<p>I'm a junior in High School in South Florida, and I plan to go to UCF in two years. My Aunt happens to be a professor at the school. Do you think if she gives me a letter of recommendation or tips the school of my name, it would help my chances of being accepted? Do you think there is anything she can do as a staff of the University to pull some strings and get me enrolled?</p>
<p>I think this has a good chance of backfiring. Get your letters of recommendation from teachers or people you have worked for. A relative is not a reliable source of reference, and admissions would likely discount it as from a biased source. You can certainly tell your aunt you are applying, but I think it puts your aunt and admissions in a difficult spot for you to ask her to intervene for you. Earn the spot on your own merits.</p>
<p>It’s not particularly difficult to get into UCF, is it? What is your GPA? Test scores?</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>In some cases they do not discount, and a relative is considered reliable.</p>
<p>We know a couple homeschool kids who got into Ivys and the top-3 LACs and their only courses were taught by their parents, with no outside courses at any school or community college. And their only references were from their parents, who were their only teachers, ever. The point is that it depends. </p>
<p>OP, you will have to state in the Common App that you have a relative working there. Just answer that question honestly, give your Aunt’s name in the Common App and say nothing else about your Aunt. Then, like the one poster above says, try to get in on your own merits. </p>
<p>^ That is a special case. Homeschooled recs generally do come from parents who are their teachers. That doesn’t apply in the OP’s case at all. </p>
<p>OP, you live in Southern FL and your aunt works (and I presume lives) away from you. If she’s not been your instructor or mentor, she has nothing of value to add to any academic evaluation of you. Plus UCF does not require ANY rec letters. That’s not to say that any inquiry she makes on your behalf might not give you some insight. Since she’s not your guardian, you don’t get any Fac-Brat advantage.</p>
<p>Are your GPA & scores in range for typical UCF admits? Google UCF’s “common data set” and compare.</p>
<p>While I agree that a formal rec from your aunt would not be appropriate- it just won’t carry any weight as a relative- I do think it would be fine for her to let the admissions office know that her nephew is applying, perhaps ask if your app has arrived and inquire as to whether there was anything she could add to the process. I think this is done everywhere!</p>
<p>Why don’t you ask your aunt what she can do (if anything) to support you. That’s your best source of information.</p>
<p>Let me guess, your aunt will give you a great letter of recommendation! I highly doubt any admissions officer would do more than chuckle when they saw that.</p>
<p>It is not particularly difficult to get into UCF. Do you have the GPA and the ACT/SAT scores to gain admittance without trying to “pull strings”?</p>