Today, my D finally declined the rest of the offers that she was holding in reserve until accepted students day. There were two that I felt would have been great fits, partly because they went out of their way to reach out and welcome D and were very generous with their offers. I would like to show my appreciate by making a small (really small) donation, just as a token of thanks. But would this seem weird and silly?
Thanks!
If I worked in Admissions at one of those places [I’m not in admissions anywhere, mind you], I think I’d call it sweet. Completely unnecessary, but listen to your heart.
Not weird and silly; I think it’s a nice gesture. That said, I don’t think the college will care or notice, one way or the other. What about something more personal to your D’s AO?
I think any donation can be put to good use.
You can write a nice note to the AO thanking them.And I think a small donation to the university foundation office would be a nice gesture, along with a note about how the AO went above and beyond.
I think this is very thoughtful of the OP.
One note of caution, if you make a donation they will never stop asking you for more.
I would not make a donation…I would write a nice note to the Admissions Office and cc: their boss.
A letter of thanks, not money. Is this plan related to the OP’s concern that these turndowns will adversely affect the younger sibs’ chances? If so, you are over thinking this.
@CheddarcheeseMN No. Not related to that. Just thinking it would be nice, but it seems not necessary.
A donation is certainly not necessary, but IMO any donation to a worthy institution of higher learning is never silly.
@gallentjill My D was in a similar position in turning down an offer of a coveted spot in a special program after interviewing with several graduate students and members of an admission team. She (not me) wrote a short paragraph to the head person thanking them for inviting her to be interviewed, commented about how nice they were, how she appreciated their time in showing her the program and how grateful she was for their offer of admission. And she said this was not an easy decision . But that after careful thought and deliberation she chose X school and program because of X reason. And she ended it by wishing them the best. All in a short paragraph of about five or six sentences. End. That’s it. Nothing more is necessary. The AO who was in charge of the program wrote back that he appreciated that she gave such careful thought to her decision that showed her maturity. And he wished her luck. If you as parent get involved by writing your own note, it’s like pouring salt on a raw wound. And a small gift or donation, while it may make you feel better, is not expected and definitely not necessary.
You will be put on the Beg-a-thon list for that school(s) too. I gave my niece a donation for the club sports team. I got a lot of glossy brochures for about 4 years as I was a ‘preferred donor’ from that point on.
IMHO give it directly to a student or person/senior/veteran in need rather than to a college or university. The small amount will make more of a difference to the individual.
Are you making donations to two colleges that your D isn’t going to? That would seem a little odd, as others have posted, you will be contacted again, while being contacted by the college your daughter chose (starting with parents weekend!). Maybe a note of thanks and appreciation, and how impressed you were, and you’ll put in a good word for them to other students/applicants you meet.
How small is really small? There may be a cost to the university to process every donation, for internal record keeping and IRS compliance. The below $20 donations may be almost more trouble than they are worth, and be forewarned, you’ll be on their mailing and call lists for ever as a potential donor.
What makes a donation important is surprising. Of course more is always better. But, for some ranking lists, schools are judged by the % of their alum who donate. The actual % is viewed as an indicator of loyalty to the school and as indicative of the extent to which students have good experiences at their college such that they want to donate. And for those lists, a dollar works. The important variable is the % of the class who donates regardless of how much they donate. Of course the OP isn’t in a class or an alum but the post gave me the opportunity to explain that alum who have positive experiences in a school should donate even if it is only a tiny amount because it does help the school.
Thanks everyone. I appreciate everyone’s help and perspective. I think I have all the info I need.