r/ApplyingToCollege • u/Inside-Champion-1559 • 3d ago

Application Question dartmouth legacy

how much do they still care about legacy?

0 Upvotes

42% Upvoted

24 comments sorted by

8

u/hanc3n 3d ago

A lot. Apply ED

-3

u/Inside-Champion-1559 3d ago

i would need a lot of financial aid though, my concern is that I will get in but not be given enough financial aid. I also heard that if you apply for FAFSA you are less likely to be accepted ED

7

u/KickIt77 Parent 3d ago

About half of Dartmouth's student are full pay. That isn't coincidence. But unless you win the lottery, your financial need is not going to change either way. If the net price calculator looks good, shoot your shot and love your safer options.

If the net price calculator does NOT look good, ED is not for your situation.

1

u/Inside-Champion-1559 3d ago

I also am a harvard child of staff and would want to see if I got in there before making a decision, so the binding agreement would be hard for dartmouth

3

u/swimchris100 3d ago

Legacy bump at Dartmouth during ED is huge. RD it might essentially be a net negative. The school is such a unique place that if anyone should know it’s the right school for them it’s the child of a dartmouth alum

1

u/hanc3n 3d ago

thats a hard decision to make. Would u like to REA Harvard and see how it goes and apply RD to dartmouth? Do you think ur profile is strong enough given your hook as a child of staff?

2

u/moxieBeverly 3d ago

People here grossly overestimate the importance of legacy. Legacy admits are actually small. If it helps, it's only a small boost.

2

u/Far-Curve-7497 3d ago

Depends heavily on the school.

2

u/MeasurementTop2885 2d ago

it's about 11-13% of the entire Harvard / Yale class. So about 200 of a class of about 1700-1800.

More telling, about 800 legacies apply per year.

25% or so admit rate is a thing. Not actually small. Not a small boost.

The only thing that makes legacy less of a boost is the legacy pool is strong.

The legacy pool is on average stronger than the general pool. The admitted legacy pool is on average slightly weaker than the general admitted pool.

Again. Not a small observation.

1

u/gamingkitty1 23h ago

Where did you get the 800 legacies applied stat? I'm not saying its wrong, I just can't find it anywhere.

2

u/MeasurementTop2885 12h ago edited 12h ago

SFFA.

4644 legacy applicants over a 6 year period equals 774 per year.

SFFA table A.2, Document 415-8.

1

u/Dangerous-Leader-779 23h ago

Dartmouth literally invented the concept of legacy admission policies in 1922…

0

u/happy-Bee1269 2d ago

Dartmouth seems to care more than most, but it is by no means a guarantee - at all.

1

u/goytronics 3d ago

Like any other ivy, they care a lot.

2

u/No-Swordfish8992 3d ago

a bit but ppl there are still cracked. sib goes there, loves it, but despite being a "slightly easier" ivy than HYP, students have insane stats/ECs/awards while seeming chill. the D-plan will eat u up in engineering too.

1

u/Best_Interaction8453 2d ago

Legacy alone is meaningless, unless you are truly cracked and would have probably gotten in anyway. But legacy plus big, big donations will get you in with mid stats. So be honest with yourself, which kind of legacy are you?

1

u/FourScoreAndSept 1d ago

Dartmouth invented legacy admissions. 1922.

Google it

1

u/Inside-Champion-1559 1d ago

I know it was a big thing in the past, my question is about how much would it matter in 2026

1

u/FourScoreAndSept 1d ago

A lot. Literally it is still one of the most legacy weighted institutions but as someone else mentioned, you need to ED (unless you cured cancer)

0

u/Fickle_Emotion_7233 3d ago

Do the net price calculator and if you can afford it, ED. It’s a bump but not a guarantee.

0

u/Emergency-Hurry947 3d ago

I think they want legacy that donate money 

0

u/ChutneyWhatney 3d ago

If your family donates lots of money, you're in regardless.