candyman92486

Hey Scrowman,

I am surprised it took as long as it did for someone to ask the infamous "legacy admission question"! You win the prize for being the first...don't you feel special?

The power of being a legacy applicant can't be denied. Here at Lafayette, legacies get a MAJOR boost in the admissions process because of the support the college receives from its alumni network (alumni help with off-campus interviews, offer internship opportunities for students, donate big bucks, etc.)

The increase in a particular applicant's chances of admission depends on the extent to which their parent (a Lafayette alumnus) is still involved with the college. Obviously, if the alumnus donates like crazy and has buildings named after him/her, chances for admission are 99.9% for that legacy applicant.

If an applicant's parent is involved in a smaller way (helping to organize alumni affairs, for instance), the chances are given a decent boost. This boost could definitely spell admission for a legacy applicant who otherwise would not have been considered, let alone admitted.

As for legacies with parents who choose not to maintain ties to Lafayette, chances still are given a boost, albeit a slightly smaller one. However, it could easily mean the difference between "ADMIT" and "REJECT".

Does all this really seem fair? Of course not! Applicants should not be admitted due to the qualifications or connections of their parents, but sadly, the practice of admitting legacies happens at every college and university. Here at Lafayette, being a legacy means A TON, more so than at most colleges simply because of Lafayette's obligation to "pay back" those alumni who are still involved in one way or another by admitting their children.

As you can probably tell from my post, I was NOT a legacy at any of the colleges/universities I applied to. Even legacies recognize how unfair the whole practice is to other, more qualified, applicants.

Allow me to illustrate a situation which happens all the time in admissions here at Lafayette (and other colleges across the nation). Two applicants are vying for a single spot in Lafayette's incoming Class of 2010. Applicant A is male, white, has a combined SAT of 1420, GPA of 3.82, and rank of 32/274. Applicant B is also male, white, has a combined SAT score of 1230, GPA of 3.21, and rank of 153/274. Both applicants go to the same high school, and their family incomes are equivalent. They are involved in many of the same extracurriculars, both are involved in a varsity sport, and both volunteer regularly in their community.

Who do you think will be admitted?

That doesn't seem that difficult, now does it? Well, what I forgot to tell you is that Applicant B's parents both went to Lafayette. Neither parent, however, maintains ties to Lafayette. Applicant A's parents are both graduates of very prestigious schools, but neither attended Lafayette.

Do you see where I am going with this one?

Applicant B would be admitted over Applicant A, even though Applicant A is obviously more qualified and would most likely perform better academically during their four years here at Lafayette.

Damn, when are they going to figure out how to fix this whole process so that "stuff" like this doesn't happen? I don't know about you, but it honestly makes me sick just thinking about the prospect of a less qualified and less deserving applicant being admitted over a harder working, more determined applicant.

There's my rant...hope you enjoyed it!

J