“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:Middle class always gets screwed

Please enlighten us, what HHI range constitutes the "middle class"?

Middle class are under $100K who have no savings, live pay check to pay check and are lucky if they have health insurance. They aren't worried about saving for retirement and college as they'll probably never retire.

Middle class should be able to have savings.

[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.

Yet there are people making your old wage, living in the same area, and being asked to pay $30K plus in tuition and making it work. You're in better shape to afford the difference if that's the sort of COL bump you're into. If not you have more affordable options.

[Anonymous]

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.

[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.

Yet there are people making your old wage, living in the same area, and being asked to pay $30K plus in tuition and making it work. You're in better shape to afford the difference if that's the sort of COL bump you're into. If not you have more affordable options.

Christ, you people are armed for a fight with zero reading comprehension skills. Nowhere did I whine about having to pay for college. I was specifically talking about admissions. Some troll came in just to be a d$ick and star a battle of the classes fight. You’re falling for it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I said admissions judge your kid based on your current zip code and income.

That's not what the article says.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Middle class always gets screwed

Please enlighten us, what HHI range constitutes the "middle class"?

Middle class are under $100K who have no savings, live pay check to pay check and are lucky if they have health insurance. They aren't worried about saving for retirement and college as they'll probably never retire.

Middle class has always had a range - lower middle class, solidly middle class, and upper middle class. Someone poor could say someone lower middle class is fortunate because they have food, shelter, and employment even if it’s paycheck to paycheck.

[Anonymous]

What HHI percentile range is "upper middle class"?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:only DCUM thinks this is unique to DCUM. You think Cleveland, Columbus, Chicago, Queens, St Paul, half of NJ, Colorado Springs etc aren't full of families making 225k with smart kids who have done all the same things???

+1. There is nothing unique to DC about this. Similarly, nothing unique about DC kids and schools. The world does not begin and end in the DMV.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Middle class always gets screwed

Please enlighten us, what HHI range constitutes the "middle class"?

Middle class are under $100K who have no savings, live pay check to pay check and are lucky if they have health insurance. They aren't worried about saving for retirement and college as they'll probably never retire.

Middle class should be able to have savings.

Then you are not middle class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:only DCUM thinks this is unique to DCUM. You think Cleveland, Columbus, Chicago, Queens, St Paul, half of NJ, Colorado Springs etc aren't full of families making 225k with smart kids who have done all the same things???

+1. There is nothing unique to DC about this. Similarly, nothing unique about DC kids and schools. The world does not begin and end in the DMV.

No one said it did. But this is a DMV board and that salary range is common here. If you want to hear Cleveland parents complain, I’m sure they have a local forum you can join.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:But this is a DMV board and that salary range is common here.

Oh, really?
https://statisticalatlas.com/metro-area/District-of-Columbia/Washington/Household-Income

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:only DCUM thinks this is unique to DCUM. You think Cleveland, Columbus, Chicago, Queens, St Paul, half of NJ, Colorado Springs etc aren't full of families making 225k with smart kids who have done all the same things???

+1. There is nothing unique to DC about this. Similarly, nothing unique about DC kids and schools. The world does not begin and end in the DMV.

Many people who grew up here and are now raising there kids here are quite provincial.

[Anonymous]

Their

[Anonymous]

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

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Middle class always gets screwed

Please enlighten us, what HHI range constitutes the "middle class"?

Middle class are under $100K who have no savings, live pay check to pay check and are lucky if they have health insurance. They aren't worried about saving for retirement and college as they'll probably never retire.

Middle class should be able to have savings.

Agreed.