<p>I am new to CC and find it to be an incredibly useful forum (albeit a bit overwhelming with all the information).</p>
<p>My question about the importance of legacy is this. I have a PhD in Engineering from Stanford. My daughter, who is currently a sophomore at a reasonably competitive high school in Texas, is also interested in applying to Stanford. She has a 5.38 UW / 4.00 W GPA, is ranked 7th in a class of 800+, and recently scored 219 on her first PSAT try. She is taking the usual slew of honors and AP classes, and has a reasonable slate of ECs. </p>
<p>Would she have a higher probability of being admitted to Stanford because of my background? Just wondering about how much of a bump that would give her. As far as I know, Stanford has not admitted anyone from her school in recent memory.</p>
<p>yes, legacy can be a plus factor at many schools, including Stanford. While that “bump” won’t be as big as you and she would like, it’s still better than nothing. :)</p>
<p>According to some stats I saw 3 or 4 years ago, legacy status at Stanford essentially doubles your chances from about 12% to about 25%. Which is a nice bump, but these same figures also show that three quarters of Stanford legacies get rejected. So it’s certainly no sure thing.</p>
<p>I’m sure that it helps even more if you’ve been giving money steadily and in vast quantities to Stanford since you’ve graduated.</p>
<p>Stanford says that they will give a legacy candidate a tip if confronted with two candidates who are equal to each other in all other respects. But then how often are 2 candidates completely equal to each other?</p>
<p>I think Stanford’s acceptance rate has dropped into the single digits in recent years. Even if the admit rate is double for legacies, it is still a dismally low rate.</p>
<p>I was looking at the incredible kids rejected by Stanford, and I saw a student who said he was double legacy rejected with good stats. I don’t think there are any guarantees at a school like Stanford!</p>
<p>I also have a grad degree from Stanford and asked this precise question at an info session. Here is what I was told.</p>
<p>Legacy status applies when the parent has <em>any</em> Stanford degree (undergrad, grad, professional schools). This is not the case for legacy at all schools, but is the case at Stanford.</p>
<p>Statistically and historically, they can report that legacy status about doubles the chances of admission (just as coureur mentioned above). This is not a formula they use (ie, they don’t have a point system where they “double” the points when there is legacy status), but it is the results they have had over the years.</p>
<p>Just as everyone says, it’s a boost but that is all. My S was not admitted. I’m sure his chances were boosted from 12% to 25%, but he landed in that larger 75% pile. :)</p>
<p>Friend graduated from Stanford and Stanford Med School. 3 of her 4 children went and graduated from Stanford. The other one went to Williams. With these odds in one family, yes, legacy played a big part.</p>
Two of my kids were accepted to Stanford (the third one did not apply). No one in our family previously graduated from Stanford (or from any other college in this country for that matter). With these odds in one family, should we conclude that NOT being a legacy plays a big positive part in Stanford admissions?</p>
<p>Two recent stories that suggest to me that legacy status and $1.89 will get you a tall coffee at Starbucks in Palo Alto:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Double legacy – one college, the other grad school – with high six-figure cumulative donations – not earthshaking, but enough to have a development officer assigned to hold their hand. 2300+ SATs, top 1% class rank at a competitive school. Hardworking, responsible, a leader, but not that focused, and more well-rounded than deeply passionate. Gong! Next!</p></li>
<li><p>Multiple-generation legacy. Parents and grandparents all very involved, had endowed a chair in the college (folks, that’s $4 million minimum). Kid a normal kid – decent student, B-B+ average in a good private school, 1900+ SATs. Father told (gently) that maybe his son would be happier elsewhere, and that it was unlikely that he would be accepted if he applied.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>In my friend’s case, she is batting 75%, you are 66%. Difference of 9%. Statistically significant? I live in an area full of Stanford grads and most of the families I know where legacy is involved have at least 1 child admitted to Stanford. My best friend is batting 2 for 2.</p>
<p>Unless Stanford releases total figures, these isolated anecdotal evidences don’t prove anything but within my social circle, legacy seems to play a big part. </p>
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<p>Sorry, but $4M is chump change here in Silicon Valley.Had his son produced a A- or B+(within Stanford acceptable range), things might have been different. I know someone whose father approached Harvard and offered $50M. Harvard hemmed and hawed but Stanford took it immediately. And this girl is smart. Now there’s a building named after them.</p>