Question about board influence

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is complete hogwash, having been on the board of one of the highly selective PK-12 schools sought after. Sure, a letter from a board member that knows an older kid in particularly really well might be a slight positive all else being equal, but not a "gee I know this 4 year old having seen her once at the pool and she seems well-behaved", that is just absurd. A 7th grader, really really doubt it. Any board member that starts trying to make demands like that would not be long for the board. As someone said, with say 6 -12 openings or so at most of these schools for MS, or 20-40 for high school, or 10 or less for P or K not counting siblings, how could the above "urban legend" possibly be true?

+1. Can't speak for every school, but I've served on two boards and in neither case could I gain an "admit" for a kid just by virtue of my board seat. And more to the point, it would be considered completely out of bounds for me to try. Every board member at EVERY school (yes, every, as it's one of the foundational principles of the regional/national school board organization for independent schools) is taught from the first day that curriculum, staffing, discipline, operational/day-to-day, and admission decisions are the province of the Head and staff, and that the Board's role is reserved for long-term strategic, risk management, and other "big picture" issues.

Is it out of the realm of possibility that a board member abuses his/her role to try to pressure the Head or staff to admit an applicant? No. but very unlikely. Is it out the realm of possibility that a Head would be susceptible to such pressure? Even less likely, given that Heads rather jealously guard against encroachments by the Board on their authority (justifiably so).

Is it possible and within the bounds of good Board behavior to mention to the Head that you know and respect a particular applicant and family, and would not hesitate to recommend admission? Of course not. I'm sure that happens all the time, and would probably carry great weight with Admissions if the board member is respected. But that's true of any recommendation.

So true. A board that allows each member one free admit per year is a board run amok. Terrible practice, if true.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is complete hogwash, having been on the board of one of the highly selective PK-12 schools sought after. Sure, a letter from a board member that knows an older kid in particularly really well might be a slight positive all else being equal, but not a "gee I know this 4 year old having seen her once at the pool and she seems well-behaved", that is just absurd. A 7th grader, really really doubt it. Any board member that starts trying to make demands like that would not be long for the board. As someone said, with say 6 -12 openings or so at most of these schools for MS, or 20-40 for high school, or 10 or less for P or K not counting siblings, how could the above "urban legend" possibly be true?

+1. Can't speak for every school, but I've served on two boards and in neither case could I gain an "admit" for a kid just by virtue of my board seat. And more to the point, it would be considered completely out of bounds for me to try. Every board member at EVERY school (yes, every, as it's one of the foundational principles of the regional/national school board organization for independent schools) is taught from the first day that curriculum, staffing, discipline, operational/day-to-day, and admission decisions are the province of the Head and staff, and that the Board's role is reserved for long-term strategic, risk management, and other "big picture" issues.

Is it out of the realm of possibility that a board member abuses his/her role to try to pressure the Head or staff to admit an applicant? No. but very unlikely. Is it out the realm of possibility that a Head would be susceptible to such pressure? Even less likely, given that Heads rather jealously guard against encroachments by the Board on their authority (justifiably so).

Is it possible and within the bounds of good Board behavior to mention to the Head that you know and respect a particular applicant and family, and would not hesitate to recommend admission? Of course not. I'm sure that happens all the time, and would probably carry great weight with Admissions if the board member is respected. But that's true of any recommendation.

As a (recent) former board chair of a DC independent school, I agree with these two comments 100%.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is complete hogwash, having been on the board of one of the highly selective PK-12 schools sought after. Sure, a letter from a board member that knows an older kid in particularly really well might be a slight positive all else being equal, but not a "gee I know this 4 year old having seen her once at the pool and she seems well-behaved", that is just absurd. A 7th grader, really really doubt it. Any board member that starts trying to make demands like that would not be long for the board. As someone said, with say 6 -12 openings or so at most of these schools for MS, or 20-40 for high school, or 10 or less for P or K not counting siblings, how could the above "urban legend" possibly be true?

+1. Can't speak for every school, but I've served on two boards and in neither case could I gain an "admit" for a kid just by virtue of my board seat. And more to the point, it would be considered completely out of bounds for me to try. Every board member at EVERY school (yes, every, as it's one of the foundational principles of the regional/national school board organization for independent schools) is taught from the first day that curriculum, staffing, discipline, operational/day-to-day, and admission decisions are the province of the Head and staff, and that the Board's role is reserved for long-term strategic, risk management, and other "big picture" issues.

Is it out of the realm of possibility that a board member abuses his/her role to try to pressure the Head or staff to admit an applicant? No. but very unlikely. Is it out the realm of possibility that a Head would be susceptible to such pressure? Even less likely, given that Heads rather jealously guard against encroachments by the Board on their authority (justifiably so).

Is it possible and within the bounds of good Board behavior to mention to the Head that you know and respect a particular applicant and family, and would not hesitate to recommend admission? Of course not. I'm sure that happens all the time, and would probably carry great weight with Admissions if the board member is respected. But that's true of any recommendation.

I was also on the Board of a private school and free passes simply didn't happen. There really weren't many requests for Board member recommendations either. I got 1 request in 6 years and it was for a kid I knew well. And to dispel another myth, my kids did not get special treatment, never had a behavior issue, and got in well before I joined the Board so they weren't pity admits.

[Anonymous]

Didn't help us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes it does happen. At one top private, every board member gets a free pass for an admit every year. But the board member approaches you if they are willing to sponsor your child. You don't ask the board member.

Gross.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes it does happen. At one top private, every board member gets a free pass for an admit every year. But the board member approaches you if they are willing to sponsor your child. You don't ask the board member.

Gross.

Everyone debunked this. Don't worry about it, fake story.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes it does happen. At one top private, every board member gets a free pass for an admit every year. But the board member approaches you if they are willing to sponsor your child. You don't ask the board member.

Gross.

Everyone debunked this. Don't worry about it, fake story.

No, everyone did not debunk it. You may want to believe it's fake, but it's true. But you wouldn't know because the board person has to approach you. You don't approach them.

[Anonymous]

Fake story.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes it does happen. At one top private, every board member gets a free pass for an admit every year. But the board member approaches you if they are willing to sponsor your child. You don't ask the board member.

This sounds like an urban legend.

Sounds more like real life to me since that's how we got in.

What school?

Not telling because I'm on the board. But it's not urban legend.

LOL! An anonymous post about an unnamed school? This is, in fact, PRECISELY the definition of an "urban legend."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes it does happen. At one top private, every board member gets a free pass for an admit every year. But the board member approaches you if they are willing to sponsor your child. You don't ask the board member.

Gross.

Everyone debunked this. Don't worry about it, fake story.

No, everyone did not debunk it. You may want to believe it's fake, but it's true. But you wouldn't know because the board person has to approach you. You don't approach them.

Yes....we can all just picture the approach.

It was a dark and stormy afternoon and I was busy in my home office while Little Larla was practicing for the WPPSI with the tutor we hired at $120/hr. I was fretful that we'd ever get Larla into The Big School.

Suddenly, the phone rang. The number was blocked, but I answered anyway. "Hello," I said.

"Send the tutor home. Larla will be fine." I didn't recognize the deep and gravelly voice on the other end of the line.

"What?" I replied. "Who is this? What do you mean 'send the tutor home'?"

"Don't ask questions. Just know that Larla will be admitted to The Big School. I have a free pass and I'm using it on Larla."

"I don't understand. How is this possible?" My voice was trembling with a mixture of fear and excitement. Could this be true? Was it possible that LL would be saved from a life of mediocrity at our local public?

"We've been watching from afar and we know you are worthy and will give greatly to the Annual Fund, but you must never speak of this to any other parent." There was a pause. "And NEVER post about this on DC Urban Mom."

The line went dead. A few months later, a gold leafed letter from The Big School arrived by special courier with word that Larla would be admitted to the school the following year.

[Anonymous]

No burning bush?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No burning bush?

Mysterious, unidentified phone call seemed more DC to me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes it does happen. At one top private, every board member gets a free pass for an admit every year. But the board member approaches you if they are willing to sponsor your child. You don't ask the board member.

Gross.

Everyone debunked this. Don't worry about it, fake story.

No, everyone did not debunk it. You may want to believe it's fake, but it's true. But you wouldn't know because the board person has to approach you. You don't approach them.

Hogwash. Untrue. J'accuse!! [Insert video clip of Donald Sutherland screeching and pointing finger at the end of Invasion of the Body Snatchers.]

Served on two boards (I posted ealier). This is unthinkable. And it's empirically proveable because an admit a year for each Board member would account for a very large percentage of the incoming students, and that would just. never. happen.

Give it a rest. Or state the school. Either way, STFU.

[Anonymous]

OP here. The kid got in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My neighbor plans to apply her child to a very selective school (7th grade) this year. Her DHs boss happens to be the chairperson of the school's board. She is convinced this will gain her child admittance to the school and apparently the boss has been hinting it won't be a problem to get her child into the school. Does this kind of thing really happen? I suppose in a town where it's who you know not what you know that I shouldn't be surprised, but I am.

Maybe the school is not as selective as you think. 7th grade is not a typical entry year.