<p>Why would anyone resent tradition? If anything, the vast majority of legacy kids are supremely qualified. As the parent of one legacy kid and the stepmother to another (and another kid who avoided SS legacy altogether), I can assure you that their stats met and surpassed what schools required. I find it offensive that people would assume otherwise. These kids had BS on their radar from a very young age and worked their butts off to get there. Most importantly, they knew, unlike previous generations, that it wasn’t enough to rely on legacy status alone. </p>
<p>If people have trouble appreciating or understanding legacy and tradition, I would question why they’d want to enter this world. What are you going to do- Start an Occupy Boarding School Movement? Judge and resent your kid’s legacy friends based on a completely false and outdated notion? That will go over big.</p>
<p>Instead of all this misguided resentment, why not celebrate a family’s history with a school and acknowledge the dedication, service and contributions over the years. After all, tradition, service and dedication are the three key principles that make endowments grow and FA dreams come true…</p>
<p>Rarely (and I mean rarely) do legacy kids get in to BS if they’re not qualified. Some borderline kids may get a pass here and there, but not as often as one might think. The idea that there’s an army of unqualified legacy kids taking all the spots away from the more deserving kids is a complete load of rubbish. If anything, there’s a lot more pressure on these kids to achieve than ever before. I know my kids felt it when they applied to BS and continue to feel it.</p>
<p>" Violating an American value of meritocracy and resent it… " My head just exploded. </p>
<p>I would say not only are most of the legacy kids qualified, for selective schools they have to be highly qualified. Unless a legacy qualifies for a development case or a family has rare special connections with the school, the legacy status only tips the scale when a choice is being made among candidates that are <em>equally</em> qualified. Besides, legacy is only one kind of hooks. There are hooks such as URM and geographic diversity, which actually more often can “make up” some deficiencies in stats. It may be true that kids accepted without any such hooks are exceptionally strong, but to me this is what upward mobility means - those who are exceptional get to move up first. I think photomom is right. At least for now legacy is still a vital lifeline for these expensive schools so they can run the way they are and have the resources to take in new blood…</p>
<p>And let’s not forget these are private schools that are under no obligation whatsoever to follow anyone’s definition of meritocracy or fairness.</p>
<p>I actually think it is quite astounding and wonderful that certain schools that might be able to fill their rolls with competent full-pay legacy students choose not to do so, in a rather grand gesture toward meritocracy and fairness, and that pretty much all worthwhile independent schools subsidize some students who deserve the education they provide but cannot afford it. Yes, they are technically non-profits and must do so, but it’s still a fine thing. And I don’t get the impression that they do it because they must but rather that they do it because it is the right thing to do and improves the quality of education for all students. </p>
<p>And I wish we had more tradition in our disconnected lives. It seems a wonderful thing to me, as a product of many years of bland public education and a fairly rootless upbringing, that a family can feel connected to a school through multiple generations. </p>
<p>I don’t like how everyone thinks that legacies are guaranteed admits and that they got in only because of their legacy status. I got into a HADES school. Am I a legacy? Yes. Was I qualified? Yes. Legacy status helps but it is never a deciding factor. It just bothers me because I know that there will be people that will say that my being a legacy got me in.</p>
<p>I am worried if my posting above made your head explode. I hope it didn’t <em>^</em>. Please be noted that I didn’t make any value judgement on legacy admits. Here’s the part of what I wrote: [But I don’t think colleges accept legacy applicants just because he/she is a legacy.] I just wanted to say it might be misleading to consider Mr. park’s case in the context of competition against the legacy applicants. He might not have had what colleges wanted in his application. Anyway, I apologize if I sounded like I resented the legacy accepts. I didn’t. </p>
<p>I am a legacy at Milton and will be legacy at Yale but never never crossed my mind that just because I am a legacy I have a secure spot. I am a big believer in meritocracy</p>
<p>No one is arguing that legacy alone is enough. They must be qualified. But many qualified non-legacy are wait listed or outright rejected. I see that most of you do acknowledge that legacy helps, and sometimes significantly. And I’m not making a value judgment, just stating the fact and acknowledging the sentiment. To clarify, I was referring to more about colleges than BSs, which are after all free to do whatever they want. </p>
<p>@SharingGift- On another thread, you showed contempt for a BS singling out Four Year Status and on this thread I noticed thinly veiled contempt for Legacy Status. I guess I’m just wondering why anyone would single out or resent traditions they haven’t experienced firsthand and clearly don’t understand - or appreciate. I’d like to better understand where you’re coming from and how you can object to such integral parts of BS culture and still send your daughter to one. </p>
<p>Please know my inquiry is genuine and I’m not trying to stir anything up. Last year my heart went out to your DD and this year I was so happy for both of you. Congratulations.</p>
<p>PhotoMom, I intend no harm. So if your feelings were hurt, I apologize. </p>
<p>That said, however, when you stated that I had contempt for four year seniors or legacy, I’m sorry but that’s your misunderstanding. I did say I was turned off by different treatment for four year seniors, but that’s far from contempt. For the topic on this thread, again I have no hard feelings against legacy families. Furthermore, we’re talking about colleges, not BSs, even though we’re in a prep school thread, and I do have different opinions on legacy policies for colleges vs. BSs. We can endlessly talk about merits and demerits of legacy in college admission process. You’re entitled to your opinions. So am I, and I don’t have any “thinly veiled contempt” nor ulterior motive. So please stop bothering to find what’s not there. Peace out.</p>
<p>I appreciate the response and there’s absolutely no need to apologize. I was just curious why some traditions seem to put people out more than others and my feelings weren’t hurt at all. I got my answer- thank you.</p>