So our DD has applied to an eight schools association school, where one of her parents went. Even without the legacy hook, she would be very competitive (i.e., SSATs, ECs, interview went well, FP, etc.)
Then we received a letter today addressed to legacy parents. It seemed like a form letter. The overall point of the letter seemed to be that there are a lot of legacy applicants (the letter said they had over 200 legacy applicants last year), and that although they accept competitive legacy kids at a “slightly” higher rate, they can’t take all the legacy kids who apply, even though they are sure they are all great. Reading between the lines, it sounds like the school doesn’t want alums to be too mad if their kid can’t get in.
But of course, being in March 10 freak out mode, I thought, “wait, does this mean my kid is already out of the running, and they are just trying to soften the blow?” On further reflection, I thought, “Nah, they are just trying to cover themselves with alums.”
I welcome any thoughts on any of this. Any one else get a similar letter?
They are managing your expectations. Whether it applies to your family directly or is part of a big mail out, I guess time will tell. Frankly, I wouldn’t take it as a positive.
They pretty much have no choice but to send it to all the legacy applicant families… if they didn’t, and families compare notes, it could create quite a frenzy. Hopefully the legacy families, including yours, cast a wider net than for just one school. I hope you get good news on M10.
Thank you. DD has applied to six schools, and to a spread of schools. She would be really lucky to get into any of them. And we have a good day option at home if nothing works out. So in a lot of ways, this is all gravy for us. But this is our first time through this process, and once you get into it, it can kind of mess with your mind. Which is why I read this letter, and was kind of stumped.
Agreed. I believe it is a form letter. However, as they said, which is typical for many schools (and colleges), legacy is not a guarantee, and nobody should assume that it is. Best of luck.
We are not a legacy family, but I have heard that some schools will call the alum prior to M10 as a courtesy if the legacy applicant is NOT going being accepted. Someone we know that was applying last cycle is a legacy and the parents were feeling confidant on the evening of M9 given that they had not received such a call. Come M10, their kid was admitted.
Well, that’s interesting @applenotsofar. The letter we got specifically said that due to the volume of legacy applicants, there is no way the admissions office would be able to personally discuss every legacy applicant with his/her parents. So maybe one of the things they are trying to say with the letter is, “hey, if you haven’t heard from us, you might still get rejected.” Again, as others have said, they are managing expectations.
Different schools have different policies re: legacy notification. Some schools have a policy of doing what @AppleNotFar mentions. Do you have any fellow alum friends who could address this particular school’s policy?
I think that it is wise for schools to handle this situation with alumni personally and delicately. I know of a situation where mismanagement contributed to the loss of a major gift. A discreet heads-up would have made a big difference.
DS is applying to a school as a fairly “distant” legacy. The legacy school was very gracious, but also quick to point out that they can’t really accommodate all of their legacy applicants. Meaning, they can’t give admissions preference to all of them. We didn’t expect any extra consideration, but I appreciated the fact that they were clear about it.
It was definitely reported here last year that a courtesy call was made on or around M9 to legacy parents if the child was going to be wait listed or denied. My guess is the former is used more in practice as a soft reject.
Certainly all legacies are not equal. Institutional continuity is extremely important to any super-traditional institutions like American boarding schools, but in the 21st century, the most competitive schools can choose which lines of legacy continuity are worth preserving. Beyond the top tier schools, the legacy hook becomes much sharper. And barbed.
@Hulahoop45 Pretty sure I received the exact letter to which you are referring. I just assumed that it was sent to all legacy families in the hopes of managing expectations though my husband read it more as a potential early rejection. I am curious as to whether I will receive a similar letter from the school that both my husband and I attended and to which my DD is applying…
If you received the letter on the 16th- chances are it was sent to all the legacy families. Today is the 19th, and a lot of schools haven’t made their final decisions yet.
You can understand the letter because if an alum has been active since graduation ( which many have been ) , and their kid meets/exceeds the criteria, turns in a nice app, and doesn’t get in… that’s a very difficult ( post M10 ) conversation for the AO and the family.
I hope you get the result you want and wouldn’t read anything into this since it strikes me as a form letter. My college has hand holding sessions for parents of prospective applicants that I have heard feature the message in this letter. However, if the school really was really feeling it based on the existing relationship or the you+your child combo I bet you would know that by now, or even before the application went in.
Just to follow up on this thread, DD was an admit at the school that sent this letter, so it wasn’t a case of the school trying to single us out for bad news. Whew. Thank you everyone for your responses.