Reply to I feel bad for low-income/first-gen students at elite schools

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]There was a senior survey at Princeton which had a breakdown for GPA across income levels, first-gen status, etc: https://projects.dailyprincetonian.com/senior-survey-2022/academics.html

50% of first-gen students had a 3.6 GPA or higher, compared to 69% of non-first gen students.

The lowest income students by family household (below 40K) at Princeton had an average GPA of a 3.5, while the highest income students had a 3.72.

32% of the lowest income students reported cheating on an assignment or exam, compared to 21% of students overall.

Only 49% of students on financial aid reported having a job lined up for graduation, compared to 62% of those not on FA. Expected income for those on FA was 84K one year after graduating, compared to 124K for those not on FA. Students on all household income levels below 125K reported expected earnings under 84K, while all those over that level reported at least 115K.

These are considerable gaps. If higher ed is supposed to be the great equalizer, why are Princeton grads seeing such discrepancies corresponding with their background? [/quote]

These "discrepancies" demonstrate what should be extremely obvious to everyone, which is that the "elite" schools are admitting low-income / first-gen students who are not academically qualified, and are doing so for ideological reasons.[/quote]

You're comment is not the takeaway I see from OP's post

"The lowest income students by family household (below 40K) at Princeton had an average GPA of a 3.5, while the highest income students had a 3.72."

Oh, a 3.5 GPA from Stanford is so bad?
How dare Stanford risk sullying their academic reputation by allowing in such riff raff

:roll: [/quote]

+1 I don't understand how one draws that conclusion when the lowest income students are doing pretty damn well. Imagine if they didn't have to worry about work study, family obligations, and such like their higher household income peers. [/quote]

I mentor first-gen college students and another thing to remember is that, especially if we are talking about first-gen immigrant children, their grades may be lower because they are more likely to major in things with harsher curves like pre-med majors because they don't have any parental wealth to fall back on and are under pressure to have a career where they can support their parents someday. Even if their first love is art history, a first-gen immigrant kid would be under pressure not to major in that, while those with inherited wealth are more likely to be fine with their kids majoring in art history.[/quote]

This is such a good point. Thank you for pointing it out, and thanks for your mentorship.

/former FG college student who is grateful for all of the mentorship I received[/quote]

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