DS is a high stat senior who has fallen in love with a certain ivy equivalent school with a single digit acceptance rate. He’s got grades within their range and test scores at the 75th percentile, average ECs, and no real hooks. I’ve got a friend who made an 8 figure donation and is pretty actively involved in the school. He’ll write a great letter if I ask him but I’m afraid it might offend the adcoms more than it would help. Then again, DS needs every edge he can get. Any thoughts would be appreciated.
does your friend know your kid?
Why would a letter of recommendation from an 8 figure donor offend an ad com?
Be careful that it will be a good letter. With the recent lawsuit against UT regarding preferential admissions some pretty bad LORs came to light. One actually read “I do not know this kid or what kind of student he is, but I know his family and they are wonderful.” Although, I assume that letter came to light because it worked so maybe it doesn’t matter?
@blossom. He does know my kid and has been suitably impressed. DS “shows” very well and has always interacted well with adults.
In a recent article I read, an ivy ad-com person bemoans the fact that she has never received a recommendation from “movers and shakers” for any Asian American candidates she has come across. She implies that this would have made a huge difference, in general.
With a single-digit acceptance rate, your S can use everything you can legally do, so I say have the friend write away. There is no shame in doing so, and at many ivies and ivy equivalents, it’s how the game is played.
However, make sure he’s ready to go if he gets in b/c that could be bad for your friend if he doesn’t. If they have it, have him apply ED, that should ensure that he doesn’t change his mind like many 17-18 yr old boys are apt to do. Good luck!
I think that if your friend actually knows your kind and can write a meaningful recommendation, that you should go for it.
I would add that IMHO you should only ask this of your friend if your kid will definitely attend if admitted.
It may be more effective if your friend calls his liaison in the development office and ask them to deal with admissions.
If the friend knows your S or is willing to meet with him before the letter it certainly could help. It is not unusual for huge donors like that to write to admissions in support of an application now and again.
I agree. Do it if the donor really knows your kid. He (your friend) will most certainly know how to handle it, whether to call his liaison in the development office, or some other way to do it. Your son’s application will be put in a completely separate pile from the rest.
Thanks for all the great feedback. Interestingly the donor’s adult son who is also a friend told me his dad won’t help unless DS promises to go if accepted. School doesn’t have ED but I told DS he has to treat it as such if we go that route.
Right. This kid needs to plan to attend this college if he asks this big donor to write this letter. If he is iffy about attending if accepted, pass on that LOR.
Students should try to get admissions on their own merits.
A letter from a big donor is unlikely to have an impact unless the relationship between the donor and student is such that the school fears that a rejection would irreparably damage the school’s relationship with the donor.
I disagree with @Sue22 - much instead will depend on how big the pile of “development” applications is for that year.
I agree with @JustOneDad , but if I were blessed to have a bigwig donor friend and my kid was on the bubble, you can bet I would be pulling every string I could.
Thankfully my pups have done well enough on their own.
My experience in a similar situation – I think it made a difference. I would go for it. And if he offers to write the President or the Development officer – say YES PLEASE. It will get forwarded on to Admissions. If the student is qualified, it can be a huge boost.
3puppies,
The applicant is not a development admit unless his rejection or acceptance is likely to materially affect the donor’s giving level.
Put it this way-a big donor parent or grandparent whose child is rejected at their alma mater is likely to say “**** you, if my kid’s not good enough for you you’re not going to see any more of my money.” A family friend is likely to be disappointed but unlikely to discontinue giving to what has been up until that point a major philanthropic priority.
While such a letter probably won’t hurt (other than smacking a bit of desperation) it also probably won’t help unless the donor-student relationship is extremely close or unless the letter offers important insight into the student’s character not found in his other letters of recommendation.
Believe me. I know of what I speak.
If you’d like to get the donor friend involved I’d instead ask him to give the Director of Development a call. At that donation level the two should be on a first name basis and it would be the most efficient way to get the application flagged.
I would use the label “development admit” for a student who would have little chance of admission, but for the development connection. Indeed I know of a student from my D’s HS class who was admitted someplace where she was in no way qualified, except that her family has a named auditorium.
In the OP’s situation, it seems that the student DOES have the stats for the school. But many qualified students are rejected. So the letter from the donor could help prevent the student from becoming a qualified-but-rejected applicant.
I would have the friend go through the development office. I think it’s silly to write the letter and go through the admissions office, because I don’t expect “regular” adcom members to necessarily know the name of every major donor or potential major donor that the development office courts. If you’re going to play your card, play your card directly. Sending the LOR and hoping the adcons accurately guess who the bigwig is and whether he will stop donating is like playing whisper down the lane.
I see some posters indicating that they would use every possible advantage available to them, but I think you have to consider whether or not there is a downside in attempting to use influence to affect admissions decisions.