Rest In Peace Meritocracy

[Anonymous]

Hey he got a 35k scholarship to UMD - that is awesome! Congrats, Charlie!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't agree that there are a million other kids with 800 Math SAT and 800 Physics Subject test. College is about academics. Or it should be. And he should have gotten into one of these schools. There are not that many more qualified applicants. The college have chosen to make bullshit excuses for some other agenda to select less qualified kids. I don't even know what that agenda is. But come on people, college IS about the ability to score 800 on a Physics test!!!Yes, there are some discrepancies they have to sort out being different grades and should put a little weight on recommendations or ECs but only when comparing kids in the same bucket. I have no dog in this fight. My kids at 1250 and 1450 -- not Ivy. But people actually think this is fair -- I don't get it. Maybe he worked to get so smart or maybe he was born that way ---- doesn't even matter to me. This isn't a job interview. It is selection into an academic program - why should it be based on this. I am disgusted but wish him well.

Tell that to all the college athletes out there with lower test scores/gpa's who got into the select colleges over the candidates with perfect numbers.

And then gnash your teeth about how these recruited athletes do well once they arrive. I agree that it’s really annoying when your ideas about who will succeed or not are upended.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't agree that there are a million other kids with 800 Math SAT and 800 Physics Subject test. College is about academics. Or it should be. And he should have gotten into one of these schools. There are not that many more qualified applicants. The college have chosen to make bullshit excuses for some other agenda to select less qualified kids. I don't even know what that agenda is. But come on people, college IS about the ability to score 800 on a Physics test!!!Yes, there are some discrepancies they have to sort out being different grades and should put a little weight on recommendations or ECs but only when comparing kids in the same bucket. I have no dog in this fight. My kids at 1250 and 1450 -- not Ivy. But people actually think this is fair -- I don't get it. Maybe he worked to get so smart or maybe he was born that way ---- doesn't even matter to me. This isn't a job interview. It is selection into an academic program - why should it be based on this. I am disgusted but wish him well.

College has never been about “academics”.

It’s about gaining knowledge (which is something very different than “academics”), growing, and building connections (for things like jobs, marriages, memberships, donations, ect).

College admissions don’t care about perfect stats. They never have and they never will. Parents and students will lead healthier lives once they stop moaning about this lie they have been told and have accepted for far too long.

I don’t understand why some people don’t get this. If you look at the history of elite colleges, it’s pretty obvious it was made for the rich and wealthy to make connections and find their mating partners.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't agree that there are a million other kids with 800 Math SAT and 800 Physics Subject test. College is about academics. Or it should be. And he should have gotten into one of these schools. There are not that many more qualified applicants. The college have chosen to make bullshit excuses for some other agenda to select less qualified kids. I don't even know what that agenda is. But come on people, college IS about the ability to score 800 on a Physics test!!!Yes, there are some discrepancies they have to sort out being different grades and should put a little weight on recommendations or ECs but only when comparing kids in the same bucket. I have no dog in this fight. My kids at 1250 and 1450 -- not Ivy. But people actually think this is fair -- I don't get it. Maybe he worked to get so smart or maybe he was born that way ---- doesn't even matter to me. This isn't a job interview. It is selection into an academic program - why should it be based on this. I am disgusted but wish him well.

Tell that to all the college athletes out there with lower test scores/gpa's who got into the select colleges over the candidates with perfect numbers.

Yes. But athletes have on important advantage over this guy. A winning team has a better chance of luring donations back to the University from excited alumni. This guy studying in the library on Saturday night isn’t really helping anyone but himself. Also he will be just fine - major is MORE important than school.

[Anonymous]

So DCUM posters are now searching HS'ers "tik-toks" for material to prove their points on DCUM? That's not weird or anything....His stats gave him a chance at acceptance, but not guaranteed acceptance, clearly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't agree that there are a million other kids with 800 Math SAT and 800 Physics Subject test. College is about academics. Or it should be. And he should have gotten into one of these schools. There are not that many more qualified applicants. The college have chosen to make bullshit excuses for some other agenda to select less qualified kids. I don't even know what that agenda is. But come on people, college IS about the ability to score 800 on a Physics test!!!Yes, there are some discrepancies they have to sort out being different grades and should put a little weight on recommendations or ECs but only when comparing kids in the same bucket. I have no dog in this fight. My kids at 1250 and 1450 -- not Ivy. But people actually think this is fair -- I don't get it. Maybe he worked to get so smart or maybe he was born that way ---- doesn't even matter to me. This isn't a job interview. It is selection into an academic program - why should it be based on this. I am disgusted but wish him well.

Tell that to all the college athletes out there with lower test scores/gpa's who got into the select colleges over the candidates with perfect numbers.

Yes. But athletes have on important advantage over this guy. A winning team has a better chance of luring donations back to the University from excited alumni. This guy studying in the library on Saturday night isn’t really helping anyone but himself. Also he will be just fine - major is MORE important than school.

They have to fill the teams with qualified athletes; otherwise, there would be no teams. They might be more likely to accept the kid with a perfect math SAT score who is also a star at football/basketball/baseball/rowing/golfing, etc., but the two talents don't always go hand in hand.

[Anonymous]

Why are there sports other than club or IM? This is supposed to be an academic pursuit and those players are taken advantage of for raising money and don’t get paid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why are there sports other than club or IM? This is supposed to be an academic pursuit and those players are taken advantage of for raising money and don’t get paid.

$$$

Even country club sports bring in more donor money than the gen pop.
Also athletes have higher GPAs than the gen pop.
Also athletes are more likely to be a leader than the gen pop.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Charlie, my kid will see you in UMD. Similar stats...+ he is Asian American male like you too. Congrats on getting UMD because all of you high stat Asian-American kids have made it a powerhouse where STEM majors are concerned. Will you be super successful in life? Absolutely.

Both of you keep safe and remember this is the beginning of your life and yes, the racism inherent in college and work place was not just something your parents faced. USA is not even pretending to be egalitarian and fair.

Umd is a great education but that is ridiculous to say that this student could not have had many more acceptances if his application list had been more realistic.

If he is going for CS or Engineering...he made the right choice to go in-state (I am guessing here that he is an MD student) because how highly ranked UMD is for these two majors. Try for Ivies and know that it is a crapshoot and then also apply in-state for MD and get a free education. Well done, Charlie!

And no point in doing majors that does not get you a high paying job. He maximized his education dollars. Good for him. And while this was put in tiktok by him, I can bet that he was very aware that while he was an Ivy-level kid who was going to UMD, he was always going to be successful. Regardless of if Ivy rejected him because of racism, this kid is going to UMD with the best credentials. That is a mark of the candidate. I say this is Harvard's loss.

I also think that it is about time that the Asian-Americans realize the kinds of racism they are facing in USA. This is a valuable lesson for Charlie and my kid. Watch, experience and learn the reality of this country and society.

Quit with the whining already. All those Ivies are private schools. You are not owed a place there.

Oh shut up and go and parent your worthless kids!

DP. It's fascinating to see how Asians view other Americans based on the comments on this board. The recurring one about white girls being sluts is especially disturbing. I think there is a lot of anti Asian bigotry that needs to stop, but the bigotry needs to stop in the other direction also.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Him being Asian + Male certainly hurts a lot.

However, the US has never been a meritocracy. The closest thing to meritocratic admissions in the US is Berkeley, the rest of the UCs and Caltech. Otherwise the top privates have heavy bias for legacy, donor money and the otherwise wealthy (welcome, equestrian athletes), and publics have regional biases (rural is easier), donor money (Michigan, UVA), etc. etc.

He should've definitely applied to Michigan, UVA, Rice, etc. though and probably could gotten in.

Agree he would have likely done well at those schools and plenty other good ones as well. I wonder why he didn’t apply more broadly, and why he posted the video at all? UMD is nothing to sneeze at, though. Go Terps!

I'm guessing his family decided only top schools are worth OOS tuition. My kid will apply to UVA, VT, W&M and a then a few top 10 schools. Also a safety or two. As a family we've decided that saving money for grad school by paying in state tuition is best financially. DC knows getting into an Ivy is a total crap shoot but wants to apply anyway.

[Anonymous]

See 7:30: classic DCUM response to allegations of racism against Asian Americans— “but” and blame the victims.

Is that why so many people are watching incidences of harassment and ignoring them and not offering aid to the victims?

[Anonymous]

You are saying that if this kid were white, he would have been admitted and that is not true.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why are there sports other than club or IM? This is supposed to be an academic pursuit and those players are taken advantage of for raising money and don’t get paid.

Because, simply, they want sports to exist, and historically, there have been sports...Did Yale "take advantage of" George HW Bush when he played baseball there? Why do you care whether they choose to have sports?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why are there sports other than club or IM? This is supposed to be an academic pursuit and those players are taken advantage of for raising money and don’t get paid.

Because, simply, they want sports to exist, and historically, there have been sports...Did Yale "take advantage of" George HW Bush when he played baseball there? Why do you care whether they choose to have sports?

The importance given to sports in college in the USA is stupid but it just is what it is. No other country does this. But we do and everyone that does not play golf or soccer or whatever, has to compete against the golf and soccer and whatever players. Oh well.

That is not discrimination against this one kid because he is Asian. They got better volleyball players and they value that more than a 1590. EVERYBODY is dealing with that nonsense, not just asians.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why are there sports other than club or IM? This is supposed to be an academic pursuit and those players are taken advantage of for raising money and don’t get paid.

Because, simply, they want sports to exist, and historically, there have been sports...Did Yale "take advantage of" George HW Bush when he played baseball there? Why do you care whether they choose to have sports?

The importance given to sports in college in the USA is stupid but it just is what it is. No other country does this. But we do and everyone that does not play golf or soccer or whatever, has to compete against the golf and soccer and whatever players. Oh well.

That is not discrimination against this one kid because he is Asian. They got better volleyball players and they value that more than a 1590. EVERYBODY is dealing with that nonsense, not just asians.

Well, what do you want/expect to have happen? Schools to agree to do away with sports altogether and take people based strictly on highest test scores, no other factors, and for universal agreement in the US that score-based-only schools are now the best, most prestigious universities?