Not obvious to me. I’m just naive.
My patients son knows a very high level CEO, who wrote a supporting letter for a young gal he never met. Truly, does this kind of thing help?
@bookworm I’m with you. I thought that was more the old way of doing things.
@Consolation Not that he is demented at 90+ but that he is old school and that old boy network being so important seems to have changed at top schools with admissions having different objectives. Unless I am wrong.
Nothing condescending in pointing out he doesn’t know this gal. What do we imagine him saying that contributes?
We get these questions from kids: “My dad’s golf friend knows a senator who’s an alum.” If major donors can’t pull for more than their own kids, how can a stranger influence?
I think that the scenario in post #30 is more likely in this case. I doubt he was the sort of clueless person who would pick up the phone and call the admissions office, only to be shunted to some underling.
If you want to figure out who he was, just look at the NYT obits for January 3rd. Maybe the name doesn’t mean much elsewhere in the country, but in NJ and the rest of the area it certainly does. And Princeton is in NJ.
^Oh, wow! I just realized who was meant!
I still all the arena by that name.
I think the obit might be Jan. 5.
I still think that a call like that is embarrassing these days and if the kid had not okayed it, it is outright wrong.
I am fine with it. Letting go.
I do not think it is embarrassing. On one hand many posters talk about tips in competitive admissions and the need to teach our kids the importance of networking and then on this thread eschew networking as embarrassing. I think not.
Dont worry at all. Esp in the Ivy League, this is a not uncommon practice. It wont be counted against your kid.
It probably also won’t be counted for them. I’m guessing it is just neutral these days.
The common wisdom, which makes sense for any number of reasons, is that this sort of thing doesn’t help these days. Times have changed.
So saying “no, thank you” to an offer to make this sort of call isn’t foolishly eschewing a good networking opportunity, it’s just saving everyone’s time.
But he didn’t offer, he just called. It’s done and I’d be surprised if it hurts her application. I bet they get several of these calls every year and know enough to just ignore them.
BTW, @Veryapparent – I love your user name!!! 
Well if it was who some think it was, it may be one of the few instances where it could be a positive. Very well respected person. Otherwise, I really don’t think it would hurt and may not help if the person calling had never met the applicant or had nothing specific to recommend her.
One of mine would have been very upset by this. She also refused to put down legacy. She wanted to get in on her own merits. She would have found a call like that, done without her permission, to be horrifying, so I guess that skews my viewpoint.
I don’t think it matters how respected the person was if they don’t even know the student. The college will be polite, then do what they were going to do anyway. The most that could come out of it if they were inclined to reject the student anyway is a courtesy waitlist that will never turn into an admission.
I think we want so much to think there’s special pull, which we alternately blame and covet. But it’s not so simple, not the finger on the scale we think.
I know of one kid whose endorsement by a name of similar stature (arguably, more,) was a consideration. But this man had known the young person closely his entire life, plus in several capacities beyond acquantance. The recommendation was in writing, quite personal and detailed. And the candidate had other assets. Rare.
@compmomm Mine is of the mind set that she will end up at a college somewhere she loves. She will have a lot of choices. I am certain this situation doesn’t help. I was more worried it would hurt. She has the resume to get in on her own merits. Hookless, she looks at the Ivies like lottery tickets…a.remote, minute possibility. But she isn’t worried so I am not going to worry about it anymore.
I have been hounded by an acquaintance to write a recommendation for her kid who applied to Brown. I told her that I don’t know her kid but would be happy to meet him at a Starbucks for coffee, tell him about my views on the college and answer his questions. I also explained that I am not currently working as a volunteer interviewer, but would be happy to put her son in touch with the regional person who can assign her kid an interview.
No. Already done. She had promised her son that she knows someone with “pull” (which couldn’t possibly be me. I have several classmates who have made high six figure and low seven figure gifts- I am not in that category. I have several classmates who have volunteered for dozens of committees, task forces, organized symposia, created workshops on different topics, been members of the presidents advisory council, etc. Not me.)
Son didn’t have time for a cup of coffee, refused to meet me. Don’t know why- maybe he’s too mortified by the whole thing. So I wrote a letter outlining that I had never met Joey but that I understand that he’s interested in attending Brown and that I had every confidence that the admissions folks would read his application and make an appropriate judgment under the circumstances.
I mean- really? Recommend a kid you’ve never met???
I think it happened a lot in the old days. There is a generation that likely still believes it helps…hence our situation.