If you knew someone..... Opinion thread

[Kpowell14]

---

Members do not see this ad.

If you knew someone that had "pull" at any of the schools you applied to... Would you use their influence to your advantage?

My parents are pressuring me to agree to having someone put in a good word for me.. But I don't feel like its appropriate.. They claim that " in the real world" this is how things are done... That " it takes knowing somebody" ...

Opinions???

 

[psilovethomas]

If you knew someone that had "pull" at any of the schools you applied to... Would you use their influence to your advantage?

My parents are pressuring me to agree to having someone put in a good word for me.. But I don't feel like its appropriate.. They claim that " in the real world" this is how things are done... That " it takes knowing somebody" ...

Opinions???

😱 No.

 

[StartingoverVet]

absolutely no question that is how it works in the real world. If people take an interest in you, you get ahead. Networking...etc.

And that is how you might find an internship or residency or ..😱 a job.
You still need to be qualified etc, but sometimes it is just enough to get that tiny bit extra notice that is needed.

Having said that, you have to be comfortable with the idea, otherwise you will unnecessarily doubt yourself.

I happened to know very well a member of the board of trustees at Penn. Thought about asking him to take an interest (he does it frequently enough for others), but decided not to bother.

 

[anotherbusybee]

Surely, this must be one of those ethical MMI questions!

Would a sane person be tempted? Of course.
Do my personal ethics allow for this? No. This is cheating. Receiving special attention that has no basis in merit = cheating.

 

[Bracco Pointer]

If the opportunity presented to get to know this person and prove to them that I was a competent, somewhat intelligent, hard-working person... then definitely! However, I think it's extremely inappropriate to directly ask someone to put in a good word for you. They should be willing to do it on their own without coaxing.

 

[StartingoverVet]

Surely, this must be one of those ethical MMI questions!

Would a sane person be tempted? Of course.
Do my personal ethics allow for this? No. This is cheating. Receiving special attention that has no basis in merit = cheating.

How quaint and naive... and extremely rigid.

Not sure what your definition of cheating is, but there are certainly no rules...
just because you don't like doesn't make it cheating.

 

[Kpowell14]

Ok I think I should give more back ground info to clear the air ....

This is a family friend... Who is not directly involved in the CVM but the university as a whole.. I DID NOT ASK for anything from him.... they did not even know I had applied until my dad spoke to him recently and it came up that I had received an interview.... Meaning I've already received an interview BASED ON MERIT.. And now they have Offered to I guess
" put in a good word" .

Bc of my ethics I am very hesitant.. But I'm being pressured to agree.. Bc this person among other highly respected business men are telling me that that's how things work...

Is it really cheating if I've already made it this far and got an interview on my own??

 

[485501]

I think it depends on what kind of word you're asking them to put in.

If you're asking them to say "admit this person" I would say no, it's unethical.

If you're asking them to say "I know this person who's applying, have you read their application yet?" that will still help you, because it makes the admissions people remember you (and maybe have a favorable bias, granted), but they will still (hopefully!) evaluate you on your application - it's just a way to make you stand out. I'm not sure if I think that's unethical or not.
I think it depends largely on the power dynamic between the person you're asking to put in the word and the admissions people. If the person you're asking to put in the good word has any kind of direct power over the admissions people, then I'm leaning towards unethical. But, if the person you're asking to put in a good word is a co-worker, a respected alumnus of the school, a high-up in some other section of the university, a retired professor, someone who used to be on the admissions committee but isn't this year, etc., then I'm leaning more towards ethical.

I will say that between turning in my application and Davis sending out interview notices, I met with three Davis professors and talked to them about my plans, how much I love the school, some details about some of my research and vet experience, and to ask them questions about the school. I didn't ask them to do anything about my application or the admissions process, but I'm pretty sure at least one of them is on the admissions comittee, and I started to wonder after I got an interview invite if meeting with them gave me an advantage in terms of standing out. So maybe my above statements are partly me rationalizing my own actions after the fact - my past actions are coloring my opinion of the ethics.

My appologies for the wall o' text.

 

[485501]

Ok I think I should give more back ground info to clear the air ....

This is a family friend... Who is not directly involved in the CVM but the university as a whole.. I DID NOT ASK for anything from him.... they did not even know I had applied until my dad spoke to him recently and it came up that I had received an interview.... Meaning I've already received an interview BASED ON MERIT.. And now they have Offered to I guess
" put in a good word" .

Bc of my ethics I am very hesitant.. But I'm being pressured to agree.. Bc this person among other highly respected business men are telling me that that's how things work...

Is it really cheating if I've already made it this far and got an interview on my own??

In my opinion, if the family friend offered on his own initiative to put in a good word for you, I would say accept with gratitude. If it was your parents' idea, then it's still a moral question.

 

[cowgirla]

I had someone offer to "make a call" to one school for me.
Whether or not anything would have come of it, I don't know, but I declined. It just didn't feel right. For one, it wasn't really an association I wanted to have. I don't want to get into details, but the guy offering was VERY influential in the human medical field but I didn't really want my name connected to his in the vet world (you know...I didn't want to be "That girl" that Dr. X knows). And secondly, the school he was offering for was not a top choice..

I might have started kicking myself if I got rejected from every other school, but it all worked out in the end.

 

[bbeventer]

My vet that I worked closely with said he was good friends with someone and would put in a good word for me, without me asking. Whether he did or not I don't know, but in the real world like SOV said, networking is how people get jobs.

 

[Kpowell14]

In my opinion, if the family friend offered on his own initiative to put in a good word for you, I would say accept with gratitude. If it was your parents' idea, then it's still a moral question.

Oh gosh no.. My dad told him i didn't want any help.. That I wanted to do this on my own... The friend then said he wanted to speak to me directly.. So he got my number from my dad and called me up... Told me I would be crazy to not accept a Reccommendation... Gave me the real world talk.. Blah blah.. Told me to think about it and to let him know..

So now I'm like 😕 idn what to do

 

[Lissarae06]

If they offer, I wouldn't turn them down. I wouldn't ask them to though without them offering first. One of my recommendation letters was written by someone on an ad com of a school I applied to. Did that give me an advantage at that school? Probably. But this person was also my boss so she got to see me work, etc. My dad was a lawyer and he encouraged me to use my connections whenever I could because a lot of times, that's how you get your foot in the door. As long as they aren't coercing the school into accepting you, it's ethical.

 

[callie24]

speaking from personal experience, i having been working in the business world and am trying to go back to school.

I got my job because of a relationship i had with a person that put in a good word for me. I have to say that it is how the real world works. People like to put in good words for people that they care about and think are fits.

sounds like you didn't ask him, he offered. there isn't much you can do to stop someone from saying good things about you. Take the advantage. Do what you feel comfortable with!

 

[Kpowell14]

Is vet school admissions considered "the real world" ?? I guess I'd like to wishfully think that this is a different situation than the business world..

 

[prevetdreamer]

I feel that "putting in a good word" is much different than someone pulling strings to get you into a school you may not be qualified for. If someone offers to speak to some connections about how they think I am qualified, I would take it as more of a verbal recommendation, similar to a written LOR. I would never ask anyone, but if they offered I would say yes. However, if someone is pulling strings and influencing people to let you in whether you are qualified or not, that's sketchy.

 

[BarkyLove]

Is vet school admissions considered "the real world" ?? I guess I'd like to wishfully think that this is a different situation than the business world..

I think that we're not giving enough credit to the admissions committee. They are chosen for the select reason to help pick the best entering class for that particular school for any given application cycle (and we all know this can be based on a variety of factors). I am sure that they get many verbal recommendations from all sorts of people (old alums, professors, etc) every year and may not even weigh heavily upon it. I'd like to think the decision to admit someone is mostly based on merit..and if they happen to hear some nice things about them..well that's just the cherry on top 🙂

 

[HorsesRLife]

A vet I work with is very well known by the admissions committee and offered to put in a good word. I felt honored by this and gladly accepted, but I would have never asked her directly to say anything. I even avoided asking her for a LOR because I wasn't sure how the admissions committee would look at it, but she said it wouldn't be an ethical problem and made me feel better about her putting in a positive word.

 

[Kpowell14]

A vet I work with is very well known by the admissions committee and offered to put in a good word. I felt honored by this and gladly accepted, but I would have never asked her directly to say anything. I even avoided asking her for a LOR because I wasn't sure how the admissions committee would look at it, but she said it wouldn't be an ethical problem and made me feel better about her putting in a positive word.

Thank you for your response! And for everyone else's responses as well!!

 

[Maschka1]

I have returned to school, recently, after working in a pretty high pressure, very high dollar, sales industry. I can tell you that my success was definitely a, "who you know" deal. My most successful friends got their jobs by, "knowing someone." So having someone put in a good word for you isnt a bad thing, in my opinion.

Is it fair? well life isn't really fair, and sadly, this is your future your talking about, so dont feel bad using whatever advantage you have to get to the top.

That said, I know a few people involved with or close to the committee, and from what I understand, its a bit of a no-no to bother them at this time of the year. In fact one couldnt write me a letter or rec, because they are a voting member at one of the schools I applied to. Soooo... I guess my point is, dont blow this person off because you feel guilty or unethical- because it is not cheating. BUT, do be careful that it isnt something that comes off as someone trying to weasel their way in through back channels.

 

[Kpowell14]

I have returned to school, recently, after working in a pretty high pressure, very high dollar, sales industry. I can tell you that my success was definitely a, "who you know" deal. My most successful friends got their jobs by, "knowing someone." So having someone put in a good word for you isnt a bad thing, in my opinion.

Is it fair? well life isn't really fair, and sadly, this is your future your talking about, so dont feel bad using whatever advantage you have to get to the top.

That said, I know a few people involved with or close to the committee, and from what I understand, its a bit of a no-no to bother them at this time of the year. In fact one couldnt write me a letter or rec, because they are a voting member at one of the schools I applied to. Soooo... I guess my point is, dont blow this person off because you feel guilty or unethical- because it is not cheating. BUT, do be careful that it isnt something that comes off as someone trying to weasel their way in through back channels.

This is what concerns me... The perception if they put in a good word... Then my parents say, well they sent you an interview invite so they see something in you already without a good word..

 

[cowgirla]

IF this guy puts in good for you...and you get in....Will you be constantly second guessing yourself?

I think most people go through a "do I really belong here" phase in vet school (Mine has lasted almost three years now!), and I can definitely see having that make it 10x worse.

I think if you let this guy do it, YOU need to be okay with that decision more-so than anyone else, and make sure you have the confidence in yourself to realize that you weren't accepted JUST because of that phone call and you really do deserve your seat

 

[Maschka1]

This is what concerns me... The perception if they put in a good word... Then my parents say, well they sent you an interview invite so they see something in you already without a good word..

Is this a person who could write you a letter of rec for next cycle, if you don't get in on "your own merit" this time? I guess it depends on how suave this person is, too. I am sure they can word their "good word" to sound really casual and "non eye brow raising."
the way I see it, the biggest question you should ask yourself is, if you dont get in will you kick yourself more for doing it or not doing it? I guess, for me If I was looking back at my past rejection, I would probably be more upset that I didn't do everything could.

 

[Kpowell14]

IF this guy puts in good for you...and you get in....Will you be constantly second guessing yourself?

I think most people go through a "do I really belong here" phase in vet school (Mine has lasted almost three years now!), and I can definitely see having that make it 10x worse.

I think if you let this guy do it, YOU need to be okay with that decision more-so than anyone else, and make sure you have the confidence in yourself to realize that you weren't accepted JUST because of that phone call and you really do deserve your seat

Thank you.. I think I needed to see this perspective.

 

[zanydogz]

IF this guy puts in good for you...and you get in....Will you be constantly second guessing yourself?

I think most people go through a "do I really belong here" phase in vet school (Mine has lasted almost three years now!), and I can definitely see having that make it 10x worse.

I think if you let this guy do it, YOU need to be okay with that decision more-so than anyone else, and make sure you have the confidence in yourself to realize that you weren't accepted JUST because of that phone call and you really do deserve your seat

👍 This. It really boils down to how YOU feel about it. If you would feel okay with someone putting in a good word for you, despite the outcome (admission or denial), then go for it. Networking is important too. BUT, if you DON'T feel comfortable with it, then don't do it.

 

[krist]

Is vet school admissions considered "the real world" ?? I guess I'd like to wishfully think that this is a different situation than the business world..

have you done much shadowing at a private practice? and seen what private practice is really about other than examinations and surgeries??

 

[krist]

BTW I would for sure take someone putting in a good word for me...hopefully you have confidence to know that you are good enough to get into vet school and, yeah welcome to the real world where knowing the right people will get you a preceptorship, internship/residency/job etc etc

 

[Kpowell14]

have you done much shadowing at a private practice? and seen what private practice is really about other than examinations and surgeries??

I have worked or a BIG Corporate chain Vet practice for over two years now... So I know for them it is all about the business side of things... More so than I really like to admit..

 

[Jamr0ckin]

A friend of my dads is a big donor at the teaching hospital at UTK. After hearing that I hadn't gotten in after a few times, he called me up and chatted with me. Told me he had emailed a clinician that he was close with to see what their opinions were about how to improve my application. After a string of emails in which he highly recommended me for admission, I got a meeting with the dean of the school. In the meeting the dean interviewed me and gave me personal recommendations for my next application. I was admitted the next cycle...

Now, I don't think that is unethical at all. I didn't seek out the recommendation, and it was given freely and willingly by someone. Did it help? I believe so, indirectly, as it got me the meeting with the dean, who then personally recommended me for admission. If I was a flake or incompetent, my meeting with the dean would have been counterproductive.

Now, I often share a sky box at the UT football games with a TN supreme court judge. I could ask him to make a few calls and I was urged to ask him to have the governor call... I would never do that, because I didn't want to be admitted that way. I think that would be on the unethical side of the line.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using SDN Mobile

 

[anotherbusybee]

How quaint and naive... and extremely rigid.

Not sure what your definition of cheating is, but there are certainly no rules...
just because you don't like doesn't make it cheating.

My definition of cheating is defined as gaining an unfair advantage. Unfair, in this case, as being defined as not earned through merit. It's not naive. It's a basic code of conduct in education and testing and athletics and whatever merit-based institutions we hold dear in our society.

I responded to what was posted - which indicated nothing of an already pending interview. In that case, congratulations for earning the interview. But that's irrelevant. The question was: Is it appropriate to gain this advantage due to personal connections with an influential person?

Maybe I have been practicing too many ethical scenarios, but my PERSONAL ethics cannot justify an unfair advantage. Again, like others have suggested, it's ultimately your personal ability to live with the decision. So, can you?

 

[Minnerbelle]

By your definition of unfair advantage busybee, where would being born wealthy and not refusing to use money to advance your education/extracurriculars be?

It is quite unfair, and also quite the advantage imo. But I don't think it's immoral. I just don't understand why something is WRONG if it's unfair and advantageous.

 

[485501]

By your definition of unfair advantage busybee, where would being born wealthy and not refusing to use money to advance your education/extracurriculars be?

It is quite unfair, and also quite the advantage imo. But I don't think it's immoral. I just don't understand why something is WRONG if it's unfair and advantageous.

Or for that matter, what about growing up with a family friend who is a vet and is willing to let you shadow him/her a lot from an early age? Not everyone has that opportunity. Or even just getting to volunteer with a vet who personally supervises you and writes fantastic letters of recommendation, versus volunteering with a vet who doesn't take any personal interest in you and writes terribly? Or having been in a really unusual situation that makes for a great, memorable personal statement? Those things are also unfair, largely luck of the draw situations.

I'm not trying to be argumentative, busybee, I am interested in where people draw the line for what lucky advantages are right to use and which aren't. Anyone?

 

[vickers]

I think it really depends on what this person is going to do. Are they going to peek their head in and say, "Hey, you should consider kpowell, I know them personally and can vouch for their work ethic and ability to handle vet school" or are they going to do something along the lines of "I have a position of power at this school so you should admit a family friend". The first option I would have no problem with, but with the second scenario it seems like a lot of coercion to get you in.

 

[StartingoverVet]

Is vet school admissions considered "the real world" ?? I guess I'd like to wishfully think that this is a different situation than the business world..

Universities are HIGHLY political (probably more so than a well run business), and vet school is no different. The are subject to a ton of directives, influences, pressures, etc. And they are certainly used to various players with agendas to "help" get the right applicants in. Their job is to weigh these factors to get the best class they have.

If an important donor/alumnae calls them up, they have to consider the applicant against pissing off the alumnus.

If the President of the University recommends a candidate, they have to consider that.

If an important faculty member has input they consider that.

There is no "coercion" involved (usually), and it is not a moral issue because it happens all the time, and short of threats, those factors have to be weighed with others.

There is really nothing wrong with someone throwing your name in the mix, especially when THEY have offered.

 

[Kpowell14]

Universities are HIGHLY political (probably more so than a well run business), and vet school is no different. The are subject to a ton of directives, influences, pressures, etc. And they are certainly used to various players with agendas to "help" get the right applicants in. Their job is to weigh these factors to get the best class they have.

If an important donor/alumnae calls them up, they have to consider the applicant against pissing off the alumnus.

If the President of the University recommends a candidate, they have to consider that.

If an important faculty member has input they consider that.

There is no "coercion" involved (usually), and it is not a moral issue because it happens all the time, and short of threats, those factors have to be weighed with others.

There is really nothing wrong with someone throwing your name in the mix, especially when THEY have offered.

I guess my innocent brain just wanted to think that Universities are not like this. Well, there goes that theory 🙄

 

[StartingoverVet]

My definition of cheating is defined as gaining an unfair advantage. Unfair, in this case, as being defined as not earned through merit. It's not naive. It's a basic code of conduct in education and testing and athletics and whatever merit-based institutions we hold dear in our society.

I responded to what was posted - which indicated nothing of an already pending interview. In that case, congratulations for earning the interview. But that's irrelevant. The question was: Is it appropriate to gain this advantage due to personal connections with an influential person?

Maybe I have been practicing too many ethical scenarios, but my PERSONAL ethics cannot justify an unfair advantage. Again, like others have suggested, it's ultimately your personal ability to live with the decision. So, can you?

Not sure what world you live in but cheating is "BREAKING THE RULES". There are no rules being broken here.

You are talking about personal ethics. Frankly, I doubt the OP cares about someone's idealistic preachy ethics.

A common practice that is not against the rules, is certainly appropriate. Who cares if YOU don't like it.

And gaining an advantage is cheating? Geez, you are gonna have a hard time in a capitalist society where you TRY to gain a legal advantage. And every athlete tries to gain advantage in new training methods,etc. Hey RGIII you cheated because you ran a new play the Giants didn't expect. No wonder they lost.

Hey applicant, you cheated by taking a GRE review course. I should have done that.

No you have no clue what cheating means.. It seems to be anything YOU have decided gives someone an advantage over YOU.

Geez, all those people who got better grades than me because they took these courses already.... damn they CHEATED. That is so unfair.

Get the idea....

Oh by the way, admissions is far from a merit-based game... Unless you think where you live, or how long ago you took classes, or whether you add diversity is "merit".

 

[shortnsweet]

You got an interview fair and square, so clearly your application could stand on its own there.

Interviews are ridiculously short and it is hard to actually get to truly know you through them. Where is the harm in having someone say,"hey this is a family friend, I know her in this capacity and think she would do really well here"

It's not going to get you in or keep you out, but it might help them realize you would be a good fit for their school, esp if they are on the border after an interview.

Admissions always has some degree of networking and politics going on. I mean look at universities and legacies--just because your parents went there, you are almost certainly given a spot.

I think the main thing in your case is you clearly already stand out on your app. If you have someone offer to help you stand out a little bit more, so be it.

 

[Kpowell14]

Thank you SOV & SNS

 

[StartingoverVet]

Thank you SOV & SNS

👍 Good luck. You will probably be fine!

 

[shortnsweet]

BTW I would for sure take someone putting in a good word for me...hopefully you have confidence to know that you are good enough to get into vet school and, yeah welcome to the real world where knowing the right people will get you a preceptorship, internship/residency/job etc etc

THIS.

I did an externship over the summer, and while I wouldn't do an internship there, the vet offered to put in good words for me at some of the places I was interested in, because he knew people who worked at them and saw me in action. I didn't ask him to, he offered. And you better believe come next year when I start applying I will be giving him a call, and I won't feel bad about it. The vet community is TINY, and what it comes down to in most cases is...who are you, what can you do, and who do you know.

 

[shortnsweet]

Thank you SOV & SNS

👍 😍

Good luck on your interview regardless 🙂

 

[bunnity]

I don't think "fair" is a good measure.

I got a job when I was 18 via a family friend. I had that job for 4 years (and I was great at it) and you bet it was on my application. Should I have left it off my application because I got it through a connection?

Everyone has "unfair" advantages. If you're tall, or good-looking, or wealthy, or come from an educated family, or have a car, or grew up with animals, or have a vet friend, or smart, or don't have any learning disabilities, or have a good support system, or your LOR writers happen to be great at writing...

A vet school is not going to admit you if they don't think you'd be a good vet.

 

[Trematode]

Interesting debate.
If someone had offered to put in a good word for me, I would have to refuse. If this was a widely accepted thing to do, wouldn't it say on the admissions website that verbal recommendations from influential people are allowed?

When it came to jobs, volunteer positions, my thesis and receiving bursaries, I got them because I worked hard. I put myself out there. I tried my hardest to demonstrate my strengths to them. If they wanted more information about me, they had the resources. But never have I gotten someone to speak on my behalf without the permission of the person I was seeking a job/thesis/bursary from.

Heck, I met two of my vet school interviewers at a conference. Both told me that when I get an interview, the way I communicate will earn me a spot. Did I get an interview based on who I know or because someone spoke to them about me? No. It was my slightly-below average grades that blew that for me. And it will be my own doing that will get me in or not get me in. Not the influential people I know.

Best of luck with the decision.

Sorry, but it all seems a little shady to me.

 

[PetPony]

Not the same but I shadow and will do research with a vet at the vet school here. I definitely plan on asking her for a letter if all goes well because while someone else could write a good letter too, I do believe this might help more because the admissions committee probably actually knows her and trusts her opinion. So again, it's about who you know.

 

[LetItSnow]

If you knew someone that had "pull" at any of the schools you applied to... Would you use their influence to your advantage?

My parents are pressuring me to agree to having someone put in a good word for me.. But I don't feel like its appropriate.. They claim that " in the real world" this is how things are done... That " it takes knowing somebody" ...

Opinions???

Yes. No question about it. As long as I felt there wasn't significant risk of it <hurting> my application, I would use whatever advantages I had that were legal and ethical to get in.

It's certainly not "shady".

That said, I wouldn't count on it being all that helpful in the vet school admissions arena.

 

[hai1983]

.

 

[Coquette22]

I'd take a good word. To me, a good word is the same as a good reference. You aren't buying your way, or anything like that. I post references on my resume, why not in the rest of life? Like others have said, if a person is offering to put in a word for me, that's because they know I'm good at it. If I don't have the skills necessary, the good word probably won't do much, but a good word can push someone over the edge to give an employer/committee/interviewer a little more confidence. I don't always interview well for one thing. Both years I interviewed at AVC, I was scored as "mediocre" in my interview. And in job interviews, I can get flustered if I get off track. None of this reflects on how I work in day to day life. So having someone who could say "Hey, I know her interview wasn't steller, but really, she's great." would be a huge boost.

I have worked my ass off so that I have important people who think highly of me. Why wouldn't I want to use that?

 

[Trematode]

Just a thought, but most vet schools get 1000s of applicants and have a large number of interviews. I remember reading a previous thread where Thank You letters seem to be inappropriate for most places (if everyone sent a thank-you letter after an interview, it would be overwhelming and/or look like you are sucking up)

Imagine how many "good words" the people on the admissions committees might receive. It is probably less than the number of thank you letters. But the LAST thing you want to do is annoy committee members or waste their time with things that may not be relevant to the application process.

I realize that a good word is a lot different than saying thanks, but really, what is the difference? If I were on the admissions committee, would I really want people dropping by, emailing or calling to say "Hey, X applied. He/she is awesome. Consider him/her" Sure, you might look at the first few applicants that are mentioned, but you reach a point where you become too busy or too annoyed to look at them all. I have heard of a few hiring managers being annoyed by similar things in the job world.

Also, Coquette, if I remember correctly, the first time around, you had an issue with extra-curriculars (which you improved). If you have a weakness in something (example, interviews) a lot of people would improve a little bit between interviews or by improving other parts of their application. AVC is a little wonky in general... if they accepted LORs and yours were excellent, less emphasis may be placed on the interview. And, hey, you got in. And nobody associated with the vet school had to give you a shoe-in.

 

[BlackDog17]

This is a tricky one for sure. I know if I were in your shoes, I would certainly go ahead and let that person put in a good word. But if I were rejected from that school and found out that someone got in partially thanks to that good word, I would be pissed. It's one of those "it's fine until someone else does it" kind of situations.

Personally, I would be a little concerned about how the admissions committee would perceive someone putting in a good word for you. I know one of the schools I applied to (can't remember exactly which one it was) made a point to say "Recommendations from influential or high ranking members of society will not be given any additional weight" or something along those lines. Basically, they don't care who you know so much as what you've done.

Most admissions committees will have been around the block a few times, so I'd think they would be pretty suspicious of people trying to sway their opinions about the candidates. I'd be afraid that someone putting in a good word might have a negative impact, but it's hard to say one way or the other.

Really, it all comes down to your own sense of ethics and what you're comfortable with. I don't think there's a definitive right or wrong answer here.

 

[Trematode]

I may be thinking about the personal side of it a little too much, but it seems like too much of an ethical gamble.

Also, what are the chances that you refuse to get someone to put in a good word and you meet a successful applicant that may have gotten in the way? There are too many "if"s in that statement.