Title: Donations influence admissions
Source: Daily Bruin
Date: November 13, 2007

From the article:

In this unprecedented practice within the School of Dentistry, applicants related to donors giving six-figure gifts were automatically advanced over other students despite their lower test scores and grades.

In one case, an applicant was told by a member of the admissions board that a $60,000 gift could greatly improve his chances.

Orthodontics is arguably the most competitive of dental specialties, and the program at UCLA is regarded as one of the nation’s best, typically accepting applicants with extensive research experience and top scores.

But in four of the last five years, major donors’ close relatives have landed one of six highly coveted residency spots in the program.