Relatives and college admissions

<p>Does having a relative that went to/goes to a specific college increase your chances of getting in?</p>

<p>I had a friend who got into "X" college with less than desirable sat scores, exam grades and extracurriculars and all i could figure was that his brother who went there helped him get in.</p>

<p>Does anyone have any insight on this?</p>

<p>Generally it is only parents that count for legacy.</p>

<p>It depends on the school as to what is considered a legacy. Some schools do consider a sibling to constitute a legacy. Check with the individual schools.</p>

<p>You can not make an assumption that a student got in simply because they were a legacy. At some schools that may simply get your application a second read, or get you off the wait list. It depends on the school. If the school you are referring to, ‘X’ uses a holistic admissions process, the students essays and LORs could have been outstanding. Perhaps they were applying to a program in the university that is generally less competitive. You simply do not know what goes on in the world of admissions and what the reader saw when they reviewed the students package. You’ll drive yourself nuts trying to understand why some students are accepted and others are not. The process is subjective, plain and simple.</p>