<p>I have come to understand what the "keagacy" policy in the college admissions process entails. However, does having a sister at Harvard affect one's application in any shape, way, or form?</p>
<p>They say it doesn't help at Harvard - parent legacy only. But I did notice when D applied several years ago that the Harvard app specifically asked whether siblings had attended.</p>
<p>The official stance is that you are only an official legacy if one or both of your parents attended Harvard. What this means, is that they only report you as a legacy admit if it was your parents, in the same way that coxains aren't official recruits for crew (even though they are), and National Merit Scholarship recipients are counted as financial aid students (even when they're really not).</p>
<p>Effectively, however, (and since the last thread on this I have discussed this with ad-officers) everything helps a little bit. Siblings actually help shape the decision as much or more than parents, in that the admissions officer can go and look up the siblings record, check what they've done around campus, etc (so make sure your sister isn't messing up too bad).</p>
<p>h-bomber, I hope you're right. D1 is at H now and D2 is applying. Bad enough to have to follow a sibling to their choice of college, tougher yet when that college is H, tougher yet in the year that more 12th graders graduate than ever before, and then H goes and makes it a financial draw to all families under 180K. How's that for a Mission Impossible?</p>
<p>I didn't think it was possible, but you just made this round sound exponentially more difficult to get accepted in than when my brother got in last year. That's going to be a very tough one for D2 whatever Harvard's decision. Best of luck!</p>
<p>From what I saw when I chaired a regional alum interviewing committee, I think the admissions committee may take a second look at applicants with siblings at Harvard, but that by no means assures admission even if the applying sib is excellent. No matter how you look at it, it's extremely hard -- increasingly hard at that -- to get into H.</p>
<p>My younger brother accomplished "Mission Impossible"... and then turned Harvard down!</p>
<p>Wonder if that takes away the "feather on the scale" for my younger sister.</p>
<p>And -- there are clearly a billion possible explanations for this other than legacy preference -- I do know a <strong>lot</strong> of siblings attending Harvard.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, every H sibling I've seen apply has been turned down even though the sib had the stats that qualified them for admission. The "feature on the scale" doesn't count for much.</p>
<p>"My younger brother accomplished "Mission Impossible"... and then turned Harvard down!</p>
<p>Wonder if that takes away the "feather on the scale" for my younger sister."</p>
<p>As long as a sibling did accept H's invitation, there still would be a feather on the scale.</p>
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<blockquote> <p>D1 is at H now and D2 is applying. Bad enough to have to follow a sibling to their choice of college, tougher yet when that college is H, tougher yet in the year that more 12th graders graduate than ever before, and then H goes and makes it a financial draw to all families under 180K. How's that for a Mission Impossible?<<</p> </blockquote>
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<p>My D2 will be in exactly that position when and if she applies next year.</p>
<p>. . . and D2 tagged along when D1 made her prospective student visit to Harvard. D1 was a little ambivalent, but decided to attend once she was admitted. D2 was the one who fell in love with the place on the visit . . . sigh.</p>
<p>so if your sibling did badly academically in harvard and did not join many activities, would that hurt the prospective younger sibling?</p>
<p>I knew someone in high school who had four older brothers that were studying at Harvard or have graduated from Harvard. Both parent's did not attend. I wouldn't say he was particularly strong academically but he got in. Nobody was surprised. I think he was expecting to be admitted.</p>
<p>D2's in . . . (exhale)</p>
<p>Congrats! I'm sure she feels relieved too.</p>
<p>again, so if your sibling did badly academically in harvard and did not join many activities, would that hurt a prospective younger sibling?</p>
<p>I really don't know, I've never heard it talked about except in a positive case. Maybe it can help but not hurt? Sorry I can't be of more help</p>