The Mandell School, which has closed, had stated in its application that offering a “donation” would disqualify an applicant, according to former head Gabriella Rowe. “Ironically, it made the school even more desirable,” said Rowe, who now runs a technology accelerator in Houston.
Unusual Package
Parents, it seems, will try just about anything. Rowe recalled getting an unusual package from one parent: a box containing a toddler-size sneaker. “Now that we have one shoe in the door, we hope we get the other," the accompanying note said.
Plenty of parents edit or even write their children’s college-admissions essays. With the Baby Ivies, parents are asked to describe their kids and family. A month on a private yacht in Greece, for instance, might be held up as evidence that a tyke is worldly.
“There’s a lot of that -- trying to show off,” said Dana Haddad, founder of educational consultant New York Admissions.
Then comes the prepping, testing, interviewing and visiting. Some parents apply to more than 10 schools.
“If they get into two, that’s a raging success,” said Amanda Uhry, founder of Manhattan Private School Advisors.
Lucrative Game
As with colleges, consulting is a lucrative game. Uhry charges her full-service clients anywhere from $12,000 to $25,000. Reid’s fees start at $375 an hour.
Parents blame other parents, and sometimes themselves, for the spiraling competition. As in higher education, administrators and consultants can feed on parental anxieties about success.
Rowe, the former Mandell School director, wonders where this leaves the kids. Parents, she said, send a clear message: “I competed in the process, and I won.”
This article was provided by Bloomberg News.