Convinced their way into a school?

Applying to College
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<p>I heard a story that a student who had mediocre grades who was on teh cusp of refusal once through connections obtained a meeting with the schools admission officer and “pleaded her case” so well that she was granted admissions.</p>

<p>Is it true? I dont know. Can it be true? you tell me…</p>

<p>does it actually ever happen? that going to the right person and making an impression (or crying silly which i imagine was probably the case here) can change what would otherwise be a refusal due to space and criterias?</p>

<p>No its not what I plan to do btw, Im already admitted and registered at my second choice and happy about it.</p>

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<p>bumped for bumping’s sake</p>

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<p>It would be interesting to know what the student said (or might have said) when pleading her case. I don’t think crying will get you into a college but casually mentioning that your father is a math prof at said college might make a difference…</p>

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<p>^^I think they would know by looking at your application because you do have to list where your parents work at.</p>

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<p>thats what stuns me too. It just seems so…********tesque.
I know there’s a fair amount of politics involved when it comes to getting into a college but for something to work at this level…</p>

<p>makes me wish I had tried when applying to NYU, haha</p>

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<p>I think the OP may not know the whole story. While it’s odd for a student to get a meeting with the Head of Admissions, it’s fairly routine, especially at small schools, for applicants to communicate directly with their admissions rep. </p>

<p>And, if you’re on a waitlist, the only way to improve your chances is to highlight your strengths. </p>

<p>And college admissions is so much about presenting yourself well, that I would not be surprised if a student DID try to set up a meeting. Doing that, connections or no, implies and incredible interest in the school and committment, which could be appealing.</p>

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<p>yeah I suppose. However doesn’t that fall in the realm of ‘special favors’? Something colleges claim to never do…ever.</p>

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<p>Two thoughts:

  1. It shouldn’t be a surprise that sometimes concessions off the mainstream are made. It happens in many aspects of life. The waiter who gives you an extra portion, the administrator who does the extra favor for your paperwork, the nurse who bends the rules in your appointment scheduling. </p>

<p>2) “I heard a story that a student” – sounds like one of those apocryphal stories; urban legends to show how unfair the system can be or to diminish the reputation of someone.</p>

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<p>well I didn’t want to give more details but its less of a “I heard a story” and more of a “I talked to this person who told me what she did…”</p>

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<p>I wonder what she said. What could be conveyed face to face that couldnt be through a letter or file?</p>

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<p>Guilt. It’s a lot easier to reject a name on a paper than an actual person.</p>

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<p>True I suppose. What I’d like to know is if there are any other occurences or stories like this one around.</p>

<p>Figured this was the best place to ask…</p>

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<p>My guess would be that she was able to swing this meeting because she already had “connections” which helped her.</p>

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<p>It is realistic. Some colleges weigh interviews and essays a lot.</p>