<p>Rumor has it that development offices call important alums and donors to give them a heads up if their kids are going to be rejected or deferred. True?</p>
<p>Every school is going to have their own policy, but I would not be surprised if some schools do this. We’re talking about real VIPs, though – like members of the board of trustees.</p>
<p>I agree, it would not suprise me if a college notified a heavy doner parent if their S/D were going to be rejected or deferred. I doubt they would do this for every doner/alum but certainly a courtesy call if there were a substantial doner/alum. I can assure you that most doner/alumni would be very unhappy if they had a qualified S or D that was not accepted and they didn’t get a heads up…and even moreso if it were more than second generation.</p>
<p>Let the idle speculation start! </p>
<p>Does anyone really believe that the people who are in the know would make this information public? Do you know many development cases who would hit the cocktail circuit and start a conversation with “Yeah, Buffy did not get in at Yale. Seems that our 2MM was not enough this year. But Baron T. got in with lesser stats at Penn. Must have been a fatter check.” </p>
<p>Really?</p>
<p>^Possible. Their kids may. In fact, I heard a kid going around saying such a thing. I don’t have a way to verify but knowing the kid and family it’s believable. Interestingly, some families share this type of information with their kids and even with other families. I don’t know what would prompt them to do so. To me, it is an indecent exposure but…</p>
<p>I only know of one case, and it came from D1. Her good friend from high school told her that his sister was going to be deferred during ED and be admitted RD, and that´s what happened. His parents were told by the school. I don´t remember if the school called them before the notification date. According to D1, the girl couldn´t have gotten in to even 2nd tier schools on her own.</p>
<p>Kids tend to talk more because they are more innocent. Adults wouldn´t necessary disclose that kind of information because they want people to think their kids got in on their own.</p>
<p>Or some families like to advertise they can swing their arms. Since when that became so desirable is beyond me. This kid was going around talking for all to hear, not just close friends, how x MM did the trick at an Ivy. Does that sound like a “leader” that Ivies are supposed to covet?</p>
<p>My brother got a phone call several years ago the day before ED decisions were announced telling him that his daughter had been admitted. Brother was an alum of the school, probably a donor although not a major donor. Knowing my brother, he had called someone at the school and asked if they would notify him . . … (He’s strangly pursuasive.)</p>
<p>Yale, at least, sends a letter to all alumni with kids applying telling them that they like to admit legacies, but to be aware that most legacies don’t get admitted. What else they may do for big donors, I don’t know.</p>
<p>^^ Stanford sends the same letter to alums. If you get it, the natural reaction is that the college is just preparing your family for the eventual rejection by letting you down easy up front. Why otherwise send a letter to an alum saying most legacies get rejected, unless they are about to reject your legacy? We all know it is competitive, so why the extra spin unless to soften the blow?</p>
<p>Yale sends you this letter early in the process, and you get it even if your kid is ultimately admitted. But they are trying to soften the blow for those who won’t get in, which is a majority.</p>
<p>Yes, and they send a nice letter after the rejection, too, which we threw out.</p>
<p>OK, a few cases in point:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Almost every athlete I know who has been recruited to apply ED has heard from the coach a few days before the decisions come out. Including some “Sorry, but you’re going to be deferred” calls.</p></li>
<li><p>I know third-hand of one situation where Stanford told a family that was a huge, multi-generational, names-on-things donor that the upcoming high school senior would not be admitted, so he shouldn’t embarrass everyone by applying.</p></li>
<li><p>I know second-hand that being a mere seven-figure donor (over time) does not get you an advance warning at any number of places, certainly including Stanford, Harvard, and Yale. Maybe if you ask for it specially?</p></li>
<li><p>Five or six years ago, relatives who travel in very moneyed circles in Manhattan reported confidently that the pricetag on a Princeton admission guaranty was a donation of at least $4 million. This was apparently a topic of general discussion in their set.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>People do discuss these things, not just kids? If parents go this route, I wish they teach their kids manners not to go around announcing their acceptances in front of rejected classmates who probably had higher stats/better qualifications.</p>
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<p>I never received any such letter from my alma mater when S applied there, but I don’t know why you would take such a letter personally as in “they’re about to reject my kid.” Wouldn’t you just assume the common sense thing, which was that they were sending out all of these “don’t get your hopes up” letters to any alumni parent with a child applying that year through some kind of impersonal database? Assuming that they’re sending it directly TO YOU is about as silly as the people who assume that the pretty brochure from Harvard in the mail means that Harvard is really after their kid and really, really wants him.</p>
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<p>I don’t dispute this at all, but I’d also note that if you have the disposable income such that you could toss a $4 MM donation someplace and not break a sweaat, there is no social circle you need Princeton to desperately break into. IOW, families with that kind of wealth don’t “need” Princeton (et al) for any kind of validation unless they specifically want to - their kids will be set for life regardless of whether they attend Princeton or State U.</p>
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<p>It kind of brings up the interesting point - if you were in that crowd and playing that game (and let’s assume your kid is reasonably qualified / in the ballpark, not a situation where you’re trying to foist your C student onto Princeton), do you explicitly tell kid what’s going on, or do you make your donation under the table and not let on to kid what you’re doing?</p>