Anyone know if this is at all considered for admissions? My son is about to apply, both his older siblings are there currently and my mother graduated from UMD undergrad and grad. Thanks
The Outlook for Legacy Admissions
Applicants should also know that legacy preferences are no longer considered at some colleges. While many colleges still use legacy admissions, that’s slowly changing.
High-profile colleges such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Johns Hopkins University in Maryland are among colleges that have dumped legacy admissions.
Public and private colleges may consider legacy preferences, but public schools are less likely to do so. According to a survey of admissions directors by Inside Higher Ed and Gallup, 51% of respondents at private schools believe legacy status should be considered vs. 21% at public colleges.
I didn’t think they did legacy per se at Maryland but was hoping that since he has two siblings there currently it would show our family is pretty committed to the school,we know what we’re getting into, son has spent time there, etc. I think I’m hoping for any way to have his application stand out even a tiny bit coming from Montgomery County.
Have you looked on the application to see if they asked about family members?
I don’t know the current rule, but I graduated from UM@baltimore (grad school) years ago. Just after I graduated, the school had a year when their yield was more than 100 students more than normal (right at that time, private school tuition went sky high and suddenly UM@B (and all public schools) were a bargain. I received a “Dear Alum” letter saying that they were very happy that all the alums loved the school so much that we wanted our children to go to UM@B but it was a public school and legacies would not receive a preference.
Now do I think the governor’s child or a politician’s or sport star’s child who was a legacy gets a boost in admissions? I do, but regular alums? Sorry.
OP, I’d definitely slip it in there somewhere - in the Why Us? essay probably.
UMD does not appear to take legacy into account although they take a family’s educational background - so perhaps that is it.
Either way, it’s low on the list of 26 items they rate so likely won’t have an impact either way.
Admission Review Factors and Process | UMD Undergraduate Admissions