According to the charge for the Faculty Senate’s Committee on Undergraduate Admission and Financial Aid (C-UAFA), the Committee has the power to determine “the general criteria under which applicants may be given special consideration because of distinctive characteristics.”
The charge lists examples of these characteristics, including “applicants whose parents graduated from Stanford or are on the Stanford faculty or staff, those with highly developed specific talents, members of ethnic minorities, or others who lend a desirable diversity to the class.”
This quote comes from here: http://www.stanforddaily.com/2013/03/12/connections-to-university-can-affect-admissions-decision/
Despite common perception, enrollment applications received at Stanford from children of alumni - known as ‘legacies’ – are treated differently than those received from children of faculty and donors. While all receive preferential treatment, legacy or even double legacy status does not put a student in the same category as children of faculty or children of top donors.
“It is important not to muddy the waters between these groups,” said Marci Reichelstein, a former Stanford Admissions Officer and owner of a college admissions consulting company.
While a legacy student gets extra points in the admission process, according to Reichelstein, children of faculty are given a “golden halo” and processed differently.
This quote comes from: http://patch.com/california/paloalto/inside-stanford-s-exclusive-admission-path-c38ea20a
Now, yes she does say in the article such students are still not guaranteed, which is what I have been saying all along anyways.
Yep, the committee has that power, but you have not established how it is used beyond the extra essay read that is commonly known.
We also know that donating an obscene amount can create a “special situation”, putting students in a “different category”. Can you tell us what that is?
And, finally, I would be careful relying on what anyone who is now in business for themselves says. For example, can you tell us what a “golden halo” means?
Well I’m pretty sure a “golden halo” qualifies as special consideration, with a great increase in admittances as notes by Marci. The second read is a commonly known action given to legacy applicants, but Marci here clearly says the faculty kids are given separate attention in a different category. Yes we may not know what exactly is done, but if a golden halo and being put in a separate category does not qualify as simply a special consideration, then I don’t know what does.
Plus to say Marci is saying this to be in business really is a far fetched accusation, if that is what you were trying to say.
Again, glowing terms are meant to draw the unwary reader into believing something that isn’t directly indicated by the available data.
@successonsuccess In a way this is kind of moot anyway . . . regardless, you should do as good a job on your application as you possibly can and then the admissions office will make its decision. This is especially true if you know that Stanford is your first choice.
I think where it could be important to figure this out is if you also have some kind of hook elsewhere, e.g. one or both of your parents went to another school you’re also interested in . . . then in thinking about where to apply early (since you can’t apply early at both Stanford and another private school), it would be good to know, as best you can figure, where you have the best shot.
“since you can’t apply early at both Stanford and another private school”
This is not correct. Students CAN apply SCEA to Stanford AND to U’s that require early applications in order to be considered for scholarships, like U of Southern Calif.
Good point @menloparkmom, the USC 12/1 deadline for merit scholarships does seem like an exception.
I’m not sure how many situations like USC there are, but I don’t believe a student can apply EA to Stanford and also early to any Ivy League school, for example (HYP have EA programs similar to Stanford’s, and the other five have ED).
You’re gonna get lobbed in.