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I actually am, a little.</p>
<p>6800 undergrads * 50K / $24B * 100 = 1.4% of their endowment. They are already giving out enormous amounts of financial aid, so I would imagine that for much less than 1% of their endowment every year, every undergrad could go free.</p>
<p>Can you imagine the headlines that would make?</p>
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<p>Conversations occur behind closed-doors. There’s not going to be any manual that we regular folks are going to be able to look at and know how the process works.</p>
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The threshold is lower than that. My guess is that the cut-off – the point at which SAT’s are so low that the Ivies won’t consider them even if other stats are very strong – is probably around ~1800. That’s based on looking at the full distribution of admitted students from CDS data. Obviously they are looking at the whole package, so the admitted student with the low-end score would have to have a high GPA, class rank, and other distinguishing factors… but the point is, every year they admit a significant percentage of students with test scores in the 600 range on individual subtests, and every year the admit a tiny fraction of students with test scores below that (500-590 range) on individual scores. Given the high number of rejected students with higher scores, those low-end scores wouldn’t be there unless they were making it past the first cut. (It’s not like the Ivies have to take those kids)</p>
<p>Harvard has never been all about SAT scores:
from [gladwell</a> dot com - getting in](<a href=“http://www.gladwell.com/2005/2005_10_10_a_admissions.html]gladwell”>http://www.gladwell.com/2005/2005_10_10_a_admissions.html)</p>
<p>When we attended the Harvard tour, the admissions officer shared with a study that Harvard had done of it’s applicants. They determined that 60% of their applicants could handle the academics at Harvard. Basically, they have to take that 60% and pare it down to a freshman class of 1600.</p>
<p>Going back to the supposed insignificance of the $2 million donation…</p>
<p>I can’t think of a non profit in this country that wouldn’t make sure a very senior person in the development office spends some extra time with a $2 million donor, and makes sure they get some special attention. I would expect that Bill Gates, himself, would call anyone who said they were going to add $2 million to his already gigantic foundation.</p>
<p>Harvard’s multi billion dollar endowment did not come from large numbers of private family billion dollar donors. Or even large numbers of private family $100 million dollar donors.</p>
<p>My kids attended a private high school that gets quite a bit in donations through its annual fund campaign. Knowing this school very well, I can tell that there are not any “deals” made. Families do donate millions–yes some families did, and there is absolutely no guarantee that their kids will gain entrance. Some of the top donors to the school have tried to get family and friends into the school, and often do not succeed. They do, however, get special treatment while they are touring the school getting the personal attention of many of the higher ups at the school. </p>
<p>Do these folks get extra consideration for admissions? Absolutely yes. Anyone greatly associated to the school does whether it is through sibling or parental legacy, development, employment and significant others. But I’ve known kids in every one of these categories that have been rejected if they were considered a good fit for the school. As they should be. This is not a school for the academically weak,and there are no special classes or support for someone unprepared for a rigorous academic and extra curricular schedule. </p>
<p>I think that the denials are given personally, and perhap in mutual agreement with the parents or the school “Connection” if there is too great of a gap between the student;s academic abilities and the school requirements. Yes, some leeway in straightforward qualifications by test scores and grades are given to a number of students, as contribution to the school community at large is an important part of the admissions criteria. They want musicians, athletes, artists and others active in something, just as the top schools are, and those kids are given points in the process accordingly that could get them accepted over some kids who have higher test scores and grades.</p>
<p>I very much doubt that someone bribes these top schools for a seat for their kids. It is mutually understood that some consideration is given. Those who do these things understand the subtleties of the process. </p>
<p>Some years ago, some NYC financial big wig got into trouble for trying to “buy” his kid’s way into an exclusive preschool or kindergarten. Schools with their reputation that is important to them and part of their “shine” are not going to risk losing it by taking outright bribes.</p>
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<p>Right. And then show us your calculations on how many such families do cough up 2 million in cash. Just because a family has very high net worth doesn’t mean they would choose to use it to buy their child into an elite college. I know of two families who were in this situation recently: bright child, ability to cough up $2 million. But they didn’t do it. I doubt that there are even ten students a year who are generally well-qualified (as this student clearly is) and whose parents try to buy them in. I doubt there are five.</p>
<p>And this kid is a double legacy!</p>
<p>I’m sure this kid will be a proud Harvard freshman next year.</p>
<p>Given what is happening to Harvard and it’s endowment in the last few years, $2M is NOT insignificant and clearly a hook in this case. His 2100 is “enough”, he is an athlete, a double legacy. Did they give the money? Who knows. To the OP, just move and and wait and see what happens next spring.</p>
<p>It feels to me that the OP is being scornful of the “mere” $2MM, trying to pretend that it’s nothing and just a drop in the bucket and nothing that Harvard would pay the least bit attention to, because he’s hoping against hope that it means nothing and his friend won’t get in.</p>
<p>Personally, I think it would be more honest and more productive if all the top schools just said – we are going to auction off 10 spots (or 20 spots, or whatever) to the highest bidders and the only requirement is that the kid have some reasonable minimum level of SAT’s, GPA, etc. to assure that he or she could reasonably do the work. Raise a lot of money and keep it simple and quiet and it won’t affect the quality of the student body in any way and may enable X number of poorer kids to attend. </p>
<p>I wonder what the spots would go for on ebay?</p>
<p>A lot of average working parents are paying 100%+ of their asset(borrowing into the future) to fund their kid’s college tuition. If you are worth $100mill+, how much of it are you willing to give if your kid could be guaranteed a spot at HYPS?</p>
<p>Right, that’s my point. Auction off 10 spots to those families, you could raise a HECK of a lot of money for the school. It’s at least more honest than the maybe-we-will-maybe-we-won’t approach.</p>
<p>Though honestly if you’re worth $100MM, your kid doesn’t need HYPSM at all. You’ve got enough connections it doesn’t matter if the kid’s even HYPSM material or not.</p>
<p>But it’ll look good, kind of like carrying a Prada or Gucci.</p>
<p>But at that level, it doesn’t MATTER. The people worth $100 MM don’t NEED to impress anyone with either a Prada handbag or a Harvard degree. They do whatever the heck they want, whenever and wherever they want to.</p>
<p>OP doesn’t seem to consider 2 million a significant amount of money. I want his/her parents to adopt ME! ;)</p>
<p>I think the OP most certainly considers $2MM a significant sum of money; he just wants to try to convince himself that Harvard won’t care about it because he’s jealous that such a sum might (keyword: might) give his friend a leg up in admissions. Well, lots of things give other people a leg up in admissions. URM status, athletic ability, legacy, developmental admits. You can’t spend your life worrying about other people’s advantages or whether they are “fair” or “unfair.” Life isn’t fair.</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/28/business/28donate.html[/url]”>http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/28/business/28donate.html</a></p>
<p>THIS is the kind of donation level that makes national news – and only because this person is a public figure in his own right. There are plenty of people giving at the six and seven figure levels who do so quietly, under the radar screen, and who don’t want it to be public knowledge (except to the extent that it may help a family member applicant). </p>
<p>Really, anyone who isn’t already a public figure or part of a well-known family (Pritzkers, Rockefellers, Gates, etc.) would have to be stupid to really want it publicized. Why would you want people to know that you can afford to donate $2MM to a college? So then you can attract other people who want your money? So your children and grandchildren can potentially be the target of kidnappers who figure you’ll pay a nice ransom? The smartest people are quiet about their money.</p>
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<li><p>I know of double-legacy kids at Harvard whose parents have given at that level who have been turned down. And with SATs better than 2100. It’s not automatic at all.</p></li>
<li><p>However, I know for a fact that giving at that level will get you a lot of attention and hand-holding from the Alumni Office, who will certainly hint that they can help a lot, especially if you make some fresh commitments. I think they try to be honest, but they definitely shade their honesty a bit.</p></li>
<li><p>Five or six years ago, I heard from someone who thought he knew (and who might have been in a position to know) that one could assure one’s qualified offspring’s admission to one of Harvard’s main competitors for $4 million.</p></li>
<li><p>On the other hand, I heard a very credible story a few years ago about a family with two generations of alumni at another of Harvard’s main competitors, who had given far more than $4 million to the university over time. They were called in preemptively by the Alumni Office and the Admissions Office and told in no uncertain terms that they should not embarrass themselves and the university by having their son, then a junior in high school, apply. He was not qualified and would not be accepted. (He was a B/B- student at a fancy prep school.)</p></li>
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<p>^^ Obviously not Yale. Bush proved that much.</p>
<p>^ Bush was class of '68 at Yale, a much different time period, but I agree w/ your statement.</p>