Reply to Harvard freshman survey insights for class of 2028

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][size=9] [/size][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Interesting that legacy kids actually had higher scores than non-legacy kids. [/quote]

nothing that 20 hours of private tutoring doesn't account for[/quote]

My son is a legacy. 36 ACT, top of class at highly competitive private, national awards in two areas, nice person with solid friendships and does a lot of community service out of interest and care.  People are already pretty explicitly stating that, if he gets in, it’s because he’s a legacy.  I just remind him that, if the worst thing about his college process is that people attribute his admission to legacy, he should be thankful and move on performing well and ignore anyone who is saying it to be insulting while also recognizing that legacy in fact does help.

Just to say not all legacies have extra tutoring (he took ACT once, no tutoring).  [/quote]

It sounds like he's a great kid who doesn't need legacy to get into a competitive school.

Wouldn't it better if he felt like he earned it, instead of being burdened with the feeling that he only got in because his mom went there?

I suspect a lot of bright kids would prefer to feel confident they got in on their own merits. "Legacy" is a loser hook and that's going to bother them as they go forward in life - unless they're shallow and status obsessed and don't have a lot of self worth. I really think legacy is more of a burden for smart kids. It's a psychological hit. [/quote]

If he gets in, he did earn it, look at his stats.  [/quote]

But not really, because so many rejected applicants have the same or better stats. [/quote]

Your jealousy is showing.[/quote]

DP.  Legacy is an unearned hook.[/quote]

Pray tell, what is an earned hook?  All of them are based on who your parents are.[/quote]
indeed, even your skin color.

Having parents who have the means to put you in a great activity is one thing, but in order to get a leadership position or excel at it, the student has to put in the effort. Sure, the parents could hire tutors or coaches or what not to help the kid, but no amount of tutoring or coaching is going to make that kid a superstar athlete or leader without some work on their part.

FWIW,  I'm Asian American, from a lowly educated immigrant family.  I am UMC now, and my kids have some advantages due to our finances, but so do the two lawyer parent black family households that live in my neighborhood.

[b]I have no doubt that the black parents worked hard to get where they are, but so did I, with no parental help (not even help with hw since they couldn't speak English), yet, my kids are held to a higher standard than their kids.[/b]

And before someone says that Asian Americans are over represented in top colleges.. 1. it makes no sense to compare the representation with the overall population; if anything, the comparison should be made with the applicant pool   and 2. so what if they are over represented? They worked for it, too.[/quote]

News flash: affirmative action (aside from legacies) is no longer legal.[/quote]

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