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Legacy impact on LS admissions

Posted: Wed Feb 09, 2011 1:36 pm
by juliachild-ish
I'm curious to know what others think about this. Obviously, having family members who attended a certain institution doesn't help as much as it does for undergrad, but at the same time, it must help a little, or why would law schools ask the question on their applications?

Has anyone ever heard of someone getting into a reach due to family members who are alumni? Or do most people end up getting rejected from/accepted to schools regardless of family connections?

And yes, both my parents are lawyers, so I have a vested interest in this topic.

Re: Legacy impact on LS admissions

Posted: Wed Feb 09, 2011 1:41 pm
by slax

Re: Legacy impact on LS admissions

Posted: Wed Feb 09, 2011 1:43 pm
by slax

Re: Legacy impact on LS admissions

Posted: Wed Feb 09, 2011 1:45 pm
by crit_racer
just my luck, the one school where I'm a legacy (UT) is the one place that doesn't ask that question on the app haha. I'm keeping that tidbit in my back pocket for if/when I get waitlisted and write a LOCI, though.

Re: Legacy impact on LS admissions

Posted: Wed Feb 09, 2011 1:47 pm
by pokerlaw
Legacy impact depends on the amount of $$$ your parents/relatives give.

Re: Legacy impact on LS admissions

Posted: Wed Feb 09, 2011 1:48 pm
by JDHopeful
Wait... this one dude got Yale based on legacy?

Re: Legacy impact on LS admissions

Posted: Wed Feb 09, 2011 1:50 pm
by paulinaporizkova
LOL

"I applied to two schools: Yale and Villanova."

LOLx2

Re: Legacy impact on LS admissions

Posted: Wed Feb 09, 2011 2:37 pm
by juliachild-ish
Okay, so obviously one of those LSN accounts is a troll...not sure about the fingerscrossed guy. If that's true, it doesn't seem to reflect that well on YLS (letting someone in who obviously wouldn't have been admitted otherwise). Although, I guess there is the rare, very intelligent person who can't do well on standardized tests.

I'm talking more about people who were borderline candidates who maybe got tipped over into "admit" territory because of a family connection.

Re: Legacy impact on LS admissions

Posted: Wed Feb 09, 2011 2:38 pm
by sarahh
crit_racer wrote:just my luck, the one school where I'm a legacy (UT) is the one place that doesn't ask that question on the app haha. I'm keeping that tidbit in my back pocket for if/when I get waitlisted and write a LOCI, though.
Ha, same thing happened to me. I just put it in an addendum. I got in, and I think the school was a little bit of a reach, but the fact that I went there for UG probably helped me more than the fact my father went there for law school. I think he donates something like $50 a year.

Re: Legacy impact on LS admissions

Posted: Wed Feb 09, 2011 2:50 pm
by slax
In my LSAT class we learned the conditional with the phrase "in order to get into Yale, you must donate a library"

Re: Legacy impact on LS admissions

Posted: Wed Feb 09, 2011 2:59 pm
by Oracl3
My cousin got into UVA Law a few years ago with a 3.5/166. Both of his parents and our grandfather are UVA Law alum.

Re: Legacy impact on LS admissions

Posted: Wed Feb 09, 2011 3:32 pm
by well-hello-there
I know a white dood who got into michigan with a 158. I don't know what his GPA was but it wasn't a 4.0. He has a sibling or two who went there as well as a cousin. His writing skills are so good that his personal statement blew my mind. He also had some significant volunteer teaching experience. Overall great guy.

Re: Legacy impact on LS admissions

Posted: Wed Feb 09, 2011 3:35 pm
by drummerboy
my dad went to columbia undergrad and columbia medical school. does that count?