Rest In Peace Meritocracy

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is a really small number of students who have

1) Perfect Scores AND
2) In the top 1% of their class AND
3) National AP Scholar


These kids really should be and would be in their top choice college, if these universities cared about academics.

I'll be honest, I do not equate top scores on the SAT with "academics." Even the test prep companies admit that they are not teaching your child academics. They are teaching them the "tricks' and strategies of test taking. That is not academics.

I'm not impressed by National AP scholar either.

I bet you are impressed by the right race of an applicant though. Do you even have an idea how hard it is to get all the three factors listed above?

DP: I'm sorry you learned that hard way that US education is not the academic meritocracy you think it should be, but calling everyone else a racist is not the way to heal your wounded pride. People have probably been telling you for years that US colleges do not admit based on merit alone and you still refuse to look at admissions though any lens other than the one of your choosing, which is a rosy lens that shows only SAT and AP scores and GPAs and filters out all the other stuff colleges are interested in seeing. You need to remove that false filter, so you can see that you've been mistaken all along.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Clearly, if there are 21000+ in the top 1% of the existing standardized tests, there needs to be a more discriminating standardize test, one that opens up the field for the most academically elite.

But in reality, what will happen, is that those with the chops to do so will work without degrees, as the signal offered by degrees offered by universities that have diluted their brand will increasingly only be honored by institutions who have enough moat to pay for employees who are valued for their identity rather than their performance.

Sorry, but is this mean to be English?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Clearly, if there are 21000+ in the top 1% of the existing standardized tests, there needs to be a more discriminating standardize test, one that opens up the field for the most academically elite.

But in reality, what will happen, is that those with the chops to do so will work without degrees, as the signal offered by degrees offered by universities that have diluted their brand will increasingly only be honored by institutions who have enough moat to pay for employees who are valued for their identity rather than their performance.

Sorry, but is this mean to be English?

Nope. Gotta love the STEM people who wonder why their kids can not get into top 10 Unis!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:And honestly, it has become an abusive big business. There are more and more tests for more and more money. In a few decades it went from everyone taking a test or two or everyone taking multiple SATs and ACTs and subjects tests, APs, IBs, etc. What a waste of time and money.

Agree! I recall touring a private school and being outraged that they did not offer AP Calc BC. The admissions person laughed at me. She told me the school could accommodate whatever math level my child was at (which is actually true now that I know the school better) and that the College Board is “taking parents for a ride and laughing all the way to the bank.”

Now, with a kid in college (who did not choose that high school, but another that does not offer APs), I realize how right she was. My daughter was challenged at her private school even though the courses did not follow the canned AP curriculum. She did not choose to take the AP exams (although friends did and got good scores). When she got to college, she saw that all of the kids that took APs got no credit for them. They were used for placement but you could place higher without them. All of that AP drama with no payoff. I’m so glad she did not play!

I know some colleges do give AP credit but it is fewer and fewer. My DD got into a competitive SLAC with NO AP classes or exams and suffered absolutely no disadvantage. Schools could stop the AP madness and arms race by not offering them (or offering fewer). Colleges do not expect you to take them if your school does not offer them. Your child can be challenged without AP brand name courses.

[Anonymous]

Not if your kid is at an AP-curriculum public school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And honestly, it has become an abusive big business. There are more and more tests for more and more money. In a few decades it went from everyone taking a test or two or everyone taking multiple SATs and ACTs and subjects tests, APs, IBs, etc. What a waste of time and money.

Agree! I recall touring a private school and being outraged that they did not offer AP Calc BC. The admissions person laughed at me. She told me the school could accommodate whatever math level my child was at (which is actually true now that I know the school better) and that the College Board is “taking parents for a ride and laughing all the way to the bank.”

Now, with a kid in college (who did not choose that high school, but another that does not offer APs), I realize how right she was. My daughter was challenged at her private school even though the courses did not follow the canned AP curriculum. She did not choose to take the AP exams (although friends did and got good scores). When she got to college, she saw that all of the kids that took APs got no credit for them. They were used for placement but you could place higher without them. All of that AP drama with no payoff. I’m so glad she did not play!

I know some colleges do give AP credit but it is fewer and fewer. My DD got into a competitive SLAC with NO AP classes or exams and suffered absolutely no disadvantage. Schools could stop the AP madness and arms race by not offering them (or offering fewer). Colleges do not expect you to take them if your school does not offer them. Your child can be challenged without AP brand name courses.

That in not a universal truth, especially in public schools.

[Anonymous]

2 PPs, my point is that parents should not be pushing the public’s to offer MORE APs as so many do (we have had that issue in our local public school district). I’m hopeful APs will fall out of favor so these kids can have a slice of their lives back. It’s madness for some of these kids.

[Anonymous]

Unfortunately, with the collective dumbing-down of American high school curricula, I don’t see that happening. Course rigor and all that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think admission officers look at Asian-Americans and think that are already blessed. Majority of them are good in studies (hello! all the achievement gap is being driven by asian americans) and majority will have zero college debt, will come from intact families, will be married and have at least middle class jobs. So the admission officers might think that AA are already blessed with a lot of things going right for them and they do not need an Ivy degree on top of every thing else. A top 50 school will work just fine.

So they are prejudging students based on their race. It's amazing how people can easily become worse than the bad people they are fighting against.

You do realize the PP’s post was based entirely on her own imagination, not facts - right? But because she suggested something you readily believe, you’re pouncing on it like it’s somehow true. Both of you need to grow up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think admission officers look at Asian-Americans and think that are already blessed. Majority of them are good in studies (hello! all the achievement gap is being driven by asian americans) and majority will have zero college debt, will come from intact families, will be married and have at least middle class jobs. So the admission officers might think that AA are already blessed with a lot of things going right for them and they do not need an Ivy degree on top of every thing else. A top 50 school will work just fine.

So they are prejudging students based on their race. It's amazing how people can easily become worse than the bad people they are fighting against.

You do realize the PP’s post was based entirely on her own imagination, not facts - right? But because she suggested something you readily believe, you’re pouncing on it like it’s somehow true. Both of you need to grow up.

I would say that it's a fact that asians have to outperform both black and hispanic students. The end result is no different than having quotas. They did it to the jews not that long ago and it was considered discrimination. But they rebranded it as diversity so it's now ok to do it to asians.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think admission officers look at Asian-Americans and think that are already blessed. Majority of them are good in studies (hello! all the achievement gap is being driven by asian americans) and majority will have zero college debt, will come from intact families, will be married and have at least middle class jobs. So the admission officers might think that AA are already blessed with a lot of things going right for them and they do not need an Ivy degree on top of every thing else. A top 50 school will work just fine.

So they are prejudging students based on their race. It's amazing how people can easily become worse than the bad people they are fighting against.

You do realize the PP’s post was based entirely on her own imagination, not facts - right? But because she suggested something you readily believe, you’re pouncing on it like it’s somehow true. Both of you need to grow up.

I would say that it's a fact that asians have to outperform both black and hispanic students. The end result is no different than having quotas. They did it to the jews not that long ago and it was considered discrimination. But they rebranded it as diversity so it's now ok to do it to asians.

The difference is the policy is designed to prevent discrimination, not to enforce it. The proof is shown by answering these questions:

1. If Asian test scores dropped what would the result be? Would the percentage of admitted Asians go below the national percentage?

2. If Harvard accepted only 1600s and nearly no African American students accepted, would that equal racism?

Start with those. Answer them please.