Finding An Ivy League Egg Donor
One of the more common requests from our clients is their desire to find an Ivy League egg donor. Our first question is, ‘Why is this important to you’?
The answer usually varies – many of our intended parents are highly accomplished, driven people who themselves have advanced degrees from impressive universities including Harvard, Oxford, Stanford, and MIT. And it’s human instinct to hope to find an egg donor who reminds you of yourself and your own background and ambitions.
What Do You Value About Yourself?
For every intended parent building their family through egg donation, finding the perfect egg donor can seem like finding a needle in a haystack. And when parents have a long list of specific criteria they are hoping to find in a donor, the odds get even slimmer. The truth is that every person is unique – no one out there will be your perfect doppelganger. But if you know what is most important to you, and where you are willing to compromise, your search will be much easier.
According to Gail Sexton Anderson, “In most cases if we take an egg from a reasonably intelligent female, fertilized by a reasonably intelligent male, you will have an intelligent child. This child will then be raised in a family of high academic achievers and is likely to do very well in this environment.”
Are Ivy League Egg Donors hard to find?
One problem that intended parents encounter when looking for an Ivy League egg donor is that they simply can’t find anyone at one agency or through their fertility clinic. That’s often when they come to us for help. With access to thousands of egg donors across the nation, we are experts in finding the best candidates for our clients. But we caution that finding a donor with an Ivy League degree isn't always that easy.
Attending an Ivy League school is a serious undertaking for every student, and requires a huge commitment of time, energy, ambition, and resources. Becoming an egg donor is a time consuming and intense process, including initial applications, screenings, injections, monitoring appointments and egg retrieval. Many women attending top universities just may not be able to commit the time it takes to do an egg donor cycle, especially if that includes a travel cycle to another city. It’s also safe to say that most women pursuing an Ivy League education are preparing for successful careers in their chosen field. As they put their time and energy into their education and work experience, many may find the financial incentive to donate their eggs not worth the time-intensive process. And more importantly, not every young woman wants to be an egg donor, ivy-league education or not.
Finding Your Egg Donor
When intended parents come to us with specific criteria, we listen. But we also interpret. Most parents simply want an egg donor whose looks and background would fit well into their family. And this is especially true for parents with an impressive educational background. Parents who are absolutely not willing to compromise on their donor’s educational background will need to commit more time and resources to a tailored approach.
Egg donors set their own compensation and it’s not unusual for women with an ivy-league degree to request upwards of $15,000 or substantially more for their donor egg cycle. Women with impressive academic achievements tend to do extensive research on the egg donation process and what other young women similar to themselves have received. On top of compensation, many Ivy League educated young women are interested in an additional benefit such as egg freezing for themselves or a donation to a charity.
Why do parents want an Ivy League egg donor? It may be because they attended an Ivy League school. It may be because they want their child to attend a prestigious college. But what are they really searching for? When clients tell us they want an Ivy League egg donor, we know they mean so much more than that. They want an egg donor who is bright, ambitious, hard-working and accomplished – just like themselves.
Keep in mind the following:
- There are many intelligent, educated women donating their eggs.
- Not everyone has had the opportunity to attend an ivy-league institution
- There are more than 8 kinds of intelligence (Dr. Howard Gardner’s 8 Intelligences)
- Think about the donor as a whole person, beyond her academics - How does she remind you of yourself and your values?
The traits that you may be seeking in your donor are usually the very traits that parents will instill in their child as he/she grows up. In this field, we emphasize the importance of nurture. The best egg donor is someone healthy and happy to donate their eggs, who fits into your family. The child that you are able to bring into this world will then be raised by you – he or she will value what you value, be that hard work, education, integrity or creativity.
With or without the “Ivy League” label, every intended parent can find the bright, healthy egg donor who is the perfect fit for their family.
