<p>Yes, it could help. Having a parent who is nationally or internationally prominent could help you in admission to virtually any college. Having a parent who is prominent statewide could help one in admission to in-state private and public universities.</p>
<p>Colleges would know about your father because of the part of the app in which you put what your parents' employment is.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, I think it's too bad that you're not like a friend of mine whose father is a well known longtime U.S. senator. We had a national fellowship together, and a member of the selection committee said that in addition to the woman's accomplishments, what made her stand out was how she went far out of her way to avoid their questions designed to find out if -- since her last name was the same as a famous U.S. senator, and she hailed from his city -- whether she was related to him.</p>
<p>She managed to gracefully dodge their questions, which were oblique. They didn't learn until after her acceptance that she is the senator's daughter. Since then, she has made other accomplishments -- including getting an Ivy graduate degree and heading a national organization-- and has continued to go out of her way to obtain these things on her own merits, not by riding on her father's coattails.</p>
<p>She's a wonderful person-- ethical, modest, kind, hard working, visionary. A lot of my high opinion of her father is based on his having raised a daughter like her. I've talked with her about her upbringing, and her parents went far out of their way to make sure she was involved in things like community service so that she had compassion for others and didn't go through life feeling entitled.</p>
<p>OP,
I notice that you also have a chances post for Michigan State that says, "I have a 3.22 GPA, and a 23 ACT (retake score pending). I have recommendations from teachers, a University of Michigan-Dearborn professor, and a few people in the Michigan House of Representatives. I have 100 volunteer hours. I am Captain of the Varsity Wrestling Team and on the JV Cross Country Team. I had an internship in the House of Representatives and an internship with the University of Michigan professor. I was on Student Council and received a Leadership Award, a Science Fair Honorable Mention, a Varsity Letter Award, and I am on the Honor Roll."</p>
<p>I am curious about how you got your House of Representatives internship an internship with a University of Michigan prof, and recommendations from some people with impressive backgrounds. Compared to the types of accomplishments of students who usually get such positions, your gpa is low and your ECs are unremarkable.</p>
<p>Did your dad line up those positions and recommendations for you? If so, do you ever have any concerns that you may be getting opportunities that you haven't really earned through your merits?</p>
<p>If any representatives use of his/her control of the taxpayers money was designed to aid any person of his/her choosing to get into college/grad school or whatever, this is certainly a breach of the trust of voters, and probably illegal, if it can be proved. That someone on an admissions committee wants to "brown nose" a representative in hopes of allocations, well this is "just" lobbying (however distasteful.)</p>
<p>Many years ago a friend of mine tried to get into Cornell with a rec from his local congressman, who he allegedly knew quite well. Didn't help him.</p>
I don't believe that this thread is meant to suggest an illegal activity, or an activity involving taxpayer money. Rather, I think it is meant to propose a meeting between the father who is a representative and a dean or president of a state university. I don't think there is anything wrong with that.</p>
<p>is there anything wrong with a father going up to a university president saying "my son wants to attend your school"? what about writing a separate supplemental recommendation letter for his son? and what about asking a colleague to write a letter? i dont see anything wrong with that, and so a congressman should be able to do it as well.</p>
<p>Every one here knows college admission is competitive. Also I think some of you may be being hippocrites. If you had a connection you would use it. Any way thats beside the point. All this post is meant for is to find out if it is worth mentioning or not. I just want to get into my local state university. I m not trying to cheat anyone out of an ivy league spot. In fact I am not applying to the top school in my state because I dont feel I deserve to go there. I believe I could get into my local state university (Michigan State University) on my own merit but ever since my friend got rejected I have been freaking out and looking for an edge.</p>
<p>re post #28: I am for giving anyone the benefit of the doubt. Think it probably does help to have a father who is a member of the house. HOWEVER, in the OP there is mention of the House "controlling" money. THis implies to me that someone would either be asking for or offering money and tying it to admission or implying that it could or would be tied. THis is where the dubious legality may or may not arise.</p>
<p>Anyway, in the interest of offering free help in admissions, I would recommend stressing in the application what YOU bring to the table in terms of talent, etc. Otherwise doesn't it sound like what you bring is good connections only? Which, BTW, sometimes IS enough.</p>
<p>If I were applying, I would want to get in on my own merit. That is a matter of personal choice. I will tell you that there was a student in my son's high school. He was accepted to a university where his father is a professor. Some of his classmates were cruel, IMO. They told him that he was only accepted because of his father. I guess that he will never know for sure, and maybe he cares a lot, a little bit, or not at all. I think that you should decide whether you would care if you never really knew why you were accepted (connections vs. your own accomplishments). You are right, many people would use any hook, but many people would not. This is JMO.</p>
<p>No its not about asking or offering money. I think my father was just implying that is why universities want to keep the state government happy.</p>
<p>i totally agree with using this connection if it will help. nobody is going to write in the letter, "let my son in or i'll vote to cut your funding." no, that's just an implied thing...</p>