Aug 7, 2023·edited Aug 7, 2023Liked by Andrew Gutmann
Andrew -- My Ivy League grad husband -- now 50+ yrs out -- and I agree with your points re: AA. Here's my take on the "legacy" admits problem. Since 1979 I have been closely involved with my college class fund-raising efforts, formerly run from the Development Office, now in many places termed the Office for Institutional Advancement. They should call these offices "Ground Zero"!
Getting rid of legacy admits would screw over the class participation percentages in the school's annual fund-raising efforts, among other problems it would cause. Class reunions are a major way to hype gift giving, with goals established by the development office after close scrutiny of "who" is in each class. It's a competitive sport, so the Class of Ooompty-oomp can brag theirs
was the largest-ever 25th Reunion gift, and so on. Development officers soften up the high-dollar targets in each class to help with "setting the pace" for the rest of the group. Many of these targets are legacies, having a family member who's been helpful to the college in some way, not only annual giving. Just being prominent in your home community and being known as, say, a Smith grad works wonders in attracting the kind of student that the college wants more of. Alumnae/i work very hard in these communities raising money and producing scholarships for potential students at these institutions. It's multi-generational and it upsets me no end to impugn these fine efforts! The history of these places is part of why people want to go there, so they can share this identity as a Harvard grad or a Skidmore alum, etc.
Also, as I saw in the giving records through the years, those who were recipients of my college's financial assistance -- often a full ride for 4 yrs -- and who did spectacularly well academically, Phi Beta Kappa, etc., gone on to grad schools and careers of note, have NOT been generous to the school that gave them their start. This was years before AA and all the rest of the changes in operations like coeducation at formerly single-sex schools. These people just simply ignore the pleas for "participation" in their class effort, i.e. a check for $50 will do, yet fill the Class Notes column in the alumni mags with their stellar achievements! Selfish and cheesy is what they are IMO.
It's kind of funny, but I remember one remarkably apt statement that President George W. Bush made at a Yale Commencement where he gave the address: "To all you academic superstars in the class, I say a hearty congratulations and wish you every future success; and I say to you B students, someday you might be lucky enough to work for us C students," or something close. It got a big laugh.
That's life, I guess, but the schools have a brand and inviting too many of the wrong "kind" in without giving thought to how their attendance will enhance said brand will cause long term problems that giant $100,000 donations won't be able to fix. Your kid might as well just attend the local community college for a couple of years and then figure out what she really wants to do! (I say this as a grandmother of a girl about to turn 18 and who starts back in a week as a high school senior;-) Wish us luck.
Andrew, I really appreciate your insight into the plight of the elite universities, now struggling to maintain an outdated, failing race-based policy that will lead to their demise. I am so hopeful about your candidacy, not only as regards your own triumph but also the others you still galvanize along the way! Bravo 🙌🏼
Who wrote the ridiculous supplementary essay prompt for Hopkins? I was equally appalled by the poor quality writing. “You’d” ?? Low brow conjunction, no? Instructed to choose “either” but given 3 choices??? Remember grade school rhyme “either or/neither nor??
There is no such thing anymore as an elite university.
Andrew -- My Ivy League grad husband -- now 50+ yrs out -- and I agree with your points re: AA. Here's my take on the "legacy" admits problem. Since 1979 I have been closely involved with my college class fund-raising efforts, formerly run from the Development Office, now in many places termed the Office for Institutional Advancement. They should call these offices "Ground Zero"!
Getting rid of legacy admits would screw over the class participation percentages in the school's annual fund-raising efforts, among other problems it would cause. Class reunions are a major way to hype gift giving, with goals established by the development office after close scrutiny of "who" is in each class. It's a competitive sport, so the Class of Ooompty-oomp can brag theirs
was the largest-ever 25th Reunion gift, and so on. Development officers soften up the high-dollar targets in each class to help with "setting the pace" for the rest of the group. Many of these targets are legacies, having a family member who's been helpful to the college in some way, not only annual giving. Just being prominent in your home community and being known as, say, a Smith grad works wonders in attracting the kind of student that the college wants more of. Alumnae/i work very hard in these communities raising money and producing scholarships for potential students at these institutions. It's multi-generational and it upsets me no end to impugn these fine efforts! The history of these places is part of why people want to go there, so they can share this identity as a Harvard grad or a Skidmore alum, etc.
Also, as I saw in the giving records through the years, those who were recipients of my college's financial assistance -- often a full ride for 4 yrs -- and who did spectacularly well academically, Phi Beta Kappa, etc., gone on to grad schools and careers of note, have NOT been generous to the school that gave them their start. This was years before AA and all the rest of the changes in operations like coeducation at formerly single-sex schools. These people just simply ignore the pleas for "participation" in their class effort, i.e. a check for $50 will do, yet fill the Class Notes column in the alumni mags with their stellar achievements! Selfish and cheesy is what they are IMO.
It's kind of funny, but I remember one remarkably apt statement that President George W. Bush made at a Yale Commencement where he gave the address: "To all you academic superstars in the class, I say a hearty congratulations and wish you every future success; and I say to you B students, someday you might be lucky enough to work for us C students," or something close. It got a big laugh.
That's life, I guess, but the schools have a brand and inviting too many of the wrong "kind" in without giving thought to how their attendance will enhance said brand will cause long term problems that giant $100,000 donations won't be able to fix. Your kid might as well just attend the local community college for a couple of years and then figure out what she really wants to do! (I say this as a grandmother of a girl about to turn 18 and who starts back in a week as a high school senior;-) Wish us luck.
Andrew, I really appreciate your insight into the plight of the elite universities, now struggling to maintain an outdated, failing race-based policy that will lead to their demise. I am so hopeful about your candidacy, not only as regards your own triumph but also the others you still galvanize along the way! Bravo 🙌🏼
Who wrote the ridiculous supplementary essay prompt for Hopkins? I was equally appalled by the poor quality writing. “You’d” ?? Low brow conjunction, no? Instructed to choose “either” but given 3 choices??? Remember grade school rhyme “either or/neither nor??
There is no such thing anymore as an elite university.