<p>I will be competing for admission to Yale with another girl from my school who is a legacy (only one generation). We have almost equal stats, though her SATs are slightly higher.</p>
<p>Since Yale accepts about 30% of legacies, and only 9% of everybody else, does this mean she's a sure thing to be admitted over me?</p>
<p>I doubt you have the same activities, awards, recommendations, and essays...</p>
<p>Since you've indicated 1900 SAT's on previous posts and her SATs are "slightly higher" - odds are about 99% both are rejected</p>
<p>However, its difficult to determine, as you need to explain whether you will be applying under URM status -as you've previously indicated Kenya as your country of origin and you've also indicated a high class rank</p>
<p>And legacies aren't guaranteed admission.</p>
<p>^^ as the 30% obviously would indicate--seems like the question was answered with its asking</p>
<p>Legacy increases your chances, but doesn't guarantee them. Basically it gives Yale a person to judge you against (your parents, uncles, etc.) and gives them the impression you're well-informed about their institution.</p>
<p>There is no guaranteed admit for Yale legacies who are ordinary Yale legacies. It would be different if the legacy was also a development case, ie big financial supporters of Yale over generations ect. That applicant might be in a different cateogry. I once read that only about 3-5% of all applicants may fall into this category. For the ordinary Yale legacy (ie parent, sibling or grandparent went to Yale and were just ordinary gift givers or gave none at all) the odds are I believe around 40%. While that is higher than for the regular population, legacy applicants tend to be strong academically. Of course not all of them are, but many are. That still leaves 60% of legacies who do not get in. It is true that most legacies apply in the early pool to try to take advantage of the legacy hook. Legacies who do not apply early tend to lose that hook in the regular round as the schools figure they are willing to give that applicant the edge, but only if they indicate it is their first choice.
A lot of legacies who apply early dont get in, and many who apply early might be deferred. The reality is that at Yale, about 10% of the entering class are legacies. If an entering class at Yale had around 1800 students, 180 could be legacies. However not all 180 would have been accepted early. Some will be deferred and may get in later. Assuming that 100 got in early and 80 were deferred and got in, that means that of the 700 that were admitted SCEA, perhaps 100 of them were legacies.</p>
<p>Guys, remember SAT scores are NOT everything. They really do look at everything, trust me.</p>
<p>I believe you. :)</p>
<p>My son applied last year as a Yale legacy. He was very admittable. Cum Laude at excellent private school; boards of 700M, 790v, 800 writing; a two sport athlete starting on state ranked teams; VERY exceptional artistic ability, great faculty recommendations. AND I had exceptional Yale alum credentials - service at a high level in local Yale club, alumni interviewer, and more. Result: my son was flalty turned down. My conclusion = the legacy thing does not count for much unless you are a MAJOR giver, a Bush, or have some other inside connection.</p>
<p>Hmm... Eli, do you think the fact that you are not a major giver could have actually counted AGAINST you in the admissions process? Or do you suppose that your son just wasn't given the same advantage that a Bush or Kerry would receive?</p>
<p>eli, that is difficult to understand. Were you able to get some type of feedback from admission officers as to why he was not initially deferred?</p>
<p>Eli - If your son did not apply SCEA he probably lost the legacy hook. From what I have read and heard if one is hoping to use the legacy connection he or she needs to show the school that it is his or her first clear choice. Even if the program is not binding like SCEA at Harvard, Yale, Stanford.</p>