What is a legacy?

Hi, I was just wondering how far down one’s blood line would qualify a person as a legacy at a university.

Neither of my parents went to a top tier college, but my paternal grandfather did. He graduated with a BA at University of Chicago and received his masters at Yale, so I was wondering if that would help bump my admission by any chance.

Also, is there an expiration date for a legacy title? My grandfather graduated from UChicago in 1942, went to WW2, then graduated at Yale in 1950. Is that too long ago? The last family member to go to UChicago and work there was in the 80s. I know my great aunt and uncle donated, too.

That will most likely not count as legacy at either schools since most define legacy as one of your parents attending the undergraduate school.

Colleges have different policies about what defines legacy so check with each college.