Anonymous wrote:I'm pretty sure that's how I got into college. I graduated from RMIB so I would say I had the academic ability. But really I was just one of hundred kids there and nothing about me was special.

My mom was a nurse in nursing home. Over the years, I would go hang out with the residents on my moms floor. I had no idea who any of them were. I would also talk to the families when they visited. As I moved into Sr. year, a family member asked me where I was planning to apply. He happened to be on the board of one of the schools I was applying to. He wrote me a letter of recommendation.

This is how it should work. Organic, genuine, and merit-based.

Anonymous wrote:Is it too late to do this for this cycle?

My husband mentioned to a longtime business contact in a business meeting earlier this month that our kid applied to a certain school (T20) where he is a board member (husband didn’t know he was a board member - it came up in casual convo about kids, application season, how things are going) ….the business acquaintance asked about the application/area of study/offered to talk to kid about school (which we took up last week). It was a great meeting I think. He’s now offered to write a letter to the admissions office in support of our kid.

I think it’s too late.
My husband doesn’t this so.

Thoughts?

This is the way to do it.

One of my husband's closest friends is a board member at a school that's nationally ranked at about #50 (not prestigious enough for many of you, I know, but if DS wanted to go there we'd be pleased). We would never outright ask him. We WOULD tell him if our kid wants to go there. Then it would be up to him whether or not to offer support. Another friend (not super close but solid) is a board member at a school nationally ranked at about #20. That would be tougher...and if DS really had it as his first choice DH may consider reaching out to see if he'd met us for lunch and a casual tour or something (but he would never ask for a letter).

We did it at one of the schools mentioned by OP. We’ll see how it turns out.

Anonymous wrote:I've seen this this cycle, but not with political VIPS, etc. Has to be people with money. And usually a trustee with a track record of big giving.

Which college?