<p>Colgate, like many other colleges, does make an effort to “keep it in the family” to some extent. While this may bother some people, it’s not so different from the extra consideration given to athletes, students of different races, perhaps foreign students, and others. Universities seek to create student bodies which are made up of a diversity of different types of students, so they will likely give some added weight to differences. </p>
<p>Although not the same thing, giving some added weight to alums’ kids also seems appropriate at many schools due to factors such as fund-raising implications. </p>
<p>Here are my thoughts on some reasons why this is done: </p>
<p>If Colgate is a family affair, it’s more likely the university will see increased donations. </p>
<p>There may be another factor involved, as well – children of alumni are often viewed as “known quantities,” meaning they are seen as more likely to be committed to attending Colgate, already sold on the school, and perhaps more likely to be energetic supporters of the school, not to mention more likely to accept an acceptance. All colleges seek to increase their “yield” which is the percentage of accepted students who decide to go to a particular college. A higher number means the college is more likely viewed as a better school. And children of alums, I imagine, are viewed as more likely to say ‘yes’ to an acceptance – though not always. </p>
<p>And, I suppose, a more psychological factor may be at work, as well. Admissions people see a child of an alum applying and they are likely to think, “This kid is from a family which clearly loves Colgate, and we want people like that here.” Kind of like going out with a girl who obviously likes you. It’s a lot easier to do. </p>
<p>Children of alums are not likely to gain admission, though, if their scores and grades are weak or other factors are not good, of course. All private colleges, from the Ivies on down, do this, and in fact it sometimes reaches absurd proportions when a demonstrably weak applicant gains admission largely because they’re the son or daughter of a famous alum. I’ll let you think of some of the more famous examples, but Yale and Harvard come quickly to mind as does a president or two.</p>