Probably the first thing people are attracted to when choosing an egg donor is the look of the donor. Many people want to match their own ethnicity and their appearance. I have always felt that a donor’s physical appearance is extremely important because, unlike intelligence, it cannot be changed by nurture. You cannot predict or control or change how your child will look. But skin tones, body type, facial features all play a part In determining the likelihood of the child’s physical appearance. Intelligence is a characteristic which is the second most frequent request we get at The Egg Donor Program when recipients are choosing an egg donor. There are many things in our donors’ profiles which signal intelligence: SAT scores (verified), Grade Point Average, educational degrees, occupation, parent and sibling occupations, academic awards, favorite books, essays she writes. Much of the child’s innate intelligence is going to come from the donor but remember that the biological father is also contributing as well as the environment which plays a big part in shaping intelligence. A great family health history is another important thing to consider in choosing an egg donor. No family is perfect but we are looking for a reasonable health history free of mental health problems. The Egg Donor Program works with one of the top geneticists in the country to provide a detailed medical report on the donor’s family as well as an assessment of the risks. In addition, there are many genetic tests which are available to donors to assess their carrier status.