Rest In Peace Meritocracy

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No one should be surprised by his results, even in a non-COVID year. My kid with a perfect SAT score and three perfect subject test scores etc. only applied to three tippy top schools a few years ago and expected to get rejected, and she did, along with every single other high stats, high rigor, non-hooked kid we know. And she and some of them had some really high level and interesting ECs. Playing violin for 10 years isn’t going to excite a school if you are recruited for the orchestra nor is varsity or club volleyball if you are not recruited to play.

I’m not sure why anyone thinks high stats are synonymous with merit. Nothing in the list he presented should have made him or anyone else think admissions to any of those top 10 schools was remotely likely to happen, because he had nothing special from their perspective to distinguish himself from all the other bright kids who applied. It makes me sad that he didn’t realize this. Tons of great SLACs or top 40 schools would have been delighted to have him.

How do you know that he did not distinguish himself. This is the fuzzy logic sick racists use to discriminate against Asian-Americans. Oh, he must not have a personality or something to distinguish himself...oh, he must be a boring person with no original thought...oh, he only has book knowledge. Meanwhile your ilk produces as asshat like Donald Trump.

He is special. More special than all those hooked individuals who are given admission in the top schools who have nothing of substance to show for themselves.

+1

Club and varsity volleyball while playing and instrument and obviously having stellar academics makes Charlie far better than the "cookie-cutter Asian who only studies." Stop your racist dogwhistling.

I am the PP the two of you are responding to, and I think you are both insane. Nowhere did I say or hint this guy was “a cookie-cutter Asian” nor did I suggest he or his activities were unimpressive. All I know about the kid is from his Tik-Tok video where he lists what I assume he considers to be his most impressive credentials. They are impressive! They show that he is an extremely smart kid who has kept himself busy in the arts and sports while pursuing an extremely rigorous academic schedule. And he seems funny in the video. The problem for him with admissions at top schools is that there are thousands of other kids in the country, Asian, White, and other, with an almost identical list of accomplishments and scores. The year my DD got a 2400 on the SAt, so did 500+ others, along with 1500+ perfect ACT scorers, and that just counts those who did so in single sittings. Think of how many kids scored almost that high or super scored well and you get to many thousands, a significant percentage of who also do well on all the other quantifiable stats and apply to the same schools.

I personally do not believe that top schools should be expected to fill their schools only or primarily with high achievers like Charlie or my DD, especially given that both have what it takes to be successful anywhere they go. But the main point of my post was to point out how sad it is that high stats kids and families overestimate their chances at tippy top schools year after year, get disappointed, and and don’t explore other schools they might end up loving. I am a huge fan of UMD though, where I expect my youngest will end up, and I would bet he will be very happy there along with the huge number of other gifted kids in his class.

[Anonymous]

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.

How many times must it be pointed out that there are way more qualified applicants than available seats? It’s not hard to understand. As a PP pointed out, there are 50,000 students who were top of their class (valedictorians and salutatorians) but only 20,000 Ivy League spots.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:He comes across as an arrogant, self-absorbed tool. I'd rather hang with someone else. Glad my school rejected him!

That is harsh. His SAT score is crazy high. The subject tests and AP are also so good but probably at least 8 percent also get those high scores so that is thousands and thousand of kids. And he has some other stuff.

Very competitive kid who could get access to so many schools that most could not, but his list was just too difficult. He only had two categories - safety and reach. Nothing in between. Where was his guidance?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:He comes across as an arrogant, self-absorbed tool. I'd rather hang with someone else. Glad my school rejected him!

That is harsh. His SAT score is crazy high. The subject tests and AP are also so good but probably at least 8 percent also get those high scores so that is thousands and thousand of kids. And he has some other stuff.

Very competitive kid who could get access to so many schools that most could not, but his list was just too difficult. He only had two categories - safety and reach. Nothing in between. Where was his guidance?

Also - he makes no mention of his academic record form high school which is the most important factor. Why is that? Was there something there that was problematic?

[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.

How many times must it be pointed out that there are way more qualified applicants than available seats? It’s not hard to understand. As a PP pointed out, there are 50,000 students who were top of their class (valedictorians and salutatorians) but only 20,000 Ivy League spots.

In addition, there are a limited number of STEM slots where the competition includes many other high achieving Asian-Americans.

[Anonymous]

I think the real question should be why are so many people so completely, irrationally OBSESSED with HYP? It’s insane.

[Anonymous]

Reasonably expecting or hoping with some foundation that your hard work, grades, EC's etc. will provide a chance at a "good" college (however you define that) is not the same thing as thinking you are "owed a spot." I've seen that reference on here multiple times. Stop. It's not the same thing.

We tell these kids to work hard. They do. Then they get left in the cold. It's a bitter pill to swallow and, imo, it's bs.
FTR, I have not skin in the game as my kid is not in HS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Reasonably expecting or hoping with some foundation that your hard work, grades, EC's etc. will provide a chance at a "good" college (however you define that) is not the same thing as thinking you are "owed a spot." I've seen that reference on here multiple times. Stop. It's not the same thing.

We tell these kids to work hard. They do. Then they get left in the cold. It's a bitter pill to swallow and, imo, it's bs.
FTR, I have not skin in the game as my kid is not in HS.

Sorry but getting rejected from MIT and waitlisted at CMU is "left in the cold?" This kid can get access to a high quality education from a strong institution unless there is information withheld here.... What does hsi transcript look like?

[Anonymous]

Just between us gals, if he was another race, do you think the results would have been different?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:After watching this tiktok and the one posted by the girl who got into Cornell I have realized that Ivies take mediocre regular kids and not exceptional smart kids. This is supported by the 2 acceptances i recently came to know of. In both cases average kids, no test scores, 0 EC’s have been accepted to Ivy Leagues and yeah no legacy either. There is nothing special or extraordinary about these kids and I can say this because my kid knows them.

Sour grapes! Relax. If your child is as extraordinary as you seem to think, they will do well in life. Ivy is not everything.

Not sour grapes. My kid is a junior who had classes with these kids. Knows them quite well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just between us gals, if he was another race, do you think the results would have been different?

What was the GPA and class rigor? How can you say without knowing if his transcript was competitive?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:After watching this tiktok and the one posted by the girl who got into Cornell I have realized that Ivies take mediocre regular kids and not exceptional smart kids. This is supported by the 2 acceptances i recently came to know of. In both cases average kids, no test scores, 0 EC’s have been accepted to Ivy Leagues and yeah no legacy either. There is nothing special or extraordinary about these kids and I can say this because my kid knows them.

Wow, sounds like you've cracked the code, PP. Good for you!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:After watching this tiktok and the one posted by the girl who got into Cornell I have realized that Ivies take mediocre regular kids and not exceptional smart kids. This is supported by the 2 acceptances i recently came to know of. In both cases average kids, no test scores, 0 EC’s have been accepted to Ivy Leagues and yeah no legacy either. There is nothing special or extraordinary about these kids and I can say this because my kid knows them.

Sour grapes! Relax. If your child is as extraordinary as you seem to think, they will do well in life. Ivy is not everything.

Not sour grapes. My kid is a junior who had classes with these kids. Knows them quite well.

That statement has the opposite effect of the one you intended.

[Anonymous]

It has never been a meritocracy. The Jews knew this in the last century when the Ivies imposed limits on their numbers. The Asians have known this for the last few decades, too, with the limits put on them.

This leads to various forms of corruption, major (donors buying a building), minor (Varsity Blues), and moral (athletics), etc.

It stinks to high heaven.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:After watching this tiktok and the one posted by the girl who got into Cornell I have realized that Ivies take mediocre regular kids and not exceptional smart kids. This is supported by the 2 acceptances i recently came to know of. In both cases average kids, no test scores, 0 EC’s have been accepted to Ivy Leagues and yeah no legacy either. There is nothing special or extraordinary about these kids and I can say this because my kid knows them.

Sour grapes! Relax. If your child is as extraordinary as you seem to think, they will do well in life. Ivy is not everything.

Not sour grapes. My kid is a junior who had classes with these kids. Knows them quite well.

That statement has the opposite effect of the one you intended.

Think whatever you want.