Strange Call from Admissions Officer

Colleges and Universities A-Z Yale University
1

<p>One of the teachers who wrote recommendation letters for me received a strange call from Yale one or two weeks ago: the admissions officer who called merely asked if there was any reason why the teacher thought that I should not be accepted. Of course my teacher answered "No." Then the officer asked if he wanted to tell her anything else about me. He said some stuff, but it turns out they already knew about it.</p>

<p>Has anyone heard that their teacher/counselor received this kind of call? I don't think it can be a bad thing, but I'm afraid they're just checking up to see if I'm slacking off in the last semester of senior year.</p>

2

<p>They might be doing that. I know my counselor gets a lot of flak from admissions concerning missing transcripts.</p>

3

<p>i would take that as an acceptance. very good sign :)</p>

4

<p>I don't want to make you nervous, but sometimes they call teachers or GCs because there are inconsistencies in your application. Something that does not make sense, like your teacher saying that you're the best chem student ever, and then you get a 500 in the chem subject test. So you can't really tell, could be a good sign, could be a bad one.</p>

5

<p>Actually, I hope that more schools were as diligent. I know someone who has applied to every ivy league school and falsely claimed that he is half African American. Not only that, but he has a huge reputation for being a cheater at school but the guidance counselor was afraid of not recommending him and the consequences. It is all very unfair to the honest applicants.</p>

6

<p>Why was the GC afraid? Is his papa some kind of big CEO? It's pretty sad to see these kids get in, but I mean what happens if they actually did? Won't his adcom see that he's not black?</p>

7

<p>The kid is Indian, and I mean no disrespect to other honest Indian applicants. That is just his true ethnic origin.Why was the GC afriad? Well, she said she didn't have tenure, and frankly the kid's parents are litgious. Still, not sufficient justifications. His suspensions do not show up on the trancript either. I am disgusted by it all. I hope that Yale and the other schools see through him, but already he has been accepted to a couple of schools. Some people have no conscience.</p>

8

<p>Some have guns.
Four students died near my school,knifed or gunned down.</p>

9

<p>that's awful. if i were you i'd tell yale :(</p>

10

<p>Someone tried, but the person who answered the phone, not an admissions officer, said I don't think we will talk about applicants over the phone, and put the woman on hold. Then she got back on after speaking to someone else and said you will have to mail something to us. If they and other ivy league schools accept him and find out the truth after the fact, they are just going to be embarassed. This kid is as corrupt as they come.</p>

11

<p>They also have the right to expel him. Don't you sign something on the app swearing that everything on it is true??</p>

<p>Wouldn't THAT be fun to see!!</p>

12

<p>Any clueful teacher or guidance counselor can write a recommendation that is "a wink and a nod" to the admissions committee. It is a recommendation that, while ostensibly positive, falls short of true enthusiasm. It is positive enough to avoid the wrath of litigious parents (who are not supposed to have access to the recommendation, usually, anyway...). But it isn't a truly positive recommendation.</p>

<p>Here is an example :</p>

<p>Kyle is a student who is maturing well as he overcomes some personal struggles and a difficult start in high school. It is a pleasure to watch as he continues to bring up his grades and as he has applied himself to gaining the trust and respect of the faculty...</p>

<p>(blah-blah-blah)</p>

<p>... With Kyle's acceptance at University X, his social and academic growth will no doubt continue, and he will make many positive contributions to the school.</p>

<hr>

<p>The adcoms read that, note that Kyle's grades are mediocre, and also pick up on clues that he may have been disciplined short of suspension or expulsion. This ostensibly positive recommendation is very, very different from the following type:</p>

<p>One of the greatest joys of teaching is watching a young person grow and overcome difficulties. While Kyle had a rocky start in high school, he is now an exceptional young man; his teachers have remarked often that Kyle is a student who stands out not just for his accomplishments, but also for having "come a long way." Kyle's academic growth started just a bit late, but he has more than made up for that. He is now an exceptional young man, who has won over the faculty and has earned the respect and admiration of his teachers. Kyle's academic achievements demonstrate a keen mind and a great deal of intellectual curiosity...</p>

<p>(blah-blah-blah)</p>

<p>...Kyle is a unique young man with many interests and talents. I recommend him with unreserved enthusiasm, and know that he will be an excellent fit at University X.</p>

<hr>

<p>The adcoms are not stupid. They can read "Guidance Counselor Code."</p>

<p>Of course, the guidance counselor has to be one of the adults in "Kyle's" life who has not been fooled by him.</p>

13

<p>this guidance counselor wasn't fooled by him at all. She complained to me about him all the time and was so upset about his cheating and lying about his ethnic origin. But when it came down to it, she was afraid not to recommend him. Her recommendation probably wasn't overly enthusiastic, but he has one teacher recommendation that was, you know why....because he was allowed to write it himself! Of course, the official word was that the teacher, whose English isn't that good, was sitting next to him when he wrote it. The whole thing disgusts me.</p>

14

<p>^What the hell is wrong with everyone at your school? He wrote his own letter of recommendation?!</p>

15

<p>Well, thankfully, all the negative stuff that all of you have mentioned doesn't really apply to me. I didn't read the teacher's rec or even discuss it with him, and I definitely didn't lie on my application. (Of course, reading this, you might think I'm lying again...)</p>

16

<p>Citizen, I didn't mean you at all and only wish you great luck. I only meant that I hoped Yale would check into this kid and be so diligent. By the way, I am talking about a student from NJ from a school that doesn't even have an African American in the grade and maybe a couple in the whole school. </p>

<p>Maybe your call was actually a good sign. I know someone else said that their guidance counselor received a call and they then received a likely letter. So, think positively.</p>

17

<p>CMA1,
I wasn't implying that you meant that. Though I don't think it is a negative thing, I can only hope that it is a positive thing, and not just a random checkup call.</p>

18

<p>cowtipper1, I agree with your sentiment. That is exactly how I feel. It is outrageous. The other students comply with the rules, and this kid gets away with everything. I wouldn't be surprised if he is indicted someday as the executive of a company who cheated thousands of employees out of their pensions.</p>

19

<p>Citizen,</p>

<p>Last year, my IB mentor also received the exact same call, asking a teacher about reasons she shouldn't be accepted, etc. But come April, she was waitlisted; I'm not sure if it's what you want to read, but I don't think it's anything of a likely call or a likely admission letter. </p>

<p>Instead, I recall my GC saying she's gotten those calls before because of inconsistencies in the application, or some other reason.</p>

20

<p>SourApplezz,</p>

<p>That is basically what I thought it was. I didn't really expect it to be anything too important or positive. Like my thread title suggests, I just thought it was just a strange call.</p>

<p>But I'm certain that there were no inconsistencies in my app.</p>