<p>Back in the day...when it was far less absurd to suggest that a major university such as Georgetown would allow the admissions process to be pre-empted by donations...I knew one person who was borderline material for admission who got in and his dad later served on their Board of Visitors (or whatever it's called) -- the dad was THAT powerful and wealthy. But about 5 years later when the brother applied, and dad was STILL on the Board, the brother was not admitted. And he did a decent job at St. George's, too.</p>
<p>If anything, I suspect that the trend towards buying in has gotten tighter, not looser.</p>
<p>And to suggest that that sort of policy is what accounts for THAT many students getting in is a bit preposterous.</p>
<p>Personally, I moved to Washington after college because it was where things were happening. Boston and New York have their Ivies. Washington has some excellent colleges, but Georgetown stands head and shoulders above the rest. If geography comes into play...then as you move down the East Coast to Washington you find Georgetown, which is less competitive than the Ivy League schools but the top dog in DC.</p>
<p>I think it's as simple as that. Geography: One of the most important cities in the world in close proximity to the East Coast boarding schools and the lack of an Ivy League school, plus the aspiration to be the Ivy-equivalent. It's no surprise that the BS students are gaining admission in such numbers AND they want to go there. It sure makes a lot more sense than surmising that all these people are paying double tuition or something like that to get in because they're not otherwise qualified to gain admission to a school like Georgetown.</p>