Any USNA legacy points toward appointment?

G

GoldWinger

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Does anyone know if USNA admissions gives any points on your app for having one or maybe even two parents who graduated USNA? How about if the parents graduated other SAs? Uncles/brothers/sisters/grandparents? Some colleges give you added points if you are the first in your family to attend college. I think USNA used to appreciate legacy kids but maybe those days are gone? My DD's backup schools seemed to be interested in legacy families.
 
Most schools are interested in legacy families because it increases the likelihood of $$ support in addition to tuition payments. Not sure what the answer is for USNA.
 
No one can say for sure. I will say that I’ve read some very upset parent posts on this forum because they were USNA grads and their DS/DD did not get an appointment.
 
There are a few points given on the WCS for legacies, but it won’t be enough to get a candidate in on that alone or over come a weak application. I think the advantage comes with the familiarity with what it takes to get into usna.
 
I don't think anybody can say with any certainty what impact, if any, being a legacy has. I've seen (and heard of ) strong candidates (of course, mostly reported by their parents) who didn't get in. I recall a particularly vocal parent (from a class a few behind mine) railing against USNA when his son didn't get in a few years ago despite years of support etc. I do believe there is an advantage, as the legacy applicant usually has a good idea of what he/she is getting into. On the other hand, I have also seen situations where a candidate feels pressured to apply because Mom or Dad attended. I suspect the real impact comes in either the BGO interview, or the Candidates personal statement, rather than an addition to the WCS.
 
Unless there is a specific question on the application that asks about legacy, how would they know? USNA can't assume a legacy just because you might have the same last name as a relative (and the maiden name of your Mom before she got married was probably different), common names like Smith/Jones/Williams wouldn't necessarily indicate you are related.
 
I believe there IS a question on the application to indicate whether a parent or sibling is an alum or attending the Naval Academy. I do NOT believe it allows the candidate to designate a grandparent (or other relation) as alum. Not clear how much/whether this is given any weight, but presumably, since it's part of the application, it could make a difference in a close call/tie.
 
I've asked an admissions counselor at USNA during SS and they said "not one bit". kind of disappointing but
 
Not sure it helped but our DD just got the appointment yesterday and if she decides to go she'd be third gen USNA. (Mom/Dad and Grandfather are USNA grads)....At the end of the day, her record was top notch without legacy points but every little bit helps. Good luck to all and hang in there!
 
GoldWinger said:
Not sure it helped but our DD just got the appointment yesterday and if she decides to go she'd be third gen USNA. (Mom/Dad and Grandfather are USNA grads)....At the end of the day, her record was top notch without legacy points but every little bit helps. Good luck to all and hang in there!
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Congrats! What district in Tx?
 
Being a legacy historically MAY helped a TINY bit b/c of familiarity with the military. However, you gotthe same "bump" if your parent/guardian/sibling is in the military and not a grad. Because attrition is now so low and there's so much more info available to candidates, there's not the same worry making sure kids know what they're getting into as there was in my day. So not sure it helps at all today,

In the end, you rise or fall on your own record. Best example I can give is a classmate with two DS who applied a few years apart. Both attended same h.s. and lived in the same (hyper-competitive) district. Both had same # of noms from the same sources. One was accepted; the other was not.

What you sometimes see at civilian schools is legacy kids being waitlisted (and, then of course, are never accepted off the WL). This is a "soft" way to give a turndown to legacies. I've seen zero evidence USNA uses its waitlist in this way.
 
If it didn't have even a little bit of influence, then they wouldn't ask on the application. But, like usna1985 said, "you rise or fall on your own record." Being a legacy will never be the turning point on your application.
 
I’ve seen weak candidates beat out strong candidates because they are 3rd/4th generation. They can say it doesn’t have much weight but I disagree. Legacy=more $ contributions and less upset alumni. It’s in their best interest to let them in if they’re relatively good in high school but unfortunately at the detriment of some better qualified candidates.
 
^^ Question might be on the application for demographic & analysis purposes.

USNAismyplace said:
If it didn't have even a little bit of influence, then they wouldn't ask on the application
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You can't assume how it is used simply because there is a question on the application.
 
jgenton said:
I’ve seen weak candidates beat out strong candidates because they are 3rd/4th generation. They can say it doesn’t have much weight but I disagree. Legacy=more $ contributions and less upset alumni. It’s in their best interest to let them in if they’re relatively good in high school but unfortunately at the detriment of some better qualified candidates.
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This is a pretty cynical view of the Admissions system. First, no one but Admissions really knows if a "weak candidate beats out a strong candidate" . Second, while the idea that "Legacy=more $ contributions and less upset alumni" seems to make sense in theory, I really don't think it works out that way in practice, at least for USNA. First, I suspect there are very few alumni donors who's contribution is individually material enough to make Admissions even think twice (assuming that Admissions even knows who the donors are). Second, I think the Alumni would collectively support Admission decision to base admissions on merit rather than legacy or donors.
 
A young man at our high school (Class of '17) applied last year. Both parents are USNA grads. He did not get in. Is at Nebraska, NROTC.
 
Old Navy BGO said:
jgenton said:
I’ve seen weak candidates beat out strong candidates because they are 3rd/4th generation. They can say it doesn’t have much weight but I disagree. Legacy=more $ contributions and less upset alumni. It’s in their best interest to let them in if they’re relatively good in high school but unfortunately at the detriment of some better qualified candidates.
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This is a pretty cynical view of the Admissions system. First, no one but Admissions really knows if a "weak candidate beats out a strong candidate" . Second, while the idea that "Legacy=more $ contributions and less upset alumni" seems to make sense in theory, I really don't think it works out that way in practice, at least for USNA. First, I suspect there are very few alumni donors who's contribution is individually material enough to make Admissions even think twice (assuming that Admissions even knows who the donors are). Second, I think the Alumni would collectively support Admission decision to base admissions on merit rather than legacy or donors.
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Yes. Admissions is not connected with the Alumni Assoc or Foundation Fund raisers so the Contributions is not factored into the Admissions Board deliberations.
As to how the academy would know if an applicant is a "legacy", I for one always as as part of my BGO interviews and it is a standard part of the interview for the BGOs that I know.
 
Zeus said:
Maybe what you described was what happened in the past. Not happening under the current Superintendent for sure. The class portrait for last year shows “only” 71 children of alumni. Ask @NTWLF ONE and many alumni whose children did not get in the first time they applied. If USNA gives these children a preference, this group could easily doubled.
https://www.usna.edu/Admissions/_files/documents/ClassPortrait.pdf
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That may be but I know many fellow alumni who are parents of alumni as well. Of my varsity teammates - both my team captain (best man at my wedding) and at least three other teammates had offspring who are now alumni and when my son was on the team, he had several teammates who were children of my teammates.
Within my company/classmates, I can easily name three who are parents of alums and two of them have multiple alum children.
I attended an event in DC this week where I saw a number of my classmates and there too, I ran into more than a few who are parents of alumni.
 
OldRetSWO said:
That may be but I know many fellow alumni who are parents of alumni as well. Of my varsity teammates - both my team captain (best man at my wedding) and at least three other teammates had offspring who are now alumni and when my son was on the team, he had several teammates who were children of my teammates.
Within my company/classmates, I can easily name three who are parents of alums and two of them have multiple alum children.
I attended an event in DC this week where I saw a number of my classmates and there too, I ran into more than a few who are parents of alumni.
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My DH is alumni and my son is a PTB.
 
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