# How do University Legacies work?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-university-legacies-work/251703>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 22, 2004, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-university-legacies-work/251703 "2004-06-22T21:14:29Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Splanky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b2d939/32.png) [@Splanky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Splanky)\
**Post date:** [June 22, 2004, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-university-legacies-work/251703/1 "2004-06-22T21:14:29Z")

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Warning: I am aware that this is wrong and probably illegal. I don’t plan on actually doing it.

I was having a conversation with my aunt, who graduated from a particular Ivy League School, and the question came up as to whether I could get away with putting her name as my mother in my college application to her alma mater. While I expect to have a very impressive college resume, I would be pretty much guaranteed admittance into this school if I were a legacy.

So, how do schools verify this kind of thing? Do they merely look to see if the surnames match, or do they do some investigation?

I don’t plan on actually doing this, because it is wrong and if I got caught I’d surely be expelled from school. I’m just wondering.

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**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\
**Post date:** [June 22, 2004, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-university-legacies-work/251703/2 "2004-06-22T22:26:35Z")

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If you considered doing this, perhaps college is not for you.  
:dubious:

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**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\
**Post date:** [June 22, 2004, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-university-legacies-work/251703/3 "2004-06-22T22:36:34Z")

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I’m sure the legacy would be a bit more solid if your aunt/mother makes frequent large contirbutions to the institution.

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**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\
**Post date:** [June 23, 2004, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-university-legacies-work/251703/4 "2004-06-23T00:09:31Z")

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**Splanky**. This was a tough call, but I think you doomed the thread when you said “I am aware that this is wrong and probably illegal.”

It’ll probably just get worse.

Closed.

**samclem** moderator, GQ