It’s ironic but the fact of the matter is if you’re rich you may ask to have a harder time getting into Stanford and Harvard.
The reason for this is because the entire stereotype behind Ivy League schools being dominated by rich white males have simply changed the way that people these days are very sensitive to race, are very sensitive to minority issues, and are very sensitive to discrimination.
As a result if you really think about Ivy League admissions policies, people who come from elite backgrounds, wealthy private schools like Exeter or have extremely wealthy parents will actually receive more scrutiny in their Common App to try and assess whether that high school student actually did all the work themselves or simply had everything handed to them on a silver platter…things like SAT prep courses, lots of independent college counseling advice, and so forth.
In general admissions officers tried to strive for socioeconomic diversity - they do want a good mix of people from many different states races and ethnicities and life backgrounds.
But increasingly so at some of the top schools like Harvard and Stanford you’re actually find that significant preference will be given to people who have come from a disadvantaged background like being from an extremely poor family.
In some cases admissions officers may even be biased against rich people simply because they themselves did not come from a privileged background and believe in the silver platter mentality.
So the important thing to take away from this is that if you are indeed upper-class and go to an elite private high school you should be very careful not to come across as arrogant or spoiled in your admissions essays, your letters of recommendation, and your supplemental materials
While it’s a very big benefit to be a legacy - my Harvard admissions guide discuss exactly what legacy admission rates are… just because your parents went to Yale does not mean it easier for you to get into Princeton.
In fact, it may be a lot harder and the bar with respect to SAT score, GPA and class rank, extracurricular achievements, and the like will be even higher!
Click here to learn some secrets of Harvard admissions!
The advice ultimately for people who do come from wealthy upper class backgrounds is to simply be modest in your application when you’re describing your parents educational background and or current occupation.
It’s okay to be a little bit more vague - make sure you have people who would tell you the honest truth review your admissions essays and ask them if you come across as arrogant or spoiled.
Only in the rare situations will being rich help out - such is if your parents are major donors to the University, or if your dad is a famous CEO or your mom is a well-known celebrity.
However, if you’ve just come from a privileged upper-class background, these things may actually work against you so be very careful how you present yourself.
In alumni interviews you don’t want to show up wearing a $2000 suit and $400 tie if your interviewer bought his or her suit at JCPenney!
Hope that helps, just some more thoughts as you wind through this tortuous Ivy League admissions path. Best of luck to all!
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