<p>So my dad says he knows all the right people and can get me into University of Michigan Ann Arbor even though I have a 3.33. Should I feel guilty or ashamed getting in this way. Also its not like I slack off or anything. Its just in high school I think I bit off more than I could chew (taking the toughest classes offered to me). I just got to overwhelmed. So in college I will be doing whatever work required to get a 3.8 GPA cause I want to get into med school. So can I get your opinons. Also I apologize if some people get upset over this.</p>
<p>Don’t worry about it.</p>
<p>People use connections ALL the time–everyone at my school who’s matriculating to Harvard next year could not have gotten in on their own merit (one kid who I felt alone deserved to get in was merely waitlisted, no connections at all), but rather they have some pretty distinguished connections (parent is member of the board, loyal alum donations, etc).</p>
<p>And it’s not like even if you know some people at Michigan that you’ll automatically get in–there was this kid where his parents personally knew the admissions dean but he still managed to get waitlisted (strange).</p>
<p>Just keep up your good work and continue on in your college application process. </p>
<p>There’s no need to apologize. I really don’t think Georgetown professors’ kids are going to apologize and feel guilty that their parents work for Georgetown and the fact that Georgetown is quite generous towards their employees’ kids.</p>
<p>Would you feel guilty about getting into Harvard as a legacy? I think not. For Princeton? Yale? Nope.</p>
<p>Don’t feel bad. Be glad you’ve got some people rooting for you in the admissions office–will increase your chances of acceptance by a lot!</p>
<p>you should feel really guilty.</p>
<p>jk, honestly…the world is a competitive place. I don’t think it’s fair that people with legacy get a much easier road to the schools, but I don’t fault anybody that gets that extra boost from it. </p>
<p>you’d be a fool to not use your advantages to win the game.</p>
<p>Legacy status is just one more thing that the admissions office puts into their calculations. Like all the other “hooks” people write about here at cc such as being an under-represented minority, or fluent in X number of languages, or whatever, it can make a difference for a student at the lower end of the GPA range for a given university/program, but is unlikely to make a difference for a student who really truly is out of the range that the university would consider - that is, if your GPA were only 2.5 without any “tough” classes. And, remember that this hypothetical student at the lower end of the GPA range, is still within the range that that university finds acceptable. There is no such thing as an “Admissions Mistake”. If they want you, they want you. </p>
<p>Now, what you do have to consider is if you really would want to go to this university even if you didn’t have legacy status. Where would it rank in your personal list? Don’t apply there if it is only because you think the legacy status will get you in. Apply there because you believe you can be successful and happy there.</p>
<p>Wishing you all the best.</p>
<p>nooooo, why feel guilty?</p>
<p>Em…If you want to, I mean why not? Go make yourself more miserable and waits until no connections in the world can save/help you…</p>
<p>As long as you feel comfortable with what the workload will be - go for it. It is a part of the system, and while in a perfect world we’d all be judged just on our own merits, everyone uses connections. When I job hunt, I don’t hesitate to call up my friends and ask if they know people at the companies I want to work for.</p>
<p>as great a school as Michigan is (it does have many well accomplished students), but it is also notorious for having many students get in with connections or “fluke” students get in, so it’s not like you are the ONLY one using connections, there are many students that get into Michigan with a lower GPA or ACT, it’s just how the system works, i mean one of my friends from elementary school his grandpa donates $$$$ to Michigan and knows all the top guns, his grandpa(supposedly CEO of whirlpool or an important position at whirlpool) got him in and he had a 21 and 2.7, while i got waitlisted with a 29 and 3.75~3.8 its just how the system works, no need to feel guilty</p>
<p>P.S. dont take any offence, im not mad at you, im just bitter at the fact that many people from my school with lower credentials got in</p>
<p>He may or may not actually be able to get you in, so keep that in mind. If he can let him though, if you think you can really pull it together now and get a 3.8 (which is a very hard task in the first place, let alone at a school you had to get connections to get in to.)</p>
<p>u shouldn’t feel guilty but others may get jealous…like someone at our school getting into Cornell with a 26..</p>
<p>You definitely should not be concerned about being a legacy. Athletes get a leg up, minorities get a leg up. Take whatever advantage is offered you in life. No one will ever know if you got in as a legacy or not, all they will know is that you went to Michigan. Use whatever tool is at your disposal to enable you to go go the school you want to go to.</p>
<p>Also, from what I have seen there is a correlation between the quality of the undergrad school and your chances of getting into a top grad school (admittedly, this is based on when I went to grad school “back in the old days”).</p>
<p>Welcome to America, just the way things work. How do you think all those rich kids get into Harvard, Yale, Princeton, ect. I’ll tell you its not on their merit. Mommy and Daddy gave Harvard a nice check so sweet little Johnny could go there.</p>
<p>Look, you sound really nice and apolegetic on this thread, but clearly you’ve made use of daddy’s starpower to your advantage already and you really, as it seems to me, have no qualms as to using your dad’s power. I don’t mean this as an offensive post but just from what you’ve said on other posts and other threads, I don’t necessarily get the feeling that you’re too sorry about using your father to get into your school and other positions.</p>
<p>It’s not fair, and I’m quite jealous, but what can you do? That’s life. Do what you can.</p>
<p>If it makes you feel any better, both of my parents went to Michigan and I’m fairly sure I can get in. If they hadn’t gone there, I’m not so sure I would be so confident. We’ll see what happens when it comes to decision time, but don’t feel guilty about getting in. If it’s your dream school like it is mine, go! And have fun.</p>
<p>people use connections all the time, so dont worry bout it.</p>
<p>It’s funny how the general atmosphere of this thread is positive/accepting while on all AA threads, people are ripping others to shreds.</p>
<p>Scared4college actually I see how you may get that idea but I have not even sent in my applications yet. I don’t send them out till fall. Just so you know.</p>
<p>It’s kind of like winning the lottery as opposed to working your way up the ladder and earning your wealth. </p>
<p>However, using connections to one’s advantage is an unfortunate part of the college game. You can’t expect others to pass up these opportunities, so you might as well exploit your status. </p>
<p>Of course, you might be denying a person who earned it a spot.</p>
<p>It’s not about getting in, it’s about staying in. If you have 3.3 in HS now, I think it would be a struggle to keep 3.3 in college, especially at a school like U of M. There is nothing wrong in using connections to give yourself a leg up, but if it’s beyond your capability it would be an embarrassment to your father and your father’s connections.</p>