Johns Hopkins or Cornell

badgolfer
Sat, 14 Apr 2012 14:55:56 +0000

if you were to compare student and alumni donation rates (percentage participating not amount donated), JHU has a higher rate than Cornell. That should speak to satisfaction comparisons.

Most college grads can count on getting a fundraising call from a phone bank staffed by students (a cushy on-campus job) once a year or so. A college that wants an impressive donation rate (perhaps because its a factor in the US News ranking) can do so with a hard sell. “You don’t want to donate? How about $10? Can I put you down for just $5? Even $2 today will help us out.” At some point most people give in just to get the pesky caller off the phone without being rude to a student at their alma mater and just hanging up. A college that wants an impressive donation rate because its factored into the US News ranking can easily do so.

College grads are aware of all this; most HS students are not. For someone to cite donation rates as implying anything other than how aggressively the school chooses to pursue donations should be a red flag for any HS student looking for helpful advice.