WSJ article on your child's chances of getting into an IVY are slim

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Much easier to blame people of another race, gender, socioeconomic status -- whatever than to just recognize that the world is a big, big place; that it can be tough; that it's not always fair; and that - despite all of this - if you work hard, treat others nicely, and keep your perspective, you can probably scratch out a pretty decent life for yourself. In fact, if you do these things, your odds of scratching out a serviceable life for yourself and your family is probably better now (for most people) than it has been at any other time or place. The problem is that you are also more likely to be bombarded with Bad News 24/7/365 than you were in the past.

Translation: ignore systemic issues

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Since when do you have to get into an accounting program as a pre-freshman? And besides, can't you major in anything and take enough accounting courses to still get a master's in accounting to go CPA route? Not all of my CPA friends majored in accounting.

End of the day this is an overachiever who got into a very prestigious state flagship, UT-Austin -- but turned it down, I'd argue she's a fool for turning it down. And that narrative of her going to a dumb party school ASU instead of prestigious UT-Austin helped WSJ hacks whip up this narrative that smart white kids have to go to crummy party schools because of affirmative action.

UVA, VTech,Michigan, UT-Austin, Berkeley, et al. are literally overflowing with kids as smart and smarter than her. There's nothing especially noteworthy about her that would make Ivies clamor for her. Typical UMC smart kid with professional parents. Dime a dozen.

Again, UT probably wasn’t cheap.

She was in-state no?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

True. Odd that the wall street journal is so unaware.

As PPs noted, the WSJ knew exactly what it was doing. People that understand current college admissions know this kid's story raised several red flags, but it plays right into the political and social narrative the WSJ is pushing.

Well they could have pushed it better if they had found a more compelling story.

The example taps into the ressentiment that exists in many white people, that they and/or their offspring are being eclipsed by folks who are not as qualified w/o any awareness of the
"defiiciencies" in their own qualifications. WSJ doesn't want more compelling; they want an example that stokes these feelings, even if they are largely not based in fact.

If that girl really had a modicum of reading comprehension, she would know from perusing College Confidential, CDS sets, etc that ANY of the top schools on her list were a reach and that a college list in the 2022 cycle needed to include more targets than reaches and more safeties than targets.

But she didn't get and/or heed good feedback and here she is at the end of the cycle.

Where in the article does it state the bolded? There are disappointed students all around. Why can't white students feel that disappointment many students experience?

I'm a PP who wrote that Facebook college groups are filled with comments on how their kid/niece/nephew/next door neighbor kid has all As, didn't get a full ride to X university, and probably because minorities are getting all the money. A 4.0 GPA is now more common than it used to be. There is no mention of test scores or any other activities, but just how the kid is getting screwed. And yes, a kid can get full rides, but they need to apply to schools that dole them out. Most don't. They lash out yet often are ill-informed on how college admissions, financial aid, and merit work in these times. Especially merit - if you do not qualify for FA and want to go to a LAC, then you usually need to apply a rung or two down to pull down the big merit bucks. Not all flagships spread around the money, so maybe the student needs to look out of state or at a regional uni.

There is so much more information available - real time - than when many of us applied to college, but a number of parents/students do not seem to avail themselves of it.

Well said.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Since when do you have to get into an accounting program as a pre-freshman? And besides, can't you major in anything and take enough accounting courses to still get a master's in accounting to go CPA route? Not all of my CPA friends majored in accounting.

End of the day this is an overachiever who got into a very prestigious state flagship, UT-Austin -- but turned it down, I'd argue she's a fool for turning it down. And that narrative of her going to a dumb party school ASU instead of prestigious UT-Austin helped WSJ hacks whip up this narrative that smart white kids have to go to crummy party schools because of affirmative action.

UVA, VTech,Michigan, UT-Austin, Berkeley, et al. are literally overflowing with kids as smart and smarter than her. There's nothing especially noteworthy about her that would make Ivies clamor for her. Typical UMC smart kid with professional parents. Dime a dozen.

Again, UT probably wasn’t cheap.

She was in-state no?

https://onestop.utexas.edu/managing-costs/cost-tuition-rates/cost-of-attendance/

It’s at least $28,000/year. I don’t know her personal situation financially but some kids have zero college fund regardless of their parental income. She may have had to take out significant student loans. ASU gives full rides and full tuition generously to top star kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Much easier to blame people of another race, gender, socioeconomic status -- whatever than to just recognize that the world is a big, big place; that it can be tough; that it's not always fair; and that - despite all of this - if you work hard, treat others nicely, and keep your perspective, you can probably scratch out a pretty decent life for yourself. In fact, if you do these things, your odds of scratching out a serviceable life for yourself and your family is probably better now (for most people) than it has been at any other time or place. The problem is that you are also more likely to be bombarded with Bad News 24/7/365 than you were in the past.

Great, tell the WSJ that because all their op-eds and most of their regular articles are blaming people of other races or SES

I doubt the WSJ is going to listen to me, but I agree, it's trash. White grievance is a huge problem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Much easier to blame people of another race, gender, socioeconomic status -- whatever than to just recognize that the world is a big, big place; that it can be tough; that it's not always fair; and that - despite all of this - if you work hard, treat others nicely, and keep your perspective, you can probably scratch out a pretty decent life for yourself. In fact, if you do these things, your odds of scratching out a serviceable life for yourself and your family is probably better now (for most people) than it has been at any other time or place. The problem is that you are also more likely to be bombarded with Bad News 24/7/365 than you were in the past.

Translation: ignore systemic issues

No. Just don't blame your own individual situation on systemic issues.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Much easier to blame people of another race, gender, socioeconomic status -- whatever than to just recognize that the world is a big, big place; that it can be tough; that it's not always fair; and that - despite all of this - if you work hard, treat others nicely, and keep your perspective, you can probably scratch out a pretty decent life for yourself. In fact, if you do these things, your odds of scratching out a serviceable life for yourself and your family is probably better now (for most people) than it has been at any other time or place. The problem is that you are also more likely to be bombarded with Bad News 24/7/365 than you were in the past.

Translation: ignore systemic issues

No. Just don't blame your own individual situation on systemic issues.

So, ignore them. Got it.

[Anonymous]

Agree with:
The WSJ using her story to whip up white resentment of minorities.
It didn't help that she wrote her essay about her mental health struggle after she got a "B", no matter how well she coped; universities are becoming allergic to funding their mental health centers. And those schools are pressure cookers.
The "dime a dozen" situation is fact.
But also, no one has mentioned that those prestigious universities aren't looking for kids who want to major in accounting. I have sat on admissions panels. I can hear someone say "she can go to HBS after she gets her solid general education."
ASU is a solid choice for her. But if she were my kid, I would hope for a full ride to a really good LAC, and then a great business school master's degree. I'd bet that was what the admissions panel members were thinking too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Much easier to blame people of another race, gender, socioeconomic status -- whatever than to just recognize that the world is a big, big place; that it can be tough; that it's not always fair; and that - despite all of this - if you work hard, treat others nicely, and keep your perspective, you can probably scratch out a pretty decent life for yourself. In fact, if you do these things, your odds of scratching out a serviceable life for yourself and your family is probably better now (for most people) than it has been at any other time or place. The problem is that you are also more likely to be bombarded with Bad News 24/7/365 than you were in the past.

Great, tell the WSJ that because all their op-eds and most of their regular articles are blaming people of other races or SES

I doubt the WSJ is going to listen to me, but I agree, it's trash. White grievance is a huge problem.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Since when do you have to get into an accounting program as a pre-freshman? And besides, can't you major in anything and take enough accounting courses to still get a master's in accounting to go CPA route? Not all of my CPA friends majored in accounting.

End of the day this is an overachiever who got into a very prestigious state flagship, UT-Austin -- but turned it down, I'd argue she's a fool for turning it down. And that narrative of her going to a dumb party school ASU instead of prestigious UT-Austin helped WSJ hacks whip up this narrative that smart white kids have to go to crummy party schools because of affirmative action.

UVA, VTech,Michigan, UT-Austin, Berkeley, et al. are literally overflowing with kids as smart and smarter than her. There's nothing especially noteworthy about her that would make Ivies clamor for her. Typical UMC smart kid with professional parents. Dime a dozen.

Again, UT probably wasn’t cheap.

She was in-state no?

https://onestop.utexas.edu/managing-costs/cost-tuition-rates/cost-of-attendance/

It’s at least $28,000/year. I don’t know her personal situation financially but some kids have zero college fund regardless of their parental income. She may have had to take out significant student loans. ASU gives full rides and full tuition generously to top star kids.

I fully agree with you, but then how the heck was she going to pay for one of those reach schools?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Since when do you have to get into an accounting program as a pre-freshman? And besides, can't you major in anything and take enough accounting courses to still get a master's in accounting to go CPA route? Not all of my CPA friends majored in accounting.

End of the day this is an overachiever who got into a very prestigious state flagship, UT-Austin -- but turned it down, I'd argue she's a fool for turning it down. And that narrative of her going to a dumb party school ASU instead of prestigious UT-Austin helped WSJ hacks whip up this narrative that smart white kids have to go to crummy party schools because of affirmative action.

UVA, VTech,Michigan, UT-Austin, Berkeley, et al. are literally overflowing with kids as smart and smarter than her. There's nothing especially noteworthy about her that would make Ivies clamor for her. Typical UMC smart kid with professional parents. Dime a dozen.

Again, UT probably wasn’t cheap.

She was in-state no?

https://onestop.utexas.edu/managing-costs/cost-tuition-rates/cost-of-attendance/

It’s at least $28,000/year. I don’t know her personal situation financially but some kids have zero college fund regardless of their parental income. She may have had to take out significant student loans. ASU gives full rides and full tuition generously to top star kids.

I fully agree with you, but then how the heck was she going to pay for one of those reach schools?

They give significant financial aid even to middle class families. Beyond that some apply without knowing if they’ll be able to afford every school.

[Anonymous]

I think the hard number parents choose to ignore - which iNaviance gives them permission to - is class rank. If we started throwing that into the mix - except for to top 3-4 schools where it’s truly a lottery - it is much more clear which kids get in. I saw this in droves at my kids HS. The top 2 percent were not shut out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think the hard number parents choose to ignore - which iNaviance gives them permission to - is class rank. If we started throwing that into the mix - except for to top 3-4 schools where it’s truly a lottery - it is much more clear which kids get in. I saw this in droves at my kids HS. The top 2 percent were not shut out.

I see the same. It's not that ranking number, it's just that to achieve that place at the very top of the class indicates a high level of academic talent, dedication and drive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Since when do you have to get into an accounting program as a pre-freshman? And besides, can't you major in anything and take enough accounting courses to still get a master's in accounting to go CPA route? Not all of my CPA friends majored in accounting.

End of the day this is an overachiever who got into a very prestigious state flagship, UT-Austin -- but turned it down, I'd argue she's a fool for turning it down. And that narrative of her going to a dumb party school ASU instead of prestigious UT-Austin helped WSJ hacks whip up this narrative that smart white kids have to go to crummy party schools because of affirmative action.

UVA, VTech,Michigan, UT-Austin, Berkeley, et al. are literally overflowing with kids as smart and smarter than her. There's nothing especially noteworthy about her that would make Ivies clamor for her. Typical UMC smart kid with professional parents. Dime a dozen.

Again, UT probably wasn’t cheap.

She was in-state no?

https://onestop.utexas.edu/managing-costs/cost-tuition-rates/cost-of-attendance/

It’s at least $28,000/year. I don’t know her personal situation financially but some kids have zero college fund regardless of their parental income. She may have had to take out significant student loans. ASU gives full rides and full tuition generously to top star kids.

I fully agree with you, but then how the heck was she going to pay for one of those reach schools?

They give significant financial aid even to middle class families. Beyond that some apply without knowing if they’ll be able to afford every school.

No, they don't. And all of that is determined by FAFSA or the CSS. We got zero

[Anonymous]

There was a Black boy who turned down Ivies for a full ride to study pre-med at Alabama. He’s now in medical school. So I don’t think it’s that big of a deal for a pre-accountant to go to ASU on scholarship. Note WSJ omitted details about her ASU scholarship, likely because it was very generous and they didn’t want it to hurt their woe is me white girl narrative. Hacks.