<p>My cousin graduated from U of C a few years back and since the app asks for any relatives who have gone there, does it help me at all in admissions or is it only parents/grandparents?</p>
<p>Only if he’s a Nobel Prize winner or donated $100mil to the school. :)</p>
<p>Highly doubt it will give you any extra chance, but it’s something that they might consider if you are on the fence.</p>
<p>at the risk of being redundant, no.</p>
<p>I’m pretty sure that’s just for statistical purposes (likely not published either; possibly for internal use?).</p>
<p>This is hearsay, but the impression I get is that, unless you’ve won gold medals at the IMO/IPO etc… or placed highly in the Siemens/Intel competitions, your essays have the last say on whether you get in or not.</p>
<p>^^ Use your cousin as an informational goldmine-- juuuuuust make sure his or her info is up to date. For example, if he/she tells you to request the Shoreland as a dorm… the Shoreland is no longer ;-)</p>
<p>I would also, if I were you, read a few back issues of the University’s alumni magazine and hear what else your cousin has to say about the University, particularly if he or she has met recent grads.</p>
<p>Chicago by announced policy does not give any boost to legacies. Keep in mind that even those colleges that do generally only consider parents. At Harvard, it does not count unless you parents went to Harvard College. NO grad biz or med school!</p>
<p>Chicago does wave the app fee for legacies. That’s how my D got in a few years back - cheap date. :)</p>
<p>A good rule of thumb for any college is that if they say they “consider” legacy status, then it helps a lot. If they’re silent on it, then it does not matter.</p>
<p>Even if they are silent, it can only help, not hinder, to mention any relative that attended and has a positive experience…alumni is always a positive addition…it may not gain you immediate legacy acceptance, but it certainly can put you in the positive pile in the initial round of screenings.</p>
<p>I have it on good advice that even Siemens and Intel finalists have to write good essays…or they won’t survive the Core!</p>