how much pull does being a legacy at an ivy give you to help in getting in?

thanks!

ivy

legacy

IvyLeague

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3 answers

@jcdenton

expert

256 answers, 318 votes

• 4 years ago

From data I've seen, it's about a 30% boost in chances (unless the parents make a huge donation to the school or something like that). DebaterMAX also has a point that that may partially be because legacy students typically come from wealthier households with better access to things like prep resources and classes—those students just have a leg up in general—but there is definitely a sizable boost beyond just that.

@DebaterMAX

905 answers, 732 votes

• 4 years ago

It is sizable but I have little knowledge how much is just because the students get extra assistance from their parents as in prep classes. But yes legacies have a boost to ivy caliber schools. Here are some links I found via googling.

https://www.collegetransitions.com/blog/college-legacy/

https://www.npr.org/2018/11/04/663629750/legacy-admissions-offer-an-advantage-and-not-just-at-schools-like-harvard

Hope these help!