<p>Life isnt fair kid, if I had a college I would give Legacies a boost, and privileged URMs are looked at differently than underprivileged URMs if you didnt know</p>
<p>It is also easy to be behind the times. There is another recent thread here at CC that discusses how legacies are less and less considered. Also, please consider that the HYPS are doing you a great service if they bring you into contact with URM’s – an important part of college is broadening your experiences, connections and insights. </p>
<p>Athletes tend to bring funding streams to a university (not all sports, but some). Athletic events also rally alumni (and alumni donations) – so consider that group as folks bringing something extra to the table (and working very, very hard to do so). </p>
<p>I can understand if you feel overwhelmed and/or under valued. Its kinda rotten that a kid can be a great, hard working person and find nothing but a rocky path ahead. Please know, however, that being rich, beautiful, royal or family connected is no guarantee of happiness or success (Look at Uday Hussein! A psychopath! Or the miserable life of Barbara Woolworth Hutton). </p>
<p>Most of all, please don’t be a countersnob if you aren’t admitted to your first choice college. Be a bigger person than that. Good luck!</p>
<p>There are many reasons why legacies get accepted. I’ll mention just one – when you are in college and looking for an internship or job, and you start calling all those helpful alums in that extensive alumni network hoping they can help you, you’ll get a much better response from the ones whose kids were accepted. </p>
<p>And if you get into Dartmouth or Duke or one of those other selective colleges, 30+ years from now you’ll appreciate that higher acceptance rate for legacies when your own kid applies.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>But are you desperately trying to get into those schools simply because everyone else is doing the same? What do you actually know about HYPSM besides that they’re supposed to be “good schools” :(? Also, if you are the type of person who becomes distressed whenever you’re not the best in everything, please don’t apply to any of these schools. You’ll just have a miserable time there.</p>
<p>In addition, it doesn’t matter at all that you’re not a full pay student, since almost all of these colleges that you’re looking at are need blind.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>As already mentioned, you have the help of having parents who are most likely supportive of your academic endeavors, who encourage you to attend college instead of getting a job right out of high school. You have the resource of a good high school, of having access to rigorous courses and extracurricular opportunities. You have a stable middle class family so that you’re not worrying about your family paying bills. </p>
<p>The best of luck.</p>