Minority status puzzle

biffgnar
Fri, 23 Mar 2007 09:12:49 +0000

Against my better judgment I am going to weigh in here in Suze’s defense and say that the poster in question was highlighting acceptances and a SSAT score lower than many of the candidates on this board. I think Suze’s real point was that the applicant’s minority status (regardless of exactly what minority she represents) probably figured into some of the decisions. Hopefully this was not really a personal attack on the applicant in question, but was intended to highlight an important part of the admissions process. Not to hijack this thread (although honestly the thread should probably just be dropped), but reading people’s comments and expectations leading up to March 10 and then seeing actual results for a lot of very qualified candidates I believe people are significantly underestimating the value of being a legacy, development candidate or URM. Perhaps it is good that the students on this board retain enough idealism that they have a hard time accepting it, but I’m afraid in my older, more cynical point of view it a very large part of the admissions process.

I was talking recently with a parent of a child currently at one of the schools that figures prominently in discussions on this board. I think this family is third generation legacy at this school with something like 6-8 fairly close family members (parents, uncles, grandparents, etc.) who are alumni. Additionally, while this family not in a position to give millions, I am sure they have given generously to the school. They have another child who is still in middle school who by the parent’s own admission is probably not at an academic level to be accepted at this school, but the admissions office has already given the parents the wink-wink, nudge-nudge that they want this other child to attend and admissions will not be a problem. To the parents credit they actually will likely send this child to a less prominent school that will be a better fit for the child’s academic abilities and needs.

Unfortunately, very few things in life are a true meritocracy and boarding school admissions doesn’t seem to be one of those things.