A Chicago Tribune investigative report this past week about how the University of Illinois gives extra consideration to well-connected applicants has set off a storm of protests, prompting the school to change its practices and sending politicians who made use of the rules running for cover.
But the truth is, many universities – public and private alike – give special treatment to some degree to the sons and daughters of big donors, politicians, trustees and others with control over the school’s purse strings or other clout, admissions experts say.
“The admissions offices are essentially being held over a barrel,” said David Hawkins of the National Association for College Admission Counseling. “How can they really say no when the directives come from the very top of the institution?”
Whether formalized or not, “virtually every selective college, public or private, has some kind of list” like the one maintained by the University of Illinois, said Daniel Golden, whose 2006 book, The Price of Admission, exposed admissions practices that favored well-connected applicants.
