I want to start this by saying that this thread isn’t about my own situation. One of my cousins, a white female from a wealthy family, has done pretty well for herself at a good public high school. Her stats are all on the lower end of “in range” for Dartmouth, GPA-wise and test score-wise. She really wants to go to Dartmouth, and has all the normal “good” extracurricular activities, has spent a summer volunteering abroad in Africa, etc. but is not really a standout at anything. However, her family is very good friends with someone who apparently is very good friends with someone high on the board of admissions for Dartmouth. The man on the board of admissions said to “let him know” if Dartmouth was truly her first choice and he’d see what he could do and would meet with her. This honestly all really bothers me because again, my cousin is a good student, but there isn’t really all that special and she comes from a world of tutoring and privilege. By the way, she isn’t a legacy or anything like that. But I’m wondering if anyone’s heard any stories about how influential having some sort of connection with someone “high in admissions” is if they’re not a family member or anything like that. Would this push her over the edge to get in if she appeared like just a normal cookie cutter applicant but he put in a decent word for her?
Oh, and she’ll probably plan to apply Early Decision
Admissions officers are always on the look-out for applicants. That is their job!!! Provided her GPA/Test scores/ECs/essays/letters of recommendation/anything else that might factor into the decision are all in order, there is every reason for the admissions officer to encourage her to apply. That is exactly what the admissions officer is supposed to be doing.
I don’t think you understand. This person is insinuating that he can help her get in.
Probably but who cares and how would we know? this is entirely heresay. This happens more than one might think probably. More egregious with legacies.
A person two steps removed, who knows nothing of the student wants to help. That and a dollar will get you a soda at McDonalds
Not your business at all. Later in life you will sometimes know of people getting hired due to inside connections. Oh well.
“This person is insinuating that he can help her get in.”
Which person? The one who works in the admissions office, or the friend of that person? Did you personally hear the words said? In either case, why does it matter so much to you?
Can the admissions officer get a promising applicant in? Sometimes yes, sometimes no.
Can a friend of an admissions officer get an applicant in? Of course not! That is a decision of the admissions office!
The OP says that the man on the board of admissions (presumably the adcom) will meet with her and see what he can do if Dartmouth is her first choice. So, that’s the exercise of influence, but not terribly much. Could he get her in? Maybe, depending on how the committee works and what his position is. Is he promising to get her in, sight unseen? No he is not. I’m sure he chose his words carefully when the mutual friend asked for the favor. All he has promised to do is meet with her. I would assume that “what he can do” depends both on the the factors I already described (process and position) and on how much she and her application impress him. How different is it from the situation in The Gatekeepers where a GC who is a good friend of the admissions officer brings strong candidates to his attention? There are always going to be people (GC’s, faculty, friends of admissions officers, etc etc) who can get an application an extra close look. I’d be surprised if, in the scheme of things, it’s much of a thumb on the scale.
Why do you care? Just wish her the best with her applications and move on.
“A person two steps removed, who knows nothing of the student wants to help. That and a dollar will get you a soda at McDonalds.”
Right. Your dad’s oldest buddy is the dean of admission (or the provost of the college)? You’re going to get a special look. Friends of friends will not get any meaningful favors.
I would be cautious of private meetings.
I was told - today, coincidentally – by a close mutual friend of a trustee of a superelite that their influence “can’t pull a kid over the fence, but can push him in if he is on the fence”. (his metaphor)
It was interesting to me, because I had heard – many times – that undue influence peddling does more damage than good.
Look at from Dartmouth’s or any other selective school’s prospective. They desperately want to keep their yield rates low and acceptance rates high, which means guessing which kids who applied have Dartmouth as their first choice and will an accept an offer. By telling an adcom that Dartmouth is a first choice for a student, it would be foolish for an adcom to ignore that fact in deciding whether or not to admit them.
Isn’t that what ED is for, at least in part? Although, yes, I realize that sometimes people don’t apply ED to their first choice because they need to see FA packages.