College Tier List by Nepotism Amount
Tier List of Schools by amount of nepotism I have seen while recruiting.
Tier A (Full Blown Nepotism)
Harvard, Dartmouth, Yale, Stanford
Tier B (Nepo Saturated)
Princeton, Williams, Amherst, Middlebury, Columbia
Tier C (Nepo Average)
Penn, Duke, UChicago, Northwestern, Georgetown
Tier D (Some Nepo)
UVA, Cornell, Brown, WashU, USC
Tier E (Merit & Hustle > Nepo)
Notre Dame, NYU Stern, Emory
Tier F (Complete Grinders)
Michigan Ross, IU Kelley, UNC Chapel Hill, UC Berkeley, UT Austin, MIT
Based on the most helpful WSO content, here's a breakdown of schools by nepotism levels observed during recruiting:
Tier A (Full Blown Nepotism)
These schools are often associated with legacy admissions and strong alumni networks, making nepotism a significant factor.
Tier B (Nepo Saturated)
While not as extreme as Tier A, these schools still see a high degree of nepotism due to their elite status and tight-knit alumni circles.
Tier C (Nepo Average)
These schools balance nepotism with merit, as they attract a mix of well-connected and high-achieving students.
Tier D (Some Nepo)
Nepotism exists but is less dominant, with more opportunities for students to succeed through merit and networking.
Tier E (Merit & Hustle > Nepo)
These schools emphasize hard work and networking over connections, with less reliance on nepotism.
Tier F (Complete Grinders)
Students from these schools are known for their hustle and merit-based achievements, with minimal reliance on nepotism.
This tier list reflects trends and perceptions shared in WSO discussions, highlighting how nepotism varies across institutions.
Sources: , Comprehensive Undergraduate Target Schools Tier List 2020, Nepotism pisses me off, A Letter To All Top 10 University Kids Complaining About Recruiting, Undergraduate Target Schools Tier List (2021 Updates)
Move up Princeton, Williams, and Columbia. Move down Stanford one
Notre Dame has a bunch of nepo catholic kids who are like the 3rd or 4th generation Notre Dame grads and are usually very well-off. UVA and UMich also have a lot of well-off alum nepo kids. I think the reputation for those three as having many grinders who get offers is because those are huge schools with a lot of grinders, which are visible. Given the size of the school, the huge nepo hires are comparatively more hidden than, say, an Amherst or Williams. Those schools have a lot of nepotism, and as you would expect, it helps them recruit well. Generally, will find that schools with a lot of school pride have more nepo's than those without.
Notre Dame is tiny compared to UMich and UVA
Georgetown too low
Food for thought: Having more nepos is actually better for the middle-man. I was very much FGLI going into Dartmouth, and it was helpful to tap my friend's parents for connections during IB recruiting. Very grateful.
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