If you think senior year is a long and winding process, wait until you start applying for colleges and programs. If then, are there any factors that can expedite this extensive process?
You probably have heard about sibling legacy when it comes to college admissions. As someone new to this culture, you are undoubtedly dying to know: what is sibling legacy? Does Having a sibling in college help with your admission?
It means gaining a boost in the admission process if your sibling attended the same college. Although familial affiliation can be advantageous, it is never the general case in all admission aspects. Nonetheless, the admissions department evaluates the checks and balances before putting forward this privilege.
In what instances can an aspirant claim sibling legacy credit? Read on to learn more about this connection so you would know how you can mechanize this considerable opportunity for your gains.
College Legacy Admission: What Is It?
College Legacy Admission: What Is It?College legacy admissions are closely intertwined with family and college connections that offer special consideration (legal and informal) to an applicant with blood relations to an alumnus.
Legacy gives you a leg up and ditches the time-consuming procedure as long as it is validated well by a recognized university committee and varies among universities, depending on their policies.
Note that this term is a general definition of family connections because there are sub-concepts you need to understand to grasp this idea profoundly—primary and secondary benefits.
Parent legacy is the most potent college legacy admission, especially if both of your parents graduated from the college you aspire to study. You are likely accepted, given that both parents have contributed monetary donations or have flawless academic reputations.
Meanwhile, sibling and grandparent credits are a secondary bracket of college legacy admissions. The power of this prerogative is binding to a certain extent and sometimes not equally effective with the abovementioned category.
Based on the data from elite institutions provided by College Transitions, primary legacy is 45% more likely to be accepted into a college than secondary legacy amassing only a 13% of chance.
The university will ask about your connection with the legacy member you listed during the initial application then the admissions department will forward the matter to the Alumni Relations Office for further validation afterward.
In addition, universities have distinct policies regarding legacy admission that attract alumni kids.
As per Bloomberg, Notre Dame University led the admission rate of legacy students to 22% in 2021, while Harvard University was reported to have accepted more than 5% of legacy students than regular.
Does Sibling Legacy Exist in College?
Sibling legacy entitlement thrives in a competitive environment like college admission. Usually, wealthy people have the edge in this circumstance because they have connections within the institution. In point of fact, universities offer this benefit to boost trust and admission ratings.
Elite students are given much consideration in securing a slot in renowned universities due to their business and familial relations. However, all students can as well avail this trend as long as the committee approves the application for legacy credit following university policies.
For example, Harvard University recorded a 57% acceptance rate in 2017 of students with primary legacy. The data proved the reality that senior students experience, be it for the advantage or downhill side.
If you use this card as your admission strategy, ensure that your connection is immediate to increase slot confirmation chances. In the case of secondary sources, it will consider such an extensive procedure to certify that the family member had outstanding performance.
The most important thing to bear in mind is that you should at least make sure that your GPA is credible enough for this privilege. Your connections are just some of the factors because colleges value academic excellence at the end of the day.
Which Colleges Have Legacy Admissions?
Legacy status is rampant in private and Ivy League institutions due to business influence and university admission lineage. Private higher education is 42% open to legacy admissions compared to the 6% public academe statistics, as per Inside Higher Ed data.
Even globally recognized institution like Harvard University is infamous for this practice. There is a whopping percentage of primary and secondary legacy students who got accepted by this institution in the previous years. Powerful global and national families send their children to premiere institutions like Harvard with the confidence of legacy acceptance due to their influence and monetary contribution to these colleges.
Over the years, academic activists have argued that this method is a blatant way of selling placements and promotes elitism, discrimination, and inequality. People are fighting against this method as it limits the chances of the underprivileged getting a decent admission to great universities.
Some additions to colleges with a legacy system are the University of Virginia, Georgetown, University of Pennsylvania, Dartmouth, and the University of Southern California.
On a brighter note, some universities like Johns Hopkins, MIT, Caltech, and Pomona used to have a legacy preference in admission, thanks to massive backlash from people who abolished this culture.
Legacy admission is not relatively new, as colleges and universities practiced it decades ago to boost public relations and admission insurance. In the status quo, the blanket term encompasses different notions that all fall to admission boost.
The Odds of Getting into College Through a Sibling Legacy Admission
Legacy admission is a blanket term that comprises two categories (primary and secondary) with corresponding influence. Parent legacy, on the one hand, is the highest form of power that you can inherit in the context of college admissions.
Sibling legacy credit is not as powerful as parent legacy, for it is only valued as a secondary legacy. In other words, you may be given due consideration given that your application profile is equally or far better.
The data revealed by College Transitions, primary legacy or parent benefit is 45% more likely to get admitted into a college than secondary legacy with only a 13% chance.
At Harvard University, the primary source is the highest acceptance rate, with 57% in 2017 alone.
Therefore, the odds of getting accepted for having sibling credit are not as valued as primary sources. The process of this system varies, but the admissions office will usually pull up a record of your sibling to check their standing and donations to the college.
Afterward, the office will verify your supporting documents to check their authenticity and legality.
What Matters Most in College Admission?
If you think having sibling privilege is already enough to land a good university, think again. Not to rain on your parade, but sibling legacy and credit are not the saving grace in any admission process.
Prepare these following courses to secure a good position in any college you wish to spend your college life.
High School Performance
Nothing beats the power of academic success. Despite having no family connections with the college, you can still find your way in if you possess a respectable GPA in high school. Spend more time on this aspect as admissions committees are incredibly particular with grades, especially if you are an honor student with consistently good performance every semester.
College Prep Course and Test Results
College prep courses are indicators of academic excellence and course preparedness. Admissions officers typically request test preparation results like SAT, ACT, and AP to evaluate your potential to excel in college. Most admissions will also base their degree program suggestion on your prep results, among other guidelines. Nonetheless, most colleges nowadays are test-optional due to the constraints brought about by the pandemic.
Extracurricular Commitment
It is among the strategic method of creating a sharp image. Admissions boards holistically scan your affiliations and academic performance to check whether you can survive in a fierce institution. Extracurricular involvements also prove your leadership skills—necessary for colleges to breed youth leaders with substance and for the greater good of the academic society.
Recommendation Letter
You only get this document once you have proven yourself intelligent and an expert in your field of interest. You will likely sail your way in if you gain the trust of a highly respected professional who will support your application.
Intent Letter
Good writing can attract potential opportunities. Therefore, you must be striking and flawless when writing an intentional essay. Although it is not that valued, you can sell yourself through it.
Wrapping Things Up: Does Having a Sibling in College Help with Your Admission?
College is just around the corner once you reach senior year. Remember that high school graduation is just an initial step in applying to college. Believe me; you want the privilege to boost the procedure.
Is there such a thing as legacy admission? What is sibling legacy, and does having a sibling in college help with your admission?
Yes, but not really. Start building your profile as early as now to ensure you have a spot in your sibling’s alma mater. If you have a great profile backed with academic success, then sibling legacy will help you through.
Want to read more college admission guides? We’ve got a range of articles that may interest you including our ultimate guide here.
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