Development Admissions: The Wealth-Driven Backdoor to Elite Colleges
The "Varsity Blues" scandal exposed illegal admissions schemes, but wealthy families still have lots of legal ways to secure college acceptance through development cases.
How Development Admissions Work
Elite universities track and favor applicants linked to major donations.These cases, often labeled as "institutional priority" or "development admits," bypass standard admission criteria.
Donor Tracking Software – Schools use CRM tools like Salesforce to monitor family donations and future giving potential, influencing admissions decisions. In U.S. v. Khoury, records revealed that Georgetown tracked the Khoury family’s financial standing, including the $4 million value of their home, to assess their ability to contribute an estimated $2–$2.5 million in lifetime donations.
Development Lists – Admissions offices maintain rosters of applicants tied to high-value donors, who receive special consideration.
Major Gifts & Endowments – A donation in the range of $5 million to $10 million can significantly increase admission chances, while naming rights for buildings or endowed professorships often require $25 million or more. Jared Kushner’s admission to Harvard is a well-known example of development influence; his father pledged $2.5 million before his acceptance despite a non-exceptional academic record.
Influential Board Connections – Trustees and top university officials can advocate for donor-linked applicants.
Athletic Recruitment Loophole – Some sports (e.g., fencing, sailing) offer flexible admissions criteria for well-connected applicants. In U.S. v. Khoury, the prosecution revealed that Amin Khoury’s daughter, despite her GPA of 3.2, was admitted as a tennis recruit after her father made payments to the coach. Ironically, she could have gained an edge through Georgetown’s legitimate but expensive summer tennis program instead.
Exclusive Pre-College Pathways
Wealthy families also leverage elite summer programs as unofficial admissions pipelines:
Invite-Only Programs – Some pre-college initiatives prioritize legacy families or major donors, offering early access to top-tier professors and administrators.
Faculty Recommendations – Participation in these programs may lead to professor endorsements, boosting applications.
Selective Summer Institutes – Programs like Harvard’s Secondary School Program, Stanford Pre-Collegiate Studies, and Yale Young Global Scholars give students direct exposure to faculty, admissions officers, and prestigious academic environments.
Networking Opportunities – These programs allow students to build relationships with influential professors, administrators, and other high-profile attendees, strengthening their college applications.
Resume Boosting & Application Preference – While not explicit admissions guarantees, participation in elite pre-college programs adds credibility to an application, showing engagement with the university before applying.
While these methods remain within legal bounds, they underscore thesignificant role of wealth in elite admissions. Understanding these pathways can help families navigate the system strategically.
Breakdown of How Top Schools Handle "Development Admits"
1. Harvard University
🔹 Tracking System:Harvard has a “Z-List” for students who don’t meet normal academic cutoffs but
have powerful connections. These students are often deferred a year (forced to take a gap year) and admitted later.
🔹 Development OfficeRole: Harvard’s Alumni Affairs & Development Office maintains detailed
records of donor potential and relays high-priority applicants to the
admissions office.
🔹 Notable Cases: Courtrecords from the Harvard affirmative action lawsuit showed that students
flagged for donor interest were admitted at significantly higher rates than
regular applicants.
2. Yale University
🔹 Tracking System: Yale uses a “Preferential Admissions List”, which includes legacy students,
donor-linked applicants, and children of influential figures.
🔹 Development Office Role: Applicants linked to major donors get flagged early, and Yale’s dean of
admissions sometimes meets with fundraising officers to discuss these
candidates.
🔹 Notable Cases: The Varsity Blues scandal exposed how fake athletic recruits were used as an
alternative backdoor for wealthy families.
3. Stanford University
🔹 Tracking System:Stanford maintains an “Office of Development” list, which tracks wealthy
families with donation potential.
🔹 Development Office Role: The admissions office works closely with Stanford’s fundraising team, and high-potential donor families are flagged for special attention.
🔹 Notable Cases: In the Varsity Blues case, Stanford’s sailing coach admitted to taking donations in
exchange for recommending non-athletes for recruitment.
4. University of Pennsylvania (Wharton School)
🔹 Tracking System: Penn maintains a VIP admissions list that includes legacy students, donor-linked
applicants, and political figures.
🔹 Development OfficeRole: The President’s Office and Board of Trustees sometimes intervene to push certain candidates.
5. Georgetown University
🔹 Tracking System: Georgetown has a “Development Case List”, a separate track for applicants tied
to major donors or VIPs.
🔹 Development OfficeRole: The tennis coach in the Varsity Blues scandal admitted that development admits were routine—the issue was that he personally took the money instead of it going to the school.
6. Princeton University
🔹 Tracking System: Princeton does not publicly disclose a donor-admit tracking system, but leaked
internal emails suggest that development-linked applicants receive special
review by the admissions office.
🔹 Development Office Role: The Princeton Alumni Affairs Office provides a list of high-value donor
families whose children are applying.
7. Duke University
🔹 Tracking System: Dukemaintains a “Development List”, a priority list of applicants linked to major
donors.
🔹 Development OfficeRole: Duke’s fundraising team coordinates closely with admissions, flagging
students whose families could contribute financially.