“the microsegment of the top 4 to 5 percent (earning $222,400 to $251,100) fares the absolute worst at t20 admissions

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That big salary bump came with an 3x increase in COL.

No one forced that on you.

Never said anyone did. I said admissions judge your kid based on your current zip code and income. Admissions. Do you comprehend that? Or do you just troll the whole board trying to piss off people with dumb finance critique? Yes, obviously parents should turn down opportunities to progress in their career to make sure their kids are appropriately judged at admissions time. /s

You’re just trolling, I guess, because you’re definitely not reading and responding to what you’ve read. I’m sorry this is fun for you.

This^. Some people who get it all for free, do think of it as a frivolous discussion because its not a real issue for them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So kids in households earning $450-500k do well?

Better than $250 but not as well as wealthy kids. Unless they are URM, an athlete, or play a unique instrument, they will mostly likely end up at a state school honors college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What HHI percentile range is "upper middle class"?

Depends. Same HHI is middle class if there is debt, low retirement saving, a dry patch of unemployment, several kids, birth family's need etc.

[Anonymous]

*also COL, same HHI is high in Alabama, low in DC.

[Anonymous]

The article that relies on anonymous quotes from a bitter mom using "brilliant" to describe her daughter as gospel? LOL at you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What HHI percentile range is "upper middle class"?

Depends. Same HHI is middle class if there is debt, low retirement saving, a dry patch of unemployment, several kids, birth family's need etc.

Low retirement and debt are personal choices. Same with several kids. Bottomline is stop making excuses, stop over spending and save.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:*also COL, same HHI is high in Alabama, low in DC.

Again, it's about life choices. In Alabama you might get a great house for $400K, in DC area, you get a small 1000 square foot fixer upper. Don't like it, move to Alabama.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Middle class always gets screwed

This isn’t middle class.

It is when you’re comparing to wealthy applicants. As pp above explained, you need to be rich or poor to get in (unless hooked by URM, first gen, or ROTC) Rich does not mean earning a salary of $490,000 a year, it means wealthy, millions plus connections and legacy type of wealth or at least wealthy enough to pay for a school like Exeter and all the private sports coaching and enrichment summers in between. I realize $500 a year sounds like a lot if you make $85, but it is not rich when we’re talking college admissions. Not at all. It puts you smack dab in the “you have privilege but not enough to help you get in, so we don’t care” category.

At $300-500K a year you easily could have saved enough for any school you want your child to go to. At $200K you can comfortably save at least for a state school. At $300K+ a year you can comfortably pay cash for one child to go to an expensive school. Life is about choices. If you choose to spend it all and not save, don't scream poverty. And, we managed to save for state school, pay off a house (nothing most people would want), pay for fancy sports and music and much more and still save for retirement. We aren't living large, taking lots of vacations or many other things typical but that's ok.

Why do you people always assume this salary has been consistent for years? Our salary was $65- 165 for most of their childhood but jumped to $400 when they were juniors and seniors in high school. For college applications, we were judged by our current zip code and current salary.

At $165K you can still save for college, we did. And, if you had that big of a jump you can take that extra $200K and use it to pay cash for college.

Well, aren’t you all knowing?

You missed all the years we were under $100.

That big salary bump came with an 3x increase in COL.

Many of us are in the same situation but not making as much as you are now. So, if you didn't change your lifestyle, you can comfortably afford to pay cash with that increase. We've had to take care of a family member, had a special needs child, have a parent who cannot work due to health issues and much more and yet, on much less income than you managed to save for a state college and grad school. It's about choices. While you are taking nice vacations, we are not. When you are going to nice restaurants, we are going to basic chains.... see how that works.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Middle class always gets screwed

This isn’t middle class.

It is when you’re comparing to wealthy applicants. As pp above explained, you need to be rich or poor to get in (unless hooked by URM, first gen, or ROTC) Rich does not mean earning a salary of $490,000 a year, it means wealthy, millions plus connections and legacy type of wealth or at least wealthy enough to pay for a school like Exeter and all the private sports coaching and enrichment summers in between. I realize $500 a year sounds like a lot if you make $85, but it is not rich when we’re talking college admissions. Not at all. It puts you smack dab in the “you have privilege but not enough to help you get in, so we don’t care” category.

At $300-500K a year you easily could have saved enough for any school you want your child to go to. At $200K you can comfortably save at least for a state school. At $300K+ a year you can comfortably pay cash for one child to go to an expensive school. Life is about choices. If you choose to spend it all and not save, don't scream poverty. And, we managed to save for state school, pay off a house (nothing most people would want), pay for fancy sports and music and much more and still save for retirement. We aren't living large, taking lots of vacations or many other things typical but that's ok.

Why do you people always assume this salary has been consistent for years? Our salary was $65- 165 for most of their childhood but jumped to $400 when they were juniors and seniors in high school. For college applications, we were judged by our current zip code and current salary.

At $165K you can still save for college, we did. And, if you had that big of a jump you can take that extra $200K and use it to pay cash for college.

Well, aren’t you all knowing?

You missed all the years we were under $100.

That big salary bump came with an 3x increase in COL.

Many of us are in the same situation but not making as much as you are now. So, if you didn't change your lifestyle, you can comfortably afford to pay cash with that increase. We've had to take care of a family member, had a special needs child, have a parent who cannot work due to health issues and much more and yet, on much less income than you managed to save for a state college and grad school. It's about choices. While you are taking nice vacations, we are not. When you are going to nice restaurants, we are going to basic chains.... see how that works.

Omg. You’re insufferable. I was talking about admissions not complaining about paying. You all are the biggest whiners. Me, me, me. You know nothing about other peoples lives.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:*also COL, same HHI is high in Alabama, low in DC.

Again, it's about life choices. In Alabama you might get a great house for $400K, in DC area, you get a small 1000 square foot fixer upper. Don't like it, move to Alabama.

That would also be great for college admissions. Geographic diversity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:*also COL, same HHI is high in Alabama, low in DC.

Again, it's about life choices. In Alabama you might get a great house for $400K, in DC area, you get a small 1000 square foot fixer upper. Don't like it, move to Alabama.

Obviously dumb because you won’t be paid as much in Alabama as in DC.

[Anonymous]

So how do all these elite needs-blind schools know our salaries ????

They claim they don’t get that info.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So kids in households earning $450-500k do well?

Better than $250 but not as well as wealthy kids. Unless they are URM, an athlete, or play a unique instrument, they will mostly likely end up at a state school honors college.

Are you kidding? $450k is certainly able to go full pay at a private LAC if they want.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So kids in households earning $450-500k do well?

Better than $250 but not as well as wealthy kids. Unless they are URM, an athlete, or play a unique instrument, they will mostly likely end up at a state school honors college.

Are you kidding? $450k is certainly able to go full pay at a private LAC if they want.

Spoken like someone who has one kid and always made a lot of money.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So how do all these elite needs-blind schools know our salaries ????

They claim they don’t get that info.

They know the poverty level at your high school and the average income of your zip code and they can make decisions based on that.