<p>I'm a high school junior from California, planning to apply to Yale in the fall. My father is a Yale alum - but not exactly a big-time donor to the school (i.e., $100 per year for only a few years). Could this potentially hurt my chances of being accepted there? I know legacies are supposedly a big bonus in the admissions game, but am wondering if the term "legacy" refers only to those elite families who have their names on buildings. Thanks for any insight anyone can provide.</p>
<p>Yale rejects the majority of legacies, and legacies are highly qualified as a group. Many if not most legacies of top schools have grown up in environments where they got great educations and lived affluent lives. And yes, legacies are not equal. Those who offer big $$$ have a clear advantage.</p>
<p>Being a legacy is a boost but not a big one at a school like Yale. You'll get the nod over someone if all things are equal. So if you have the stats, it's a plus. If you're below the mainstream accepted candidate in any way, it won't help.</p>
<p>Thanks, Suze. I know what you mean about it being only a small boost, and I know a Vanderbilt (or, for that matter, a Heinz-Kerry) would obviously have far better chances than someone like me (white and middle class).</p>
<p>Also, what can you tell me about geographic diversity in the admissions process? My college counselor and family seem to think that a girl coming from a podunk town in California will be more desirable when held up against someone with equal stats from, say, New York City. Is this true? It seems to me that Yale, Princeton, etc. have enough applicants from California that this wouldn't make a difference (unlike someplace like Middlebury, which is traditionally more regional and would like to attract more geographically diverse students).</p>