How much influence can a donor recommendation have..

milee30
Sun, 09 Dec 2018 23:23:23 +0000

"Schools do it all the time. "

Yes, they do. In the discussion about the Harvard lawsuit, I advanced the idea that since many of the “donations” people make are clearly made in exchange for a personal benefit (often admission for their descendants), those donations should not qualify as tax free on either the part of the donor or the college. The tax code clearly states that payments that provide benefit to the donor are not qualified tax deductible donations. It’s the same reason when you donate $100 to your local humane society and they send you a tote bag as a thank you the amount of your donation is listed as something like $90 on the receipt, because the value you received was $10 for the bag. A college admissions spot to a top college is at least as valuable as a tote bag. If college donors are receiving the benefit of admissions for their family and friends - that’s a benefit that should be valued and not deductible.

That’s the $$$ position.

From a personal standpoint, this sort of admission is not something I’d be interested in for my children because it doesn’t align with our family values or the skills I want them to learn. I don’t respect it when colleges play that game and I wouldn’t engage in it. This sort of good 'ol boys network is part of why it is so difficult for women and minorities to break into success. I have sons and they’re not minorities, so of course I want them to do well, but not at the cost of stepping on others. Let them compete on a level field. I think they’ll be fine with that level competition, but if they’re not, then that’s a fair outcome.