Parental History

<p>Is there any advantage in the admissions process if one has parents who are both MIT alumni? I've read that MIT doesn't have any legacy programs, but I've also heard having parents who went there helps.</p>

<p>I don't know anyone whose parents have gone here (but I also don't know what everyone's parents have done). I don't think it would be overly preferable. </p>

<p>In any case, it certainly wouldn't cover poor grades or lack of doing something with your life =D But I doubt it'd hurt.</p>

<p>It may help in the sense that you'd probably be better prepared anyway. First-generation college students have no intellectual help from home, while people with PhD parents probably learn a lot just from being in the household.</p>

<p>No, MIT doesn't prefer the children of alumni in the admissions process.</p>

<p>Matt says in this</a> blog entry:

[quote]
Dan wrote, "Quick question: will legacies have a better chance at admissions than others? Will they be "favored" or does it totally not matter?"</p>

<p>Legacies are not favored, and do not have a better chance in admissions. If you are a legacy and are admitted, you are admitted for being awesome and not for being a legacy.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>I would be willing to bet that a larger number of MIT students have MIT-educated parents than the general population -- I knew maybe three or four total. But that doesn't indicate that MIT practices preferential admissions for legacies, just that, as you might expect, the children of MIT alums are likely to be well-prepared for and excited by the prospect of an MIT education.</p>

<p>Thanks alot</p>

<p>Ok, but keep in mind that the admissions officers take the "parents with PhDs advantage," because there are tons of first-generation college students at MIT (a much higher percentage than at most Ivies), because they recognize that it's an unfair advantage.</p>