Post-Varsity Blues, where do the UC send their kids if they end up being average academically?

[Anonymous]

I think my school minimum is 200k to get on "the list."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The UC don't use the "side door," like in Varsity Blues.

They just give big dollar donations directly to the school in exchange for admission, aka "the front door."

What made Varsity Blues so bad was that the schools were victims of the fraud. People were getting in for a lot cheaper than the "front door" method.

Personally, I think federal funding should be suspended for any university that considers legacy or donations in its admissions process.

Eh, I hear you, but it's already more subtle than that anyways. Post-college I spent two years working in the admissions department of my "prestigious" alma mater. Admittedly I was a low level person, but helped with application review. It wasn't that legacies got an automatic bump or "points" for being legacies. It was more that their alum parents could steer them in the right direction of explaining how they would be a good fit, and gave them personal experience (visits to campus, meeting other alums, understanding the superficial attributes that the college valued, etc.) to draw on. And I think the same is true sometimes with donations. It's less about a transparent "they gave $500k, let's let them in," it's more that the donations give the donor opportunities to make chummy introductions. "Oh, Dean Smith, I know you don't give the time of day to anyone else, but as my check just cleared, I was wondering if you could have a phone call with my daughter who is considering applying to Prestige U." And then Dean Smith dutifully informs the admissions office that he had a fortunate opportunity to meet a charming and extraordinary applicant, even if her grades and test scores aren't quite what we're used to here at Prestige, and he just wants to make sure her application doesn't "get lost in the shuffle."

The front door is still open for these families, including the Ivy League. But it's not $500K - it's millions for a single kid. It was $2.5m for Jared Kushner back in 1998. The foreign oligarchs pay a lot more than that these days to get their kids into Stanford, Harvard, or Princeton. And they pay for a guarantee, not a "...let's not let her application get lost in the shuffle..." nonsense. That's what they say about the kid of an orthopedic surgeon who is a legacy. Sure, they donate....but it's not the kind of money that impacts endowments.

I don't even want to know how much Laurie Jobs paid for her daughter Eve to get into Stanford. Lord knows that kid doesn't work - she's traveling every week during the school year from jetset locations and posting on social media.

If you have the money, that front door is still wide open. But you're writing checks with at least two commas.

Yes, but it's a lot easier to "guarantee" admission to the junior sheikh or Eve Jobs because, let's be honest, as a different PP pointed out, those kids aren't applying with C's and an 1100 and nothing but a letter of recommendation from the public high school lunch lady. They're already in the front door game by grade school -- tutors, private high schools already on the take from mom and dad's donations, a letter of recommendation from Michelle Obama, and whatever else.

[Anonymous]

Having full-paid an almost 40k/year for school in the 1990s, as a middle class student, I certainly hope we get legacy consideration for DC. I could have bought a home with all that cash.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The "side door" may be closed, but the continued existence of USC still very much answers your question, OP!

I think of places like College of Charleston, Bucknell, American U in this vein as well. They're all "fine" schools, of course, totally appropriate for a UC kid, but when you've had all the privileges of a UC upbringing they're probably not what you were hoping for.

Jesus Christ. Bucknell is nothing like CofC. It's a highly ranked and regarded LAC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The UC don't use the "side door," like in Varsity Blues.

They just give big dollar donations directly to the school in exchange for admission, aka "the front door."

What made Varsity Blues so bad was that the schools were victims of the fraud. People were getting in for a lot cheaper than the "front door" method.

Personally, I think federal funding should be suspended for any university that considers legacy or donations in its admissions process.

Eh, I hear you, but it's already more subtle than that anyways. Post-college I spent two years working in the admissions department of my "prestigious" alma mater. Admittedly I was a low level person, but helped with application review. It wasn't that legacies got an automatic bump or "points" for being legacies. It was more that their alum parents could steer them in the right direction of explaining how they would be a good fit, and gave them personal experience (visits to campus, meeting other alums, understanding the superficial attributes that the college valued, etc.) to draw on. And I think the same is true sometimes with donations. It's less about a transparent "they gave $500k, let's let them in," it's more that the donations give the donor opportunities to make chummy introductions. "Oh, Dean Smith, I know you don't give the time of day to anyone else, but as my check just cleared, I was wondering if you could have a phone call with my daughter who is considering applying to Prestige U." And then Dean Smith dutifully informs the admissions office that he had a fortunate opportunity to meet a charming and extraordinary applicant, even if her grades and test scores aren't quite what we're used to here at Prestige, and he just wants to make sure her application doesn't "get lost in the shuffle."

The front door is still open for these families, including the Ivy League. But it's not $500K - it's millions for a single kid. It was $2.5m for Jared Kushner back in 1998. The foreign oligarchs pay a lot more than that these days to get their kids into Stanford, Harvard, or Princeton. And they pay for a guarantee, not a "...let's not let her application get lost in the shuffle..." nonsense. That's what they say about the kid of an orthopedic surgeon who is a legacy. Sure, they donate....but it's not the kind of money that impacts endowments.

I don't even want to know how much Laurie Jobs paid for her daughter Eve to get into Stanford. Lord knows that kid doesn't work - she's traveling every week during the school year from jetset locations and posting on social media.

If you have the money, that front door is still wide open. But you're writing checks with at least two commas.

Yes, but it's a lot easier to "guarantee" admission to the junior sheikh or Eve Jobs because, let's be honest, as a different PP pointed out, those kids aren't applying with C's and an 1100 and nothing but a letter of recommendation from the public high school lunch lady. They're already in the front door game by grade school -- tutors, private high schools already on the take from mom and dad's donations, a letter of recommendation from Michelle Obama, and whatever else.

Meant to say "back door" game.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Having full-paid an almost 40k/year for school in the 1990s, as a middle class student, I certainly hope we get legacy consideration for DC. I could have bought a home with all that cash.

You paid or your parents did?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The "side door" may be closed, but the continued existence of USC still very much answers your question, OP!

I think of places like College of Charleston, Bucknell, American U in this vein as well. They're all "fine" schools, of course, totally appropriate for a UC kid, but when you've had all the privileges of a UC upbringing they're probably not what you were hoping for.

Jesus Christ. Bucknell is nothing like CofC. It's a highly ranked and regarded LAC.

DP. Don’t agree.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The "side door" may be closed, but the continued existence of USC still very much answers your question, OP!

I think of places like College of Charleston, Bucknell, American U in this vein as well. They're all "fine" schools, of course, totally appropriate for a UC kid, but when you've had all the privileges of a UC upbringing they're probably not what you were hoping for.

Jesus Christ. Bucknell is nothing like CofC. It's a highly ranked and regarded LAC.

DP. Don’t agree.

Jesus Christ. Look at SAT/ACT midranges. The dumbest kids at Bucknell are on par with the smartest kids at CofC. (American is somewhere in the middle.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:By average I mean truly average in terms of SAT and GPA. I’m guessing they don’t forgo college?

I know Varsity Blues was also unhooked high stat kids trying to get a hook.

UC = upper class?

Yes

Define Upper class?
Is it net worth of 50 million plus?

At least well-off enough that money is absolutely no object in choosing a college or preparing for college; in this scenario the only limit is the child’s performance itself. Usually attended private school pk-12 as well, likely boarding.

If money is no object, then parents endow a chair, fund some scholarships or build a building and kid goes wherever they want

[Anonymous]

Elon
Colorado College

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The UC don't use the "side door," like in Varsity Blues.

They just give big dollar donations directly to the school in exchange for admission, aka "the front door."

What made Varsity Blues so bad was that the schools were victims of the fraud. People were getting in for a lot cheaper than the "front door" method.

Personally, I think federal funding should be suspended for any university that considers legacy or donations in its admissions process.

+ 1

Jared Kushner is below average academically. His doucebag criminal father gave $2.5 million. He remained a below average student and human.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The UC don't use the "side door," like in Varsity Blues.

They just give big dollar donations directly to the school in exchange for admission, aka "the front door."

What made Varsity Blues so bad was that the schools were victims of the fraud. People were getting in for a lot cheaper than the "front door" method.

Personally, I think federal funding should be suspended for any university that considers legacy or donations in its admissions process.

+1

That subpar athlete that is going to HYPS, in spite of not being a great student? Yeah, them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I’m saying what if a UC kid gets a 1100 SAT and is a C student. What do they do in 2021?

I have an average student. He got mainly B and C grades. He only received an A in PE and some other electives he was able to pick. Core classes, the ones he was required to take for graduation that he had zero interest in, he received a C. Those he had a bit of interest in, like history, he'd get a B.

Anyway, his SAT was just slightly higher than that at 1240. He hates taking long standardized tests. His GPA when applying was 2.3 and his end of the year GPA was 2.4.

Here are the colleges he applied to and the results:

JMU (waitlisted - he didn't want to go here, but his girlfriend wanted him to apply b/c she's going there)
GMU (waitlisted then accepted)
WVU - accepted
CNU - accepted
ODU - accepted
LSU - accepted
Pitt - accepted
Univ. of Kansas - accepted
Co. State Univ. - accepted
FSU (his reach) - rejected

So, as you can see, there are still some decent universities for average students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I’m saying what if a UC kid gets a 1100 SAT and is a C student. What do they do in 2021?

I have an average student. He got mainly B and C grades. He only received an A in PE and some other electives he was able to pick. Core classes, the ones he was required to take for graduation that he had zero interest in, he received a C. Those he had a bit of interest in, like history, he'd get a B.

Anyway, his SAT was just slightly higher than that at 1240. He hates taking long standardized tests. His GPA when applying was 2.3 and his end of the year GPA was 2.4.

Here are the colleges he applied to and the results:

JMU (waitlisted - he didn't want to go here, but his girlfriend wanted him to apply b/c she's going there)
GMU (waitlisted then accepted)
WVU - accepted
CNU - accepted
ODU - accepted
LSU - accepted
Pitt - accepted
Univ. of Kansas - accepted
Co. State Univ. - accepted
FSU (his reach) - rejected

So, as you can see, there are still some decent universities for average students.

OP - very helpful - TY for sharing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I’m saying what if a UC kid gets a 1100 SAT and is a C student. What do they do in 2021?

I have an average student. He got mainly B and C grades. He only received an A in PE and some other electives he was able to pick. Core classes, the ones he was required to take for graduation that he had zero interest in, he received a C. Those he had a bit of interest in, like history, he'd get a B.

Anyway, his SAT was just slightly higher than that at 1240. He hates taking long standardized tests. His GPA when applying was 2.3 and his end of the year GPA was 2.4.

Here are the colleges he applied to and the results:

JMU (waitlisted - he didn't want to go here, but his girlfriend wanted him to apply b/c she's going there)
GMU (waitlisted then accepted)
WVU - accepted
CNU - accepted
ODU - accepted
LSU - accepted
Pitt - accepted
Univ. of Kansas - accepted
Co. State Univ. - accepted
FSU (his reach) - rejected

So, as you can see, there are still some decent universities for average students.

Wow, Pitt is really unexpected, the middle SAT has him below the 25%ile and GPA is far below the weighted 25%ile of 3.75. And that's not even factoring OOS. Is the 2.3 weighted? It's below what some of the listed schools say is the minimum required GPA.