Well here is an interesting situation. My D is applying to an Ivy. We live on West Coast. Her grandfather has a friend who attended, was on the board at some point and is relatively famous (he is in his nineties). His friend does not know my daughter at all. Apparently this friend made a call on my D’s behalf (or at least Grandpa thinks he did). Not sure what to do about this. It could totally hurt her chances…I feel bad because Grandpa was trying to help and in his time this was common practice. Leave it alone? Chances are slim anyway though I feel like if she had any chance at all this could really hurt her.
Don’t worry about it. Likely not to have any effect at all. Just ignore it.
I don’t think it will matter one way or the other.
Let it go.
Nothing you can do now - I’m guessing admissions gets these calls occasionally from well-meaning folks… sleep well tonight.
I don’t think it will hurt either. They get tons of those calls.
On a positive note. This could become a fun, talk-able event that may make your d’s application looked with more interest. Who knows if that could be all that was needed for an acceptance. Chances are slim anyway so anything that’s noticeable can help.
At least they wouldn’t penalize the 90 years old former celebrity board member by giving a disadvantage to the student he vouched. Likely your D’s grandpa thought about that too. Old people are often wise.
@Veryapparent Leave it alone. Hopefully they just ignore. He is 90.
Is this a bad thing?
I think it will result in nothing. Or slightly something positive. You have nothing to worry about (p.s. Don’t tell your daughter).
It’s not what you know but who you know. If this guy has any historical connection to the school it can only help. Thank the guy. Good luck.
He couldn’t say anything about your daughter, lol! He doesn’t know her, what could he say?
I don’t think I’d even believe what Grandpa said about his connections.
I don’t know, I might be tempted to all admissions, but I would get past the students answering the phone. Your daughter did not consent to this interference in her application, however, benign the intentions. And the guy doesn’t even know her.
@SculptorDad and @yourmomma,that is not how admissions works these days. It likely will have no effect at all. If somehow the student had tried to name drop or arrange the call themselves, it could have a detrimental impact. But this situation will likely be a non-event, especially because the guy calling hasn’t even met the kid. Admissions isn’t much interested in continuing the cycle of privilege these days.
Just to clarify I mentioned calling in order to explain that the young woman had no idea this was being done and it was her elderly grandfather who had the bright idea to have his friend call. Just kind of a disclaimer. I have no idea if that is needed but that is what I would do because I hate that kind of thing.
I wouldn’t call and try to fix anything, you could have big regrets then because you do the goofy thing. You would be the one accusing a very old guy of being bad - that wouldn’t represent you well! Just brings attention to something likely forgotten or at least not given consideration. I bet they get a few of these well intentioned calls from grandparents, wealthy friends, etc. And admissions folks are real people too, they understand the overbearing older folks that think they still have influence decades later. I vote for zero impact.
If someone 90+ called me in admissions, I would be thinking - isn’t that sweet?! and bless his heart! Probably wouldn’t remember the student’s name…
post edit - my D heads back to college tomorrow and we are hanging out tonight on our respective laptops. I just told her about your thread - and I have to tell you it really made us laugh. Not at you at all, because I totally get how this would worry you, particularly if first to college…but the premise - that grandpa had his 90 something year old friend call the ivy school and this old friend doesn’t even know your daughter - and he may have been a “celebrity” at some point - it is really quite cute and funny. I sincerely think admissions will see it this way. Thanks for the chuckle, it will be fine.
I agree with the other posters here–this is probably harmless. However, I think it’s naive to believe that “who you are” or “who you know” will have no influence on elite college admissions. We can laugh this off because we assume that grandpa’s 90 year old friend no longer knows people in positions of true power. But if grandpa’s friend was a younger person, well-connected currently, who perhaps had donated large sums of money (or who even might be a candidate for donating in the future), then the phone call could very well get the applicant additional consideration. This assumes she’s a qualified applicant, but nearly everybody who applies is reasonably well-qualified.
No, bottom line is this guy doesn’t know OP’s daughter. He has no pull. Naive is assuming he has some special influence for who he is or was, just because he calls.
Imagine the conversation, “My friend’s granddaughter…no, I cant comment on her.”
No follow up call needed to make a mountain out of this. Let it be. Plus no one knows if he did call.
Even if this guy were Mr Big Donor, even if he were younger, he doesn’t get an adcom pass to use to get a stranger to the head of the line.
If he did call, he probably just had a random chat. This gal is no better or worse for it. Whst matters is what is in her control, her own app.
Whether or not it got the Op’s D got an extra minute of eyeball by admissions cannot be speculated. But there is nothing the OP needs to do. I do think the op should tell her D and the D should thank her grandfather (or the friend).
So I can tell a relevant story. I have a cousin who graduated from pretty high ranked college in Northeast. Not ivy but definitely competitive admissions.
My cousin has been an alumni donor for many years but also he is friends with guy who is one of the top donors in their age range. Last year it’s time for cousin’s son to apply, legacy of course. I know nothing about kids stats so can’t comment on that. Anyhow cousin asks big donor friend to call on son’s behalf which he does. He also sent a letter.
End of story: kid denied admission. Cousin, kids dad, is furious and says he won’t be donating anymore.
I was actually happy to hear that money can’t buy everything