Someone please tell me that being disadvantaged beats a legacy

[Knickerbocker]

(with all other things being equal or as close as possible)

I just saw a bit of a flame war in the MCAT board... One person there made a claim that he'd have no trouble getting into a certain medical school because he'd be the second generation of MDs in his family.

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[QuantumMechanic]

such speculation is mental masturbation

 

[NonTradMed]

Some schools do look at whether you had family who attended their med school but it's not a sure bet by itself. You also need to have numbers near the school's average. Subpar stats can't be overcome by anything short of a million dollar donation to the school methinks....

 

[TMP-SMX]

Money talks...

 

[geno2568]

Money talks...

"cmon cmon, love me for the money
cmon cmon, listen to the money talk"

 

[Law2Doc]

(with all other things being equal or as close as possible)

I just saw a bit of a flame war in the MCAT board... One person there made a claim that he'd have no trouble getting into a certain medical school because he'd be the second generation of MDs in his family.

There are relatively few legacies, and most still need competitive stats to get in. Schools love multi-generational alumni because statistically they give the most donation money. And most still do have decent stats because when you have money, you get to go to the best private schools from nursery school on, the best SAT/MCAT coaching classes, private tutors, and so on. And they often have the best access to docs for shadowing, best connections for summer jobs, best access to overseas ECs etc.
But no, if you don't have at least borderline competitive stats, you are SOL even if you are second generation.

 

[Doctor~Detroit]

a disadvantage beats a legacy for vegas rules, but unfortunately most adcoms play according to hoyle's. you will need three disadvantages of a kind to beat a pair of legacies, but if you can pull a "full ride" (three disadvantages and two legacies) then you can write your ticket practically anywhere.

 

[swim2md]

most schools hold a certain number of spots for both. for example, i know that school X has 8 spots for legacies and 3 for URM each year. i was told this by the dean of admissions.

 

[MinnyGophers]

most schools hold a certain number of spots for both. for example, i know that school X has 8 spots for legacies and 3 for URM each year. i was told this by the dean of admissions.

8 spots for legacies/year? That doesn't really make sense in a logical standpoint, since you would expect that 8 of their alumnis had kids pretty much during the same period of time, who are all applying there. And that's for each year. I doubt that there are more spots for legacies than there are for URMs....

 

[swim2md]

8 spots for legacies/year? That doesn't really make sense in a logical standpoint, since you would expect that 8 of their alumnis had kids pretty much during the same period of time, who are all applying there. And that's for each year. I doubt that there are more spots for legacies than there are for URMs....

at least at one school, these numbers are a fact. i'm not sure if all 8 are used every year, but i also wouldn't be surprised if they were. we're talking about a huge university-- think about how many doctors work at the main hospital along with multiple regional hospitals included in their system. perhaps i used legacy wrong though-- i should have said 8 spots are reserved for alumni OR faculty kids.

 

[LizzyM]

I find the statement about legacies & URM to be surprising and somewhat absurd. This would be an example of "quotas". Unless the school is so fabulous that no one ever turns down an offer of admission (Godfather School of Medicine "we'll make you an admission offer you can't refuse"), the school needs to make multiple offers in order to fill the class. I don't see how a school can cap URM offers to 3 and legacies to 8 (particularly if there are more than that number who are highly desirable applicants who would be a good fit).

Legacies don't seem to influence adcoms very much although I did hear a buzz about an applicant who would have been something like 5th generation (I can't remember if the applicant matriculated -- maybe he got a better offer elsehwere )

From my experience disadvantaged applicants and legacy might get you a little bump (equivalent to an extra point on the MCAT and/or an extra 0.1 on the gpa) when deciding to grant an interview but it doesn't play much of a role at "offer time" except at the edge where there is just one offer left and two applicants who are by rank, in a virtual dead heat.

 

[Knickerbocker]

a disadvantage beats a legacy for vegas rules, but unfortunately most adcoms play according to hoyle's. you will need three disadvantages of a kind to beat a pair of legacies, but if you can pull a "full ride" (three disadvantages and two legacies) then you can write your ticket practically anywhere.

Your poker metaphor is awesome.

 

[NY Musicologist]

Second generation = no big deal whatsoever. Third or fourth...maybe.

 

[Dr.TobiasFünke]

There is no possible way to quantify what aspects are more or less beneficial in this forum.

 

[sfnix]

a disadvantage beats a legacy for vegas rules, but unfortunately most adcoms play according to hoyle's. you will need three disadvantages of a kind to beat a pair of legacies, but if you can pull a "full ride" (three disadvantages and two legacies) then you can write your ticket practically anywhere.

i like the metaphor too, especially the reference to having a boat.

 

[swim2md]

I find the statement about legacies & URM to be surprising and somewhat absurd. This would be an example of "quotas". Unless the school is so fabulous that no one ever turns down an offer of admission (Godfather School of Medicine "we'll make you an admission offer you can't refuse"), the school needs to make multiple offers in order to fill the class. I don't see how a school can cap URM offers to 3 and legacies to 8 (particularly if there are more than that number who are highly desirable applicants who would be a good fit).

Legacies don't seem to influence adcoms very much although I did hear a buzz about an applicant who would have been something like 5th generation (I can't remember if the applicant matriculated -- maybe he got a better offer elsehwere )

From my experience disadvantaged applicants and legacy might get you a little bump (equivalent to an extra point on the MCAT and/or an extra 0.1 on the gpa) when deciding to grant an interview but it doesn't play much of a role at "offer time" except at the edge where there is just one offer left and two applicants who are by rank, in a virtual dead heat.

i'm not sure why so many people are quick to dismiss the power of legacy. perhaps it just that we don't want to believe that anyone other than a qualified candidate will be accepted. but i've seen it too many times among my friends to not understand it. examples:

1. fairly qualified asian female whose parent funded an entire wing of the school-- automatic acceptance, no interview.
2. 2 underqualified white males (~2.7BCPM/26MCAT) accepted at a mid-tier (3.6BCPM/31MCAT) school where their parents were attending physicians.
3. white female (~3.3BCPM/29MCAT) accepted to top tier school after parent donated $250,000.

unfortunately money (whether in lump-sum donations or potential contributions over many years) is a huge factor for these schools, and it's often a difference of much more than 1 MCAT point or 0.1 gpa points.

 

[playmaker_90]

hmmm money speaks that loud