VA Tech EA

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is pathetic is that being a minority/experiencing discrimination is important for admission to an educational institution. Social engineering at its finest.

This! (I'm a minority).

What's pathetic is that you and/or your kid are so limited that that's how you interpreted the question. You could have witnessed discrimination based on gender, age, race, disability, LGBTQ status, religion, SES....There are countless white kids who will be admitted after answering this questions, in fact, likely way more whites than minorities will be admitted. Get a grip.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They aren’t looking for religious discrimination (other than Muslim) they want racial/LGBTQ examples (not Asian) Those are the “good” ones.

It says nothing of the sort in the question. But keep telling yourself that. That's a very open ended question and it's sad your kid couldn't think outside the narrow view that they only wanted a certain kind of discrimination.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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But they likely would be happy to attend as their best value once they get all their acceptances.

And if they knew that upfront, they should have applied ED. Part of what is coming home to roost is the arrogance of high-stat kids (and their parents?) to collect acceptances from colleges they know they won’t attend. This is not a game. If a smart student can’t realistically identify a college that will accept them and their family can afford, they may lack common sense. Perhaps, parents need to be more involved in the application selection and strategy process.

Really? I doubt you have better common sense. So there is no point for having the concept of safety, match and reach schools?

There is, but when your reach is MIT, your match is Cornell, and your safety is VA Tech, there may be a problem, particularly if money is an issue (the previous poster mentioned value). If money is an issue, why not ED to UVA or VATech and target other state schools like Purdue or Illinois (for engineering).

Because for kids who money really is an issue, they need to compare financial aid packages and can't ED,

Cornell is not a match for anyone. Unless you are a high stat URM or legacy or athlete. Its a reach for everyone else

Regardless, if you have a low EFC and happen to get in to Cornell (or MIT) they meet 100% of need so it will be cheaper than VT. So, it's really unfair for VT to essentially say that high-stats students should have to apply ED to have a solid chance of admittance to what should be a safety school. Especially since to maximize your chance at Cornell you'd need to apply ED there. Most public Us don't even have ED.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Son’s classmate got into Cornell and UVA. Waitlisted at Tech.

Why is this surprising? This is why sometimes people get turned down for being overqualified for a job. The schools try to accept kids they think will actually attend the school. If they admit all high stats kids, they'll be under enrolled. Waitlist allows them to see how many of the high stats kids withdraw and use that to judge which ones are really interested.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Son’s classmate got into Cornell and UVA. Waitlisted at Tech.

Why is this surprising? This is why sometimes people get turned down for being overqualified for a job. The schools try to accept kids they think will actually attend the school. If they admit all high stats kids, they'll be under enrolled. Waitlist allows them to see how many of the high stats kids withdraw and use that to judge which ones are really interested.

Except this year, VT will have probably zero high stats kids to choose from. Now their ranking (whatever your source) will plummet, and fewer high ranking students will bother applying in the future. Is that what VT wants?

Also, is the VA public college/uni system looking to give white kids NO options - because if that happens, there will be big lawsuits. You can't say "we want 90% first generation". It doesn't work that way. Look at what happened to TJ.

[Anonymous]

*their=VT

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So one of the few useful things I’ve learned about on DCUM is the Common Data Set. After trying to follow this discussion (and also interested because my DC is a junior interested in Virginia Tech) I looked at it today. For the academic year 2020-2021 (kids who started as freshmen last fall) it says the following are “Very Important” for freshman admission decisions: Rigor of secondary record, academic GPA, Application Essay, First Generation, Geographical Residence, State Residency, and Racial/ethnic status. So instead of arguing or speculating, the CDC tells us what’s most important. Interestingly, nothing listed as “Important”, the second highest category. The following are “Considered”: standardized test scores, extracurricular activities, talent/ability, character/personal qualities, alumni relation, volunteer work, work experience. NOT considered: class rank, recommendations, interview, religious affiliation, level of applicant interest. It also says test scores will be considered if submitted for those applying for entrance in Fall 2022, which includes my junior.

It's important to note that the application essay is only their 4 specific questions. They do not look at the common app essay at all. They put a LOT of emphasis on the essays. The questions allow a pretty short answer (120 words) and cover:

1) A community you have been involved in and how you serve that community (very important to VT, reflected in their school motto)
2) A time you experienced or were involved in an act of discrimination (a chance for URMs in particular to show their resilience, harder Q for your typical White student to answer)
3) Example of leadership
4) Long term goal. It doesn't say it in the Q but Admissions told DS they are really looking here for a career goal. This is your chance to say how VT/particular major fits into your goals and how you have been working toward that. I wonder if this was a big miss for some of the high-stats kids that got waitlisted. Seems unfair to me that they aren't clear about that in the question.

Serious question. How does a middle class or UMC kid (esp one that is white) answer this question? I mean, I'm pretty sure my child will never truly experience this . . . not on the same level as a POC. SO that's it, they're out?

The prompt also includes being a witness to an act of discrimination. So, you can talk about a situation when you were a bystander and either did stand up for the people being hurt or your regret for not speaking up/taking action and how you wish you'd handled it. This is essentially how my DD (White UMC) responded to the prompt and she was accepted.

Thanks for this response.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

erious question. How does a middle class or UMC kid (esp one that is white) answer this question? I mean, I'm pretty sure my child will never truly experience this . . . not on the same level as a POC. SO that's it, they're out?

Do you honestly think only URM kids face or have witnessed discrimination? Have you considered religious discrimination? LGBTQ? Gender? Age? Regional (such as people discriminating against someone for their southern accent or all the jokes about how people from WVa marry their cousins)? Every kid on social media has seen the murder of George Floyd and the recent horrific attacks on Asian Americans. This week, my kid and I witnessed a young woman yelling at an older gentleman because he wasn't moving out of her way fast enough. She got in his face and yelled that he should only be allowed to shop "during old people time." The woman had the jewlery & clothing of a goth kid and the old guy was clearly afraid as she stomped past him. Geeez, step outside your bubble for a minute.

You know nothing about me or my experiences (and I have some material that I could write a harrowing essay about). I never said "only URM kids face or have witnessed discrimination."

But, lbh, the kids I know, most have not experienced this kind of thing. Not on the same level as what, I believe, the question is asking about.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Son’s classmate got into Cornell and UVA. Waitlisted at Tech.

Why is this surprising? This is why sometimes people get turned down for being overqualified for a job. The schools try to accept kids they think will actually attend the school. If they admit all high stats kids, they'll be under enrolled. Waitlist allows them to see how many of the high stats kids withdraw and use that to judge which ones are really interested.

Wait for the cat lady to come along and say "But Tech does not have the resources to practice yield protection".. She does that on every thread!

[Anonymous]

The high stats kids have other options from schools that don’t have late notice dates and waitlist screening. Why would the students wait? I don’t claim to be an admissions expert, but the way VT handles the admissions process guarantees they lose more high end students than they should.

I suppose it is possible they truly don’t care or have so many applicants that the ones willing to wait are enough, but it seems like a dubious strategy in the long run.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I guess in this day and age, I would be concerned about any HS student that couldn't share their own experience or perspective on question #2, or who wouldn't be comfortable going to an educational institution that acknowledges the value of various perspectives and life experiences. I see the answer as simple as "I know it when I see it kind of thing and here's what I think."

Another minority parent

As i read the question, they are not asking about their perspectives. But rather, their experiences. And if they have not experienced it, how are they to answer it?

Look, I get that kids struggling with that are privileged. That includes my own child (who is not in HS yet). And I don't have an issue with wanting a diverse student population. But, I don't know that we should be dinging kids who have had the benefit of not experiencing discrimination. We should also hope that NO ONE experiences discrimination. I realize that is not the case. But, I'm not sure how this questions contributes to that goal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

erious question. How does a middle class or UMC kid (esp one that is white) answer this question? I mean, I'm pretty sure my child will never truly experience this . . . not on the same level as a POC. SO that's it, they're out?

Do you honestly think only URM kids face or have witnessed discrimination? Have you considered religious discrimination? LGBTQ? Gender? Age? Regional (such as people discriminating against someone for their southern accent or all the jokes about how people from WVa marry their cousins)? Every kid on social media has seen the murder of George Floyd and the recent horrific attacks on Asian Americans. This week, my kid and I witnessed a young woman yelling at an older gentleman because he wasn't moving out of her way fast enough. She got in his face and yelled that he should only be allowed to shop "during old people time." The woman had the jewlery & clothing of a goth kid and the old guy was clearly afraid as she stomped past him. Geeez, step outside your bubble for a minute.

You know nothing about me or my experiences (and I have some material that I could write a harrowing essay about). I never said "only URM kids face or have witnessed discrimination."

But, lbh, the kids I know, most have not experienced this kind of thing. Not on the same level as what, I believe, the question is asking about.

By the time DS applied to Tech, he was worn out. As it is, it was a safety so he wrote about a discriminatory incident he witnessed (I'm sure it was embellished a bit).. It was a safety anyways.

I don't think Tech gives a rat's a** about these essays. Getting this question perfectly right but with a GPA of 3.0 will NOT get you into Tech Engineering. If it did, I don't want my kids in that class anyways..

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I guess in this day and age, I would be concerned about any HS student that couldn't share their own experience or perspective on question #2, or who wouldn't be comfortable going to an educational institution that acknowledges the value of various perspectives and life experiences. I see the answer as simple as "I know it when I see it kind of thing and here's what I think."

Another minority parent

As i read the question, they are not asking about their perspectives. But rather, their experiences. And if they have not experienced it, how are they to answer it?

Look, I get that kids struggling with that are privileged. That includes my own child (who is not in HS yet). And I don't have an issue with wanting a diverse student population. But, I don't know that we should be dinging kids who have had the benefit of not experiencing discrimination. We should also hope that NO ONE experiences discrimination. I realize that is not the case. But, I'm not sure how this questions contributes to that goal.

My son wrote about something to which he was a bystander and did get accepted. I am concerned though, about what next year's applicants can write about given how limited their in person experiences have been.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Son’s classmate got into Cornell and UVA. Waitlisted at Tech.

Why is this surprising? This is why sometimes people get turned down for being overqualified for a job. The schools try to accept kids they think will actually attend the school. If they admit all high stats kids, they'll be under enrolled. Waitlist allows them to see how many of the high stats kids withdraw and use that to judge which ones are really interested.

Except this year, VT will have probably zero high stats kids to choose from. Now their ranking (whatever your source) will plummet, and fewer high ranking students will bother applying in the future. Is that what VT wants?

Also, is the VA public college/uni system looking to give white kids NO options - because if that happens, there will be big lawsuits. You can't say "we want 90% first generation". It doesn't work that way. Look at what happened to TJ.

Plenty of high-stats kids did get accepted, just not as high a % as probably should have. My DS is above the 75th %ile in GPA and SAT (1500) and was accepted (in-state, white, Northern VA) and will be going to VT as it is the best value of the schools he was accepted to (not accepted to UVA).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I guess in this day and age, I would be concerned about any HS student that couldn't share their own experience or perspective on question #2, or who wouldn't be comfortable going to an educational institution that acknowledges the value of various perspectives and life experiences. I see the answer as simple as "I know it when I see it kind of thing and here's what I think."

Another minority parent

As i read the question, they are not asking about their perspectives. But rather, their experiences. And if they have not experienced it, how are they to answer it?

Look, I get that kids struggling with that are privileged. That includes my own child (who is not in HS yet). And I don't have an issue with wanting a diverse student population. But, I don't know that we should be dinging kids who have had the benefit of not experiencing discrimination. We should also hope that NO ONE experiences discrimination. I realize that is not the case. But, I'm not sure how this questions contributes to that goal.

My son wrote about something to which he was a bystander and did get accepted. I am concerned though, about what next year's applicants can write about given how limited their in person experiences have been.

Bookmark this thread.. There are a lot of good thoughts in here. Use them and make up a story.