Does Legacy Statua Matter?

[psychmeout]

I'm about to start applying to Ph.D programs in clinical psychology for fall 2014 (first application due 12/5/13. My question is: in graduate school (particularly doctoral programs in clinical psychology), does legacy status (having a member of your family having graduated from the same university) or familial donations help in admission. Not that I need it; just curious.

[Quant_Liz_Lemon]

No. All that matters are coursework, research, gre scores, and interests. 

[phalanges]

Some schools (e.g. Harvard) have parts of the application where you can identify whether or not you are a legacy applicant, but I get the impression that in the end it doesn't really matter. I always imagine it as being like diversity statements, it might get you put in pile to be considered (if you were close to not making it due to your grades or GRE scores or something), but in the end when they are picking who to admit it won't be considered. This is an assumption I have for research / PhD programs - maybe it might play a bigger role in course-based MA programs...

[psychmeout]

Some schools (e.g. Harvard) have parts of the application where you can identify whether or not you are a legacy applicant, but I get the impression that in the end it doesn't really matter. I always imagine it as being like diversity statements, it might get you put in pile to be considered (if you were close to not making it due to your grades or GRE scores or something), but in the end when they are picking who to admit it won't be considered. This is an assumption I have for research / PhD programs - maybe it might play a bigger role in course-based MA programs...

Thanks! My ideal school is a Ph.D program in clinical psychology that has a psychodynamic and/or health psychological orientation which has a highly clinical emphasis, but puts a little more emphasis on research than the conventional Psy.D. That's why continuing at Adelphi University is my top choice. I don't really need the legacy status to get into a doctoral program in clinical psychology, but I figured if it could give me a leg up, why would that be a bad thing?

 

I was just trying to figure out whether or not it might give me priority for consideration; not necessarily acceptance. Also, does anyone know if any doctoral programs have early action admission?

[PsychGirl1]

Thanks! My ideal school is a Ph.D program in clinical psychology that has a psychodynamic and/or health psychological orientation which has a highly clinical emphasis, but puts a little more emphasis on research than the conventional Psy.D. That's why continuing at Adelphi University is my top choice. I don't really need the legacy status to get into a doctoral program in clinical psychology, but I figured if it could give me a leg up, why would that be a bad thing?

 

I was just trying to figure out whether or not it might give me priority for consideration; not necessarily acceptance. Also, does anyone know if any doctoral programs have early action admission?

 

This thread is like being in high school :-).

 

No, there is no such thing as early action.

[psychmeout]

I know right? And the general GRE seems to strongly resemble the SAT in structure.

[lewin]

I don't really need the legacy status to get into a doctoral program in clinical psychology, but I figured if it could give me a leg up, why would that be a bad thing?

 

I was just trying to figure out whether or not it might give me priority for consideration; not necessarily acceptance.

 

Acceptance to graduate school is a completely different world than acceptance to undergrad. My speculative opinion is that it's a "bad thing" because legacy admission is something that universities do to keep their alumni (aka donors) happy, which is a 'business' decision, not an academic one. Faculty don't care about keeping donors happy. Further, I expect most professors would take offence that admission to their graduate program were based on anything but merit. (As Liz said: coursework, GRE's, research, interests.) For those reasons, I wouldn't even raise the question with any potential advisors.

Edited April 11, 2013 by lewin00

[juilletmercredi]

Well, it's more than just a business decision or keeping donors happy.  Having a lot of legacies on campus can also increase alumni involvement in the university as well as increase school spirit on campus.  If you have a lot of legacies on a campus who are fervently invested in the development and growth of your university, you potentially get 1) a greater sense of spirit on the campus, which can lead to a more enjoyable atmosphere overall.  Legacy students can often be the chargemasters of sacred school traditions, and 2) more involved alumni, which can benefit all students.  Those alumni may come back to do alumni events, help students network, recruit from the current pool, endow scholarships, etc.

 

I went to a school with clear legacy preference and although I wasn't a legacy, having a lot of legacies on campus definitely impacted the atmosphere.  This was a college where generations of women, entire families, attended - where young girls grew up visiting and anticipating the day they would come to my college.  Legacies on campus also worked to preserve campus traditions for the entire community.  That kind of excitement and love for a school also looks very good for outside donors.  Coca-Cola and the Gates Foundation and their ilk are more likely to donate if the school is a cohesive place where students are happy and alumni reach back.  And alumni involvement also impacts rankings.

 

BUT these things are not important for PhD programs, because they don't significantly impact student (undergrad student) experience on campus.  They aren't likely to give back to their graduate institution (this school will never get a dime from me, lol) and their alumni participation is unlikely to significantly change the spirit/atmosphere of the undergrad experience.  Besides, legacy status doesn't predict completion for grad school, whereas it might for undergrad.

[Guest |||]

Most likely it doesn't matter, or at least it shouldn't.

 

 

But when you consider donors, behind closed door meetings, etc etc, I wouldn't be surprised if it played Some role Somewhere

[sdt13]

I don't really see how it could given that you are not applying to the University itself. Rather, more likely than not, you are applying to a specific program or even a specific professor who has the say in whether or not they will accept you. More likely than not, the professor didnt get his degree at the University so why would he/she care? Why would the department care (unless, maybe your parents also did their PhD there)?

 

Now, I can think of a way 'legacy' could actually have an impact; however, this is not legacy in the traditional sense (more of a 'family tree' as it's described in my department). Rather, I think departments and specifically professors would care more about who you worked with as an undergraduate. For example, if you work with Professor A in undergrad and are applying to Professor B for graduate work, but Professor A happened to be Professor B's PhD supervisor, I'm sure Professor B would take that into serious consideration. This is not to say that it's necessarily unfair preferential treatment, but more likely than not you would have an excellent match in research with Professor B after working with Professor A.