Do I have legacy at Vanderbilt?
Dear Babs,
My uncle is an alumnus at Vanderbilt University. I don’t know that much about the college, but I thought that if I have legacy, I should apply. What do you think?
-Relatively Unsure
—
Dear Relatively,
I hate to break it to you, but you are not a legacy through your uncle. College admissions departments that give preference to legacies (and some do more than others) usually only consider an applicant’s immediate family-that is, parents and siblings. Unless your uncle donated a building, he probably won’t help your admissions chances.
Okay, that is not entirely true. Although the college admissions department won’t have you listed as a legacy, you should start chatting-up your uncle about his college days. Did he make any friends with some of the professors? Does he know a guy in admissions? Is his old college roommate a well-connected alumnus? See if he knows anyone directly or indirectly (through a friend) who might have some pull. A professor in the department where you will likely major can be a great advocate for your admissions.
That is, of course, assuming that you want to go to Vanderbilt University. Do a little research before you start hitting your uncle up for contacts. Look into the programs, student life, and online student reviews for a good feel of the college. Only apply if it’s a school you would actually like to attend, not just because you think you have an “in” in admissions.
Good Luck!
-Babs
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This entry was posted on Tuesday, December 8th, 2009 at 12:21 pm and is filed under Admissions, Dear Babs. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
