SCHOOL DAYS : Cash in Hand

If you thought college entrance exams were tough, try becoming a sperm donor. It takes more than just a good imagination and a paper cup to enter the ranks of cash-shy college students who can earn $35 per acceptable specimen at local sperm banks: It also takes commitment.

“A man should abstain from sexual intercourse for two or three days before he provides a specimen to ensure a high sperm count,” warns Cappy M. Rothman, co-founder of California Cryobank in Westwood. The firm, one of several similar companies in the area, sells vials of semen for $133 and ships 2,000 of them to physicians and clinics in 15 countries every month, Rothman says, producing an estimated 4,800 pregnancies annually.

Cryobank advertises heavily in college newspapers, and 85% of its donors are college students. But not everyone can make the grade--the requirements of donorship are as strict as your basic personal ad. A man must be tall, healthy and college material. “We need extensive medical histories going back three generations,” says Cryobank marketing director Ronda Wilkin. “Donors must be at least 5-9; short men just don’t sell. We don’t accept community colleges anymore, because our clients request donors with four-year university backgrounds,” she says. Liking long walks along the beach is not an issue, fortunately, but the screening does include numerous blood tests, a complete physical, meetings with a genetics counselor and a 27-page questionnaire on the donor’s medical and genetic history.

Then comes the final test: A donor’s sperm count must be above the national average in order to ensure a potent sample after a deep freeze in liquid nitrogen. Only 8% of initial applicants make the Cryobank catalogue, which indexes about 250 donors.

John, a 23-year-old UCLA law student, made the cut three years ago. “At first it was a big joke,” he says, “but after making it through the heavy selection process, I felt privileged. I also have a responsibility to stay healthy and clean. It’s an easy way to earn cash; I made $4,000 last year.” (You do the math.)

John hasn’t told his girlfriend about his unusual part-time job but another donor, James, 20, had no qualms about telling friends and family. “My parents were shocked. They asked me what else I would sell for money,” he says.

But James takes pride in his work. “Cryobank donors are top-notch students in superior physical and mental shape. We’re providing a valuable service.”