<p>A development case is usually someone whose parents and or grandparents have given a substantial amount of money to the school (usually in the vicinity of $1,000,000 or more) and such donors are usually legacies. A development case can also be someone whose family has enormous wealth and is not a legacy and has not yet pledged money to the school but indicates an intention to do so, or has recently done so. Also usually in the six figure amount or more. A high profile celebrity who has enormous wealth and or visibility can also be considered a development case. Development cases are associated with gift giving to the school</p>
<p>I wouldn’t be so sure about the legacies. My d is a double legacy, but deferred.</p>
<p>“Quit blaming “legacy”, “athlete”, and “AA”, etc. Remember, many got in in spite of. You should be comparing yourself with those who got in rather than those who allegedly took your “'rightful” place. If your presentation didn’t cut it, find ways to improve. Victim psychology is your worst burden at this point. There was something about your presentation that kept you out. Talk to the area rep and see what you can do to fix it. Wishing you the best for an April admit.”
Zuma, I hear what you are saying. I know I do not think that I have a rightful place at Yale over everyone else, after all, all of the applicants are wonderful and amazing. I think what some people are upset about, or at least I know it makes me a little sad, is not necessarily how athletes and such are given some preference, but the shortcuts and steps a lot of them get cut to out. I just do not think that it is right when someone is told that they have an automatic spot in a college before they even apply! I have seen from personal experience some of the shortcuts that athletes get. My sister was a recruited athlete, and told me herself that she was given so many opportunities that a normal applicant wouldn’t get. She even ended up finding it unfair after she saw what all of her nonathlete friends had to go through to apply to college. I have to admit though, I do feel a bit ashamed after whining a bit earlier. For me at least, I know my emotions have been getting the better of me the past few days. After all, whining won’t change a thing. I just wish the college admissions process was less biased, but I am sure that with the thousands of applicants colleges recieve every year that is nearly impossible.</p>
<p>I also know a recruited athlete who knew in Sept./Oct. they were in at Yale. I assure you that this student is in the tippy top of the top 25% of Yale’s stats. Could they have got in without athletics? Assuredly. They presented the full panoply of academic and EC excellence. They could go mano-a-mano with anyone at any school anywhere.Yes, they operated at a reduced stress level, having been recruited. But they deserved a place just like anyone else. Intercollegiate athletes also bring an extra dimension that makes college life memorable for the entire campus community.</p>
<p>I agree with that, and find it even admirable that students are able to devote so much time to a college sport and still maintain those grades. After all commiting to a sport during college takes away so much time from the “normal” college experience that most students enjoy. Unfortunately though, there are also the students who get in simply because of sports. Last year a straight C/D student from my high school got into Columbia. But hey, what can you do? After all, from what I know ( might be wrong on this) the Ivy league was orignally created as a type of sports league for the different colleges to join, so I guess it stands to reason that they would find athletes important.
Good luck to everyone come spring!</p>
<p>Moontissues, please hang in there. You sound like a great person. I hope good things happen to you come April. Yale usually breaks a lot of hearts mid-December. Cheer up. A decent number of deferrees get in RD. Some get in outright at H/P and that makes up for the Yale deferral. Please keep us posted as to how things turn out in April. Best wishes.</p>
<p>Ahh, I kinda wish I had a prayer at getting in RD at Harvard, but my chances aren’t looking too good–three legacies got in early from my teeny class of 130-ish kids, which is probably the most they’ve ever taken from my school. It’s kinda too bad how necessary connections can be sometimes, too, and how you either hit or miss–I had a hook all lined up for Harvard and an admissions officer essentially telling me that I was in over the summer, but I turned down the opportunity to take a chance at Yale.</p>
<p>Can’t really not go for your first choice though… even if a lot of people seem to have opted out of Yale EA this year. Still can’t believe the -13% figure. Let’s just hope that works in favor of all us deferred students.</p>
<p>Look, your wrong about stop blaming…
The reality is that if you come from a state where there are hundreds of applicants then a lot of pretty outstanding students can get accepted who are not legacies, recruited athletes, development cases ect because they are still going to take a lot of kids early who are not in these categories. However, if you come from a state that has perhaps maybe 50 applicants and they take about 12, early, and a few are recruited athletes, a few are development cases, a few are connected legacies, and a few are minorities, WELL there just are not a lot of spots left for the unconnected outstanding.</p>
<p>I mean it my post above if they took 8. I think you are wrong moontissue</p>
<p>Just for the record, I think you’ll find that the “Ivy League” began in about 1954, but the history of these schools goes MUCH further back (as you know!) and the focus is definitely on academics & leadership. Still, athletic slots must be filled, just as a myriad of other slots must be filled in order to insure a well-rounded & diverse student population. </p>
<p>Deferral is immensely tough, but you are still in the pool. Hang in there! The VAST majority of peeps who apply to elite schools are completely qualified, yet more are rejected than accepted. I congratulate you on putting yourselves in a position to have the chance & I assure you that all is not lost. Whether you end up going to amazing Yale or another amazing school, I would lay odds that you will do amazing things w/ your lives, because invariably, that’s the kind of people you are! I have rarely, if ever, met a young person applying to YALE, from whom I didn’t feel a sense of reassurance about the future.</p>
<p>Good luck to all of you!</p>
<p>But the reality is that development cases, recruited athletes and many under represented minorities do not go through the regular admission process the way the rest of the applicants do. Very connected development cases, especially huge contributors to the school,usually have a liason from the development office to the director of admsisions and those applicants are not advocated for or discussed in deliberations by a regional admission officer. They are often determined beforehand. Similary, athletes make contact with the coaches who speak directly to the Dean of Admissions so their cases are not usually presented by a regional admission officer. In addition under represented minorities usually have another advocate in the admissions office who additionally rallies for those individuals.
So, if you come from a state where many apply then 20% accepted would still result in about 75 accepted, and then those getting the extra advantage might be no big deal. However if you come from a state that has a smaller number of applicants, lets say 50 as I pointed out in the example, and only 8 will get accepted in the entire state early, however five of those who were accepted were decided by another process (ie. the regional admission officer did not read the application with one other regional committee member reviewing, and then present it as is the process for the rest of us) Then it does not seem fair that almost all who were accepted early from that state got the advantage, especially if the majority of those five were not as competitive candidates as the majority who were deferred and some of them might not have been candidates but for the connection
If you come from a state where 5 of the 8 migh have had that advantage, then no matter how much a regional admission officer might have rallied the just were not enough spots.</p>
<p>so umm…my school has this wall of death (“wall of shame” i believe?) where everybody who got rejected/deferred from college tapes up their letter. i’m not sure whether to put up my yale defer. i think it might be a good release after all the crying/misery over it…and then forgetting and being happy…and then seeing all the accepted people and remembering how awesome senior winter COULD have been and being depressed… sooo should i put it up there? last year the most ridiculously smart and accomplished senior EVER put up a letter from oxford, but then again, he was already into harvard, and it’s much easier to joke about the whole thing if you’ve got harvard begging you to attend their school next year.</p>
<p>that sounds a little scarry. since i have know idea how the practice is viewed at your school i cant really help you. if you are ok with the decision and yourself then i say sure why not put it up, but if you are still insecure, then i would say hold off.</p>