<p>I consider the Chows’ unfortunate story an example of What Not to Do.</p>
<p>Searching online for “prospect research and development strategies school” turned up: [The</a> basics of prospect research](<a href=“Past Issues”>Past Issues)</p>
<p><a href=“http://majorgivingnow.org/downloads/pdf/Fundamentals_of_Prospect_Research.pdf[/url]”>http://majorgivingnow.org/downloads/pdf/Fundamentals_of_Prospect_Research.pdf</a></p>
<p>Maybe I’m naive, but I don’t think the schools do such research before accepting a student. The big schools know a great deal about legacy applicants, though, including the family’s record of donations over time. Again, maybe I’m naive, but I think any suggestion of linking acceptance to a donation would offend admissions officers.</p>
<p>If you can pay full tuition, it helps your child’s application. Some names are so famous, such as Gates or Bloomberg, the staff wouldn’t need to do research.</p>