Do contacts improve your chances of getting accepted?

glassharmonica
Sat, 29 Dec 2012 10:38:28 +0000

I think connections and contacts do help, yes. Perhaps not in every situation, but off the record I could give you dozens of examples in which connections helped. Stagemum points out that on the front page of the application, NYU asks only for recommendations from academic teachers. One thing I’ve learned (and it took a while!) is that what is published on the application and what actually happens can be two different things. I am not saying that this is true for NYU in particular. I do know that having a relationship with a faculty member at a school who can vouch for is a useful item in your application. If there is no spot of the official application for this connection to appear (some colleges ask you outright if you have connections; others don’t) it cannot hurt to have your connection send a letter under separate cover on your behalf. Most college admissions departments file every piece of information you send them, and they also log every email, call, and other communication they receive. (I can’t say whether this is true at NYU, but it is true at other colleges.) Worst-case scenario: letters sent on your behalf by colleagues of those making admissions decisions will be tossed unread in the garbage by the office staff. I don’t think this will happen. It is also possible for your contacts to email the admissions office. The emails will go through. The only other possible way that such a recommendation could go wrong would be that your recommender is somehow reviled by those making the admissions decision, in which case you would be a pawn in some kind of departmental political struggle-- and I think the changes of this are slim.

It’s really hard to make it in this world. If you have a connection, use it. If you have any doubts about whether you should do this, imagine the scenario in which someone else in your situation had similar contacts. Would they use them?