Kids getting accepted, but didn't apply

Parents Forum
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<p>Yes, but that blame should not be placed at his feet, it is the college that placed it there with the opportunity. </p>

<p>That being said, I agree it is unfair that this system exists because there are kids who desperately want to go to these colleges, but are bumped. However, I should ask do you feel it’s fair that some students are accepted with lower stats because of being a URM? Our DS had the stats to get in, he was actively recruited by Princeton, Harvard, Stanford and UPenn. His case was not about getting in because it was ROTC and not academics. Every university he applied to gave him merit scholarships also, before they even knew of his ROTC scholarship. He did ED for all of his colleges and had acceptances by Feb, his scholarship for ROTC was not in hand until after that.</p>

<p>Now back on topic, this really must be a coming trend. While we were out yesterday afternoon, a college called and left a message that not only had our DD been accepted, but they were giving her a scholarship too. Small private college in VA. Again she never applied to them. </p>

<p>Our DD is a good student, but academically nowhere near her brother, she only had a 1290 out of 1600. She has a better gpa though 4.17 wgpa/3.7uwgpa. She also is in the Cambridge Program and has more AP’s on her transcript than he had. Yet, I would not classify her as the student that every school would try to track down personally. </p>

<p>She did state it was talk at the school yesterday among her friends how a couple of them also got the exact same acceptance letter, but did not apply. For kids, who just want to get any acceptance letter that is a hard thing to hear, and I feel for them. I reminded my DD to be cognizant of that fact and try not to discuss it the open.</p>

<p>Sagiter, I don’t think it is a scam because it comes with the whole packet, big brochure, DVD, open house dates, housing forms, major intention and they never ask for a dime.</p>

<p>bus,

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<p>I agree and that is why I didn’t think it would happen for our DD. DS was the JR Olympic Champion and 3 time State champ for TKD, plus a lifeguard, and had a ton of reputable ECs.</p>

<p>DD is our social butterfly and her ECs were very weak compared to him.</p>

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I wasn’t placing the blame at your son’s feet. You are correct in that the blame should be the university’s/college’s.</p>

<p>I don’t like the higher acceptance rates of URMs with lower stats, either.</p>

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<p>Thank you for the clarification, unfortunately with sites like this it is too easy to misread, and that is why I was explaining our position.</p>

<p>This will divert the thread and as the OP I don’t mind…how many people are comfortable knowing that URM exists.</p>

<p>If your child gets in due to a URM reason, do you feel it is fair? Do you believe they are taking a spot over the other student? If they have lower stats and are in the bottom 25% of the avg accepted are you concerned they won’t make it academically?</p>

<p>Not trying to offend, just want to gain insight.</p>

<p>For those of you who have children that get wait-listed is it truly wrong that universities expand and give an edge to others who have a disadvantage? Wouldn’t accepting URMs to college reduce the need for AA?</p>

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<p>I don’t completely understand this question. I thought active recruitment of URMs was AA. If what you mean is wouldn’t longstanding affirmative action ultimately reduce the need for afirmative action I guess the typical response would be that the goal is that over time the need for AA from the point of view of the URM would be reduced.</p>

<p>However, I don’t believe most universities actively recruit URMs only for equity reasons, but because they believe it provides a fuller college experience for everyone if the whole student body isn’t composed of one ethnic group or a bunch of little Thurston Howell IIIs.</p>

<p>I’m not sure I entirely buy it, but that’s the usual response.</p>

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<p>I think to be fair you should have phrased your question to include URM, legacy, recruited athlete or Developmental Admit. As a parent, I would be concerned if my child were in the bottom 25% even if they did not fall into any of the hooked catagories.</p>

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<p>^^^ x2 on GA’s post. None of these special categories are intrinsically “fair.” But at least for private universities, they don’t have to be “fair,” in a pure sense of the word.</p>

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<p>I always find it interesting how much more people are offended by a URM with lesser stats as opposed to the other hooked students.</p>

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<p>I didn’t include “hook” students i.e. athletics, because I didn’t want to start a firestorm. For example, let’s add in the basketball player recruited by UNCCH, they got in for how well they dribble a ball, not academics. That being said the fees that UNCCH get from ESPN, ABC, CBS brings a lot of money into the school that can be spent on better facilities. Hate to say it, but a legacy or a URM will not bring in the bucks. Wrong? YES! Reality? YES!</p>

<p>I am not offended by URM, I actually support it more than I do legacy or athletics, but the reality is it exists.</p>

<p>I also do mean that by selecting URMs in the long run we will diminish the need for AA. The playing field would eventually become even and AA would no longer exist.</p>

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<p>MIT accepts young women with lower stats than young men. They find that they end up performing better once they are at MIT. That seems fair to me and I certainly understand that they like having a 50/50 M/F ratio (or close to) unlike most technical schools. And I say this as the Mom of a son who did not get in who had very high stats.</p>

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<p>I thought you could only apply ED to one college?!</p>

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<p>Can I be the one to throw the monkey wrench in? This sounds really, really far-fetched. Maybe your DS AND DD are students that would blind the rest of us with their brilliance, wit, athletic achievements, musical talents, debating skills - whatever. But ANY school, ANYWHERE? Unsolicited offers from Duke?! I’ve got to say that it smells a bit fishy (or ■■■■■-y) I apologize in advance if this is all on the up and up and I’m wrong, gotta wonder though…</p>

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<p>3bysmom: my thoughts exactly. Again, it is totally possible that Duke does make unsolicited offers, but I am kind of surprised by that. Similarly if according to the OP, her S was actively recruited by Harvard, Stanford etc. it indicates to me that it may be on basis of athletics. I know that athletic recruitment and admissions in many colleges is different, the coaches in some instances have a great say in the admissions process. If the OP’s children are being recruited and given unsolicited offers due to their athletic abilities, the OP should be open about it as there is nothing to be ashamed about that. It is not underhand. If they are being given admission based on academic criteria and they have not applied, that does sound strange. </p>

<p>A few universities have contacted my son recently and they have mentioned that based on his academic record, he would eligible for scholarships etc. and that if he applies by a certain deadline they will expedite the decision. There was a contact name who could be contacted and would help the process and that the application fee would be waived. However he still needed to apply to those schools and while they were schools in the UNSWR list, none of them were say in the top 30.</p>

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<p>The OP’s post history makes me doubt that she is a ■■■■■. That said, did everyone miss the “JR Olympic champion” part of her S’s resume? Counts as a hook in my book, albeit an “earned” one.</p>

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<p>B&P is no ■■■■■…my daughter received acceptances from a couple of in-state schools that she never even considered looking at …sort of off the radar schools. I know that there were some incentives to keep top students at state colleges and universities and their apps were nothing more than signing up and you were " accepted " , at least for really strong students.</p>

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<p>lje62: I have heard of this happening for the lesser ranked schools. the only cases I have heard of this happening in the top ranked schools is for athletics. If the OP’s S was given this offer due to athletic abilities, it is understandable. If they were for academics, it is strange for the top institutions to do that.</p>

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<p>I, for one, do not believe that Duke AND NYU Stern offered admission to a student who did not apply.</p>

<p>MAYBE one could do so out of some bizarre mistake, computer glitch, mixed up names or whatever, but two, no.</p>

<p>NOBODY is offering a corroborating similar case from that level of university.</p>

<p>■■■■■ or not, sounds like BS.</p>

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<p>I have to say, this just sounds “off” to me. Duke and NYU both turn away far more students than are admitted including many “full pay”, so why would they do this? And if NYU wanted an athlete, why would they admit specifically to Stern which is their business school?</p>

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<p>Some of you posters are getting off track. The OP is definitely not a ■■■■■, but is a well known, highly respected poster on CC. I understand suspicion when something doesn’t sound quite right, but in this case I completely trust the source.</p>

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<p>I can understand that OP is a well know and highly respected poster on CC. The confusion is as follows
Let us begin with the OP’s post:</p>

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<p>The OP wants to know if it is a new thing for top colleges to make unsolicited offers to students who have not applied and whose credentials that college has no idea about. I may be new to CC, but I would strongly doubt colleges like Duke, who have so many extremely qualified applicants that they turn away. would make offers without seeing the student’s record, unless the student in question has excelled in a certain area beyond compare. Such candidates do exist but are few and far between. Hence if the OP’s children did not have something extraordinary in their resume, the question is “why did Duke make this unsolicited offer for this student when nobody else has reported such an offer?”. If the OP’s did have some extraordinary achievements, then the answer to the OP’s question is “No, it is not commonplace”.</p>

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<p>How am I off track? I am aware that the OP is a long time poster, but this sounds far fetched to me. In addition the original post references a full ride to any college in the country, only after a few others asked questions was it revealed that it was an ROTC scholarship, why wasn’t that explained in the original post. Also the OP references “ED for all of his colleges” and as it was pointed out by another poster, only one ED is allowed.</p>