“Of course, my kid is going to get into Yale. I went there, so they are a legacy!” We hear this way too much. And we hate to hear this because it is really not true, and we don’t like breaking bad news! Most legacies don’t get into Yale. It is the cold hard truth. But, if you are a legacy and you’re interested in your child getting in, read on. Let’s break down what legacy admissions really look like at Yale and how you can best support your legacy as they apply.
Not all Legacies get into Yale
Yale, like most colleges, is pretty secretive about legacy admission acceptance rates. The last time they even published a legacy acceptance rate was in 2005. Now, this data is way too old for us to use a real metric, but it can give some important context. In 2005, the acceptance rate for legacies was about 30%. We think that since then this number has gone down for two reasons. 1) Legacy admissions rates have fallen generally in the last 18 years and 2) Yale had an overall acceptance of 9.9% in 2005. Both in 2005 and for the class of 2025, the incoming class was 14% legacy, however, for the class of 2025, the overall acceptance rate was 4.6%. This means that just as the overall acceptance rate has taken a nose dive, the legacy acceptance rate has probably dropped considerably too. But even if we just look at 2005 numbers, if 30% of legacies get in, that means 70% don’t. Let us just say again, most legacies don’t get in.
This isn’t a College Romcom
Jeremiah Quinlan, the Dean of Undergraduate Admissions, has said that legacy students are held to the same “highly-selective” standards as other Yale applicants and that legacy status alone isn’t enough to get into Yale. We think (know) it’s more than just that.
We blame movies mostly for a specific legacy stereotype. There is a media trope where legacy students are party animals who aren’t as smart as their peers because they come from wealthy, up-tight legacy families. This isn’t really what most legacies are like. Legacy students usually go to top high schools and have the resources to get great grades and scores and participate in deeply interesting extracurricular activities. Usually, these students are elite, type-A, well-funded candidates who use the opportunities given to them to be super competitive. Your legacy doesn’t only have to stand out against other candidates, they have to stand out against other legacies. So how can they do that?
Get Great Grades
Almost every Yale legacy we have worked with has around a 4.0. Why is this? First of all, they really care about their grades. All of them have worked with tutors at the first sign of their grades slipping. Sometimes parents think that great extracurriculars or essays or legacy status can make up for middling grades. That is not how it works.
Yale says on their website”:
“Yale is above all an academic institution. This means academic strength is our first consideration in evaluating any candidate. The single most important document in your application is your high school transcript, which tells us a great deal about your academic drive and performance over time.” They are looking for students who push themselves to take hard classes and get good grades in those classes. Your legacy needs to have a great transcript.
Yale doesn’t publish an average accepted GPA, however, they do publish some numbers on class rank. For the class of 2025, 95% of accepted applicants (from high schools that track class rank) were in the top 10% of their class. They are looking for schools’ top students and you should push your legacy to be in that range. Even if your school doesn’t do formalized ranks, Yale knows if your student is in the top 10ish percent of their class based on their transcripts.
Ace those tests
For the class of 2024, 88% of admitted students got a 32-36 on their ACTs. Every legacy student we have worked with has also worked with a great ACT or SAT tutor. Your legacy student should be trying for nearly perfect test scores to stay competitive amongst other legacies. Because trust us, while Yale gave us a range from 32-36, most legacies are on the high end of that.
Don’t Skimp on Extracurriculars
We often start working with students in their junior spring as college applications come out. However, most legacies start working with us during their sophomore year. They do this so we can advise them on more than just how to package the application, but how to build a great resume and plan. It’s this type of commitment that makes legacy admissions competitive.
Whether your legacy is working with a counselor or not, your student needs great extracurriculars. Most legacies have access to a lot of opportunities. Colleges know that. They want to see how legacy candidates used that access to do impactful and interesting extracurriculars. This can be anything from a great internship to a commitment to performing opera. But your student should be using all the access they have to do interesting things they are passionate about.
It’s Not all about Them
This is kind of the slimy part of legacy admissions. Just like your student needs to be involved at school and in their extracurricular activities, you need to be involved as an alum. Sitting on boards, being involved in the alumni association, helping recent grads get into your industry, etc. can make people at Yale know your name. If all you are doing is donating $100 a year and deleting emails from the alumni association, it is probably not going to cut it.
Wait? Does Legacy Even Matter?
The short answer is yes. Being a legacy helps. We just need parents to understand that it's not everything. Your student still needs great grades, scores, resumes, and essays to be considered. Yes, that is the same list of things that everyone else needs to be competitive including other legacies. Think of legacy status as a little bump at the end. That bump might not be everything but it's valuable.
Legacy admissions can be hard to navigate. Most schools on purpose keep people in the dark about what exactly legacy status gets you when applying. We work with legacy students constantly and know what it takes to get in: being a competitive candidate. If you want your legacy to stand out against other legacy candidates you need to push them and support them.
Don’t know where to start? We can help. Reach out here.