Ok please do not take offense to this im just asking it out of curiosity. I am an under-performing high school student and am now starting pick up the slack. Assuming my weighted GPA is slightly above 4.0 weighted(Massive upward trend low 3’s freshman year) and my SAT is a 2100-2200, how much money would my mom have to donate to ensure me an acceptance at yale? 6 figures? 7?. My mom is an alum there and would love for me to attend.
Six figures? 2.1 years of tuition, room and board is six figures.
Sorry bud – if you have to ask, you can’t afford it. Let’s go 8 figs
I don’t think there is even a 7-digit amount that insures it. Donations do carry some weight from a legacy donor, but when you have (iirc) $24B in your endowment, it can make you jaded about donations 
Otoh, with a good upward slope, okay-ish SATs, maybe a good story would work well. If you have a good GC, talk to them. If you don’t, consider hiring one. Spend some money on tutors if you’re having trouble keeping the GPA slope on track.
ETA: and get some SAT and ACT tutoring as well.
@T26E4 So assuming I can donate 8 figures would that guarantee an acceptance? It would be difficult but certainly possible.
@IxnayBob if I were to get an SAT tutor would Kaplan be a good idea? All i’ve done for prep are blue book practice tests. Would I need a 2400 to even be considered with my abysmal gpa?
Call the Yale admissions office and ask how much of a donation is required. They could use the laugh this time of year.
@TomSrOfBoston I feel like they certainly wouldnt give me an accurate figure and probably say that you cant buy yourself admission.
You will never know unless you ask.
@Tmilli, you don’t need an 2400. If your Mom is in a position to donate 8 figures, I’m sure that she can find someone to put together a game plan, select tutors, etc. However unlimited the finances might be, nothing is assured, even with a 2400.
If your Mom would love for you to attend, she’s a bit late to the party, and a check won’t solve everything. My guess is that you might be more comfortable elsewhere, but I don’t know you.
Wow—you’re lucky (or maybe not?) your parents have that kind of money. I remember seeing something about this in a book about applying to college. My recollection is that you need a really substantial donation, such as donating a new building. Maybe over a million? But really, do you want to live your whole life knowing that the only reason you got in was because your parents bought your admission? Seems to me you’d be better off applying to schools where you have a realistic chance of admission on your own merits. You may not feel better about that as a senior in high school, but you will when you’re older.
A good friend in the development office of a peer institution (HYPSM) told me once that the admissions office there never calls the development office to find out about legacy giving. She implied that a gift large enough to be announced by the university (8 figures) may be recognized by the admissions office without a phone call. It is possible that calls are initiated by the development office for special donors. A few years back Yale announced that amongst its highest tier of consistent donors ($50K+ x many years) those kids had only a 50% admit rate. That might sound like a lot but if you grew up in a family with that much wealth one would expect you to have attended great schools, had the luxury of interesting summer activities and private lessons and coaching so all in all, one would expect that group to have a higher admit rate. Donating a building probably would be helpful but short of that a first generation college applicant who is a URM will have a better chance of admission with lower stats than even a generous legacy applicant. The alums don’t like that much when their kids are rejected and that is why the admissions office sends a letter to all legacy applicant parents to let them down easily in anticipation of a rejection.
This thread is a thoroughly enjoyable read.
Btw, how about if I do a strip show outside of the Yale admissions office? Maybe hand them a little “sometin’ sometin’?”
Could I get in?
How about if I do a hand-stand? Would that improve my chances?
sarcasm
@Tmilli Why don’t you just buck up and get in the old fashioned way - by earning it? And if you happen to fall short, chalk it up to experience and do a better job in whatever college you do attend.
@JustOneDad
Plenty of kids who “deserve it” don’t get in, so that’s no guarantee either.
I think that’s the point, neatoburrito.
6 figures? Lol, you’re off by 2 digits. The donation wd have to be EIGHT figures, and there’d still be no guarantee.
If you are serious about this, or rather, your mom is, she should call the development office and discuss her plans for donations and by the way, she has a student applying this year. Or better, discuss this first with any prominent alumni or trustee connections she has. I don’t think this approach is something you can count on as in any amount ensuring admissions.
It must feel terrible to have that much pressure in hopes of one college admission. I don’t think this is something you as a student should spend a second more thinking about. Work on the rest of your list, there are a lot of colleges you will enjoy so find them.
You could get a tutor. There are some famous ones who charge a lot and guarantee outcomes.
http://www.slate.com/blogs/business_insider/2014/08/27/anthony_green_tutors_rich_kids_via_skype_through_his_company_test_prep_authority.html
"A few years back Yale announced that amongst its highest tier of consistent donors ($50K+ x many years) those kids had only a 50% admit rate. "
$50K x many years is pocket change for schools of this caliber.
“Assuming my weighted GPA is slightly above 4.0 weighted(Massive upward trend low 3’s freshman year) and my SAT is a 2100-2200, how much money would my mom have to donate to ensure me an acceptance at yale? 6 figures? 7?. My mom is an alum there and would love for me to attend.”
The people who can afford the kind of money that gets noticed at Yale (and similar schools) - which is pretty much at the 8 figure level – don’t NEED to have their kids attend Yale, since they already have all the connections they need.
I am sure that the only thing that will ensure that you get accepted to the Ivy League is being the daughter of the President or a past president - like the Bushes. POTUS’ daughter is a junior and was doing the college tour thingy this spring break. She goes to one of the best privates in DC. Trust and believe, she will get into any Ivy she applies to.
So, unless you can say your daddy is President, join the rest of the regular folk who have to get in the regular way. Sorry to be blunt but there are alums who donate millions, the latest large one was $250 million toward the two new residential colleges. Now if that guy has a kid, I am sure they can get in too if they want to come. Unless you are playing in those arenas, you are the same boat as everyone else.
I am speaking from experience. My kid is a legacy and she had an 85% chance of being rejected. We were on pins and needles until the link went live (though she applied SCEA) and knew early. I know how your mom feels. I’ve been there.