colls1411

Does USC honor any legacies? My father earned a Ph.D. there and I was wondering if it holds any weight. I know in some of the ivies being a legacy is a huge advantage.

Any help is appreciated.

cc411

This subject comes up quite often here so you can do an advanced search and get lots of other opinions. It is a touchy subject for me- I am an alumni, S#1 graduated, and S#2 currently attends. D was not accepted- test scores were well above the mean, GPA was just below the mean, and she had very strong ec's.

I was told by a USC admission counselor that legacy is not considered for admission. The only benefit of legacy at USC is the fact that if legacies are rejected, they are given an invitation to personally meet with a counselor to advise them about requirements for transferring at a later time.

jeananotgina

cc411 - I can only imagine your frustration, so sorry to hear this...hers was such a huge legacy too. Did your D end up attending a school she was happy with? My S's situation sounds pretty similar to your D's, and I was hoping that the legacy both his grandparents provided would push him over the edge. But I'm feeling much less hopeful now. Still waiting to hear. This whole process is so crazy, I'm getting emotionally drained.

madbean

Hang in there Jeana. It's very rough these days, but any USC family admit deserves to feel very proud since legacy didn't get them in. As to OP, I do not believe legacy does much even at the ivies. Development applicants (families that contribute over $2 mil) are still appreciated, though.

cc411

jeananotgina- of course things always work out. D is graduating this year and I'll spare the bragging details and just say it could not be better. USC was not the right place for her and maybe I should finally give up my bitterness and admit that admissions knew what they were doing. I will be interested to hear of your S's decision.

After all I've said on that, I do want to say that I personally know two high-roller families whose kids were admitted because of legacy but they are both extreme and unusual circumstances.

cboy945

Sorry to sound bitter, but I can guarantee you legacy counts for something at USC. A friend of mine was recently accepted, while I have not yet (though I realize I may still). However, the acceptee had well below my stats and average stats, had no hook (save the 3rd or 4th gen legacy), has zero club participation or service, and is white. While I am truly happy for her admission (honestly I am), there is definitely something fishy going on. Her family has strong ties to the trojan family and possibly the admissions office, so that seems to count for something.