Reply to Elite Colleges’ Quiet Fight to Favor Alumni Children

Forum Index » College and University Discussion

Reply to "Elite Colleges’ Quiet Fight to Favor Alumni Children"

Subject:

Emoticons





More smilies

Text Color: Font: Close Marks

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]My husband was a first gen, non-legacy at a selective private university.  Very poor.

Now his son will be non-preferred over a non-legacy according to the school’s prez.

We are not a wealthy, privileged family, but he is a legacy.  Not all legacies are rich and entitled.

The school wants no legacies.  Seriously f’d up.[/quote]

Good.  Why should he be "preferred"?[/quote]

Two equal candidates, they will automatically take the non-legacy.

The non-legacy is the one automatically preferred even if stats slightly lower.[/quote]
Why should a school not give someone new an opportunity? [/quote]

Both students are new.  Neither should be punished or declined merely for who their parents are or whether or not the parents are alum.

Things should be 100% merit based.  It’s 2022.  Bring back test scores too.[/quote]

But the admission is already merit based. You seem to equate merit with grades and scores. Merit to schools means special. Your child needs to be special. Having a perfect SAT score, like thousands of others in the country, is not special and will not get them admitted. [/quote]

+1000

Wouldn't want to attend college where everyone had a 1600 and 4.0.  But each T20 school could fill their freshman classes with students just like that (or very close to it).  [b]People need to get over the idea that there is a huge difference in intelligence between a 1500 and 1600 (98% vs 99%+)[/b], but there really isn't---the 1600 is likely just a better test taker.  Both kids are extremely smart.  Holistic admissions creates a much more balanced class.  It would be boring if a university had only 3 clubs, because that's all the kids are interested in. Diversity on all levels makes life much more worth it and more enjoyable, and prepares your kids for real life where diversity abounds.[/quote]

Let’s assume you’re correct in that assessment (I happen to disagree), that’s not really what we’re talking about here.   The number of URM kids with 1500+, great grades and APs etc is minuscule.  When they look at the impact AA on admissions it’s on the order of 300 points.  So, do you think a kid with a 1300 is just as intelligent as a kid with a 1600?[/quote]

Given that you disagree with my statement that the Dif between 1500&1600 is minimal, I have not doubt that we wont' see eye to eye on much in life. And that's ok---I don't think I could live with myself If I thought the way you do.

Yes, a 1300 SAT kid who never had opportunity take AP courses, who worried more about where dinner was gonna come from than what to post on TikTok or what to wear out on friday night, who didn't have many role models who went to college other than a few teachers, who did not have access to tutoring starting at age 5  to make them better at math, who didn't retake the SAT 4 times after spending $2k+ in tutoring, who had to work 20 hours+ per week job in HS to help pay the bills and is gonna worry about how the hell they can pay for college and the extras associated with the even if they get FA, etc...why yes I do think when you look at overall intelligence, there's a really good chance they are just as smart.  That kid has had none of the advantages that many other kids have had in life.  If you cannot see that in 2022 from your privileged position, then I'm not sure how to help you actually see that.

Even amongst privileged kids, some are simply not good test takers, so might only get 1500 as their top score due to learning disabilities, anxiety, etc.  Does not mean they are any less intelligent than someone who can manage a 1600.

Finally, I don't think SAT is a great measurement of "intelligence".  There are many many other facets that come into play.  98 percentile vs 99+percentile is not very different at all.  Being friends with you and your family must be rather boring, if you look down on everyone for not being as "intelligent".  If my own kid can go from 87% to 98% with 4 hours of tutoring and the privileged upbringing they've had (top notch schools all the way being a major part), I have no doubt at all that an underprivileged kid who scored the same as my kid's first SAT is equally smart if not smarter.  
[/quote]

Options

	Disable HTML in this message
	Disable BB Code in this message
	Disable smilies in this message

Review message

Search Recent Topics Hottest Topics