If you Google “Cornell Legacy admissions,” not a lot comes up. The University keeps quite a bit close to the chest. This makes sense. Legacy admissions can be a controversial subject and in recent years, many have called for the practice to be abolished. Not being too upfront about legacy admissions is something we have seen from many top schools. However, we work with legacy students often and feel it’s important for us to follow legacy admissions trends closely. We pour over data, talk to admissions officers, and track stats across the Ivy League and we want to share that knowledge with you. So today, let’s dive into the ins and outs of legacy admission at Cornell.
Who is considered a legacy at Cornell?
Cornell lets applicants self-report their legacy status. Technically, they could fill in any family member that went to Cornell, but the best practice is to stick to close relations. They don’t need to list an uncle or a cousin-in-law. Think parents and grandparents.
How many legacies are on Cornell’s campus?
Many schools publish a class survey or breakdown yearly that tracks the number of legacies on campus. This is good data to have since many do not publish a legacy acceptance rate. Cornell doesn’t publish either. The last time they reported on the percentage of legacy students on campus was in 2013 when they had around 15% legacy. This data is a little too old to use, but it isn’t drastically different for from other Ivies, so we would venture to guess, that Cornell has around the same percentage as many other top schools.
Will being a legacy help get my student in?
The short answer is yes. Cornell tracks legacy status and it is considered a boost. When we talked to one of their admissions officers, they said it was a “boost but not a guaranteed in.” They also stressed that any little thing could be the difference between getting in and not getting in.
You might be asking yourself, “wait what does that mean?” Well, Cornell is a hard school to get into. Recently their acceptance rate has been about 10%. It’s hard to get in and many students who have great grades and test scores don’t get in. Having great grades and test scores is the bare minimum. Applicants need a well-rounded application. Being a legacy will help the overall application. Students should also have great activities, interesting essays, and dynamic interests. Strong applications are ones that have a lot going for them. Being a legacy is just one of many moving parts that can give a student a boost and they will need more than just their legacy status to get in.
Making a stand-out application in hard work. Most students we work with come to us with a lot of questions. Most 17-year-olds haven’t had to think much about how to sell themselves as an applicant. And honestly, many parents also don’t know what colleges are looking for in an applicant as well. That’s usually where we come in when it comes to legacy students. Most legacy students have been dreaming of going to a top college since they were kids and have good grades and a solid list of activities already. We help with everything else and make sure they craft the strongest application possible.
Being a legacy is a boost at Cornell, but remember it’s not everything. If your student is serious about going to Cornell, it’s important to help them craft the best possible application possible. If you don’t know where to start, we can help with that.
Reach out here!