Harvard Legacy

[evandavidson]

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Hi everyone:

I know schools like WashU and Penn automatically grant interviews to "legacy" applicants (applicant's whose parents/close relative attended, taught, trained, or worked at the school). Does anyone know if that is the case for Harvard?

 

[Ian1223]

I dont think Harvard applicants waste time on SDN... sorry maybe Im wrong

😳

 

[DulyNoted]

Harvard applicants waste [plenty of] time on SDN 😳

That said, I'm sure Harvard gives preference to legacy applicants but have no earthly idea if they automatically grant interviews to them.

 

[Maxprime]

I've never heard of it - of course I've never heard of WashU or UPenn doing it. I was under the impression that nepotism is frowned upon in this process.

 

[Jolie South]

From the stories I've read on here, it seems that being a legacy might get you an interview, but it won't clinch an acceptance.

 

[enigma85]

From the stories I've read on here, it seems that being a legacy might get you an interview, but it won't clinch an acceptance.

Ditto.

A lot of schools do seem to take it into account...a question about relationship to the school was on the secondary apps for Columbia, Penn, WashU and several other schools as well.

 

[thesauce]

They definately take it into account, but it will guarantee you an acceptance only if your parent/relative gave a ton of money to the school.

I thought this was only rumor until I found a mission statement in a PDF link on the Duke Med website where they specifically mention that they accept a certain # of legacy applicants every year but try to limit it to X%.

A funny story I have is that one time I was working at an alumni phonathon fundraiser for my med school and I called this woman who said "we don't give money to your school anymore!" I asked them why (because we're supposed to write the reason on the form that we were given) and they said it was because their daughter applied to my school and didn't even get an interview even though both of her parents graduated from the school and they had always been big supporters. I looked up their donation history and in the 20 years since they graduated from my school, they have given a whopping $100

So I suppose it isn't going to the school that matters, it isn't giving money that matters, it's all about giving LOTS OF MONEY.

 

[xrevision]

I think if all other things are equal (which they never are), it would be obvious that they would pick the legacy over the non-legacy. After that it just gets a bit more complicated. Yale (undergrad) has been accused of giving preference to legacy applicants, as they have a 30% acceptance rate vs the 9% or so of the regular pool. But when you look at numbers it is true that a lot of legacy students do have the numbers to back up their heritage. I happen to be in the unique situation of having a step-father who graduated from Yale med, and a grandfather who graduated from Columbia med. I wont be putting down either of these family connections because I feel ties to them.

 

[paranoid_eyes]

I wont be putting down either of these family connections because I feel ties to them.

are you serious? this is just about the stupidest thing you can do...

 

[xrevision]

I DON'T feel ties to them, sorry about that. Grandpa is a highly successful dermatopathologist but I never got to really know him growing up. And my step-father was president of The Society of Gastrointestinal Radiologists, but really I only met him 2 years ago. He has neat stories too, like how his team at Wake Forest created the first 3D endoscopy or something.

 

[hamidace]

I dont think Harvard applicants waste time on SDN... sorry maybe Im wrong

😳

I applied to Harvard and got an interview and I love to hang around in SDN😛 I don't have any family ties to Harvard since I moved to U.S less than 5 years ago. However, I hope they accept me, because I really worked hard during these years. I wish you all good luck.

 

[Quadratic]

are you serious? this is just about the stupidest thing you can do...

SSSSHHH! You're not supposed to tell him that he can't make it without morals

 

[kastle6797]

I'm a legacy (father was alumni of their medical school) to a certain lower/middle tier medical school, and that school hasn't so much as given my application a flirty glance (i.e. no interview). I don't really think nepotism plays a big role in the app. process, and honestly, I don't think it should.

 

[littlealex]

Huh. My dad went to OSU dental, and I was pretty much on the express train to an acceptance there.

 

[Twiigg]

Do uncles (who attended U of Washington) count? 🙄

 

[xrevision]

Legacy admissions depends on the school. Yale undergrad doesn't count uncles or aunts as legacy. Only parents and grandparents :X

 

[paranoid_eyes]

I DON'T feel ties to them, sorry about that. Grandpa is a highly successful dermatopathologist but I never got to really know him growing up. And my step-father was president of The Society of Gastrointestinal Radiologists, but really I only met him 2 years ago. He has neat stories too, like how his team at Wake Forest created the first 3D endoscopy or something.

well, if you don't use them for legacy purposes, i hope that you at least use them to beef up your EC's (shadowing, LoR's, research...)

 

[xrevision]

I guess I might have to do that. Shadowing my grandpa would be kind of weird though. He only works at the office for a couple of hours a day. Then he goes home and people email him pictures.