddling million or two). If you are a major donor, your hook is "developmental candidate" not legacy.</p>
<p>In our experience, the notification was online...the letter came later (with a paper Yale flag and other good stuff!).</p>
<p>Can confirm what AA said. It's a standard letter acknowledging a parent's relationship to Yale and making no promises whatsoever. It even says there's no appealing an admissions decision.</p>