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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Love these suggestions.  I would remove questions pertaining to parents - like where they went to school, occupation etc.  Make it all about the applicant and less about reading tea leaves.  [/quote]

I would never endorse this. I fully support schools' attempts to pull in first gen college students.[/quote]

Not just first gen, you need some context.  I wish, however, that more direct questions were asked, such as the amount of test prep, # of times the SAT were taken, all scores, all paid and unpaid assistance with applications.[/quote]

who would admit to having test prep? and would test prep include taking free tests through Kahn?[/quote]

Why should kids get dinged b/c their parents have the time/money to give them test prep options? We are by no means rich and I certainly did not do so when I was in college. But all this leveling the economic playing fields at this stage is not good. I'm not saying it never has a role (and don't start with me, I was DIRT POOR, "first gen" growing up - though I had no benefit from that). But, it's role is outsized. This country is SUPPOSED to be a meritocracy. And yes, I am well aware after all my years of scraping and begging and paying my way, that it is not. But, removing one set rules for special access to replace with other rules that many kids cannot meet out of no fault of their own is not the answer.[/quote]
So all those kids like you, dirt poor and first gen, if they can't run with the curated kids with their tutors, test prep, essay editors, college counselors, and the best schools and enrichment money can buy - well, screw them. This is a pure meritocracy. Do you even see the irony of your post?[/quote]

Do you? How is preparing according to what you have the ability to prepare not a meritocracy? I sat for 2 bar exams (passed them both) and had an entire prep course both times (costly and spent the better part of my summers doing those, in addition to working). Is that not meritocracy? Because I took out additional loans to pay for those but, b/c I did, it wasn't acc to "merit"?

And, more to the point, in HS I hung with the privileged without ANY of that (it CAN be done). And once I was in college -a crappy one by most peoples' standards here- I made the most of it. With my grades, I most certainly would have gotten into better schools if I had any guidance, any help, any  . . . . anything whatsoever. I had no idea what I was doing. I showed up for SATs/ACTs day of it with no studying. I had no help identifying "reaches" or "safeties", filling out apps, etc. But I made the most of my situation.

Also, if you are capable of reading, I didn't say that equalizing things had no role. I'm saying it is outsized, imo. [/quote]
The irony is that you fail to see how programs tailored to help first gen and economically disadvantaged kids that you disparage would have helped you. But you're too busy nursing the chip on your shoulder that some poor first gen kid from Appalachia is taking the spot your kid "deserved" because you paid for it.  [/quote]

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