Anonymous
Post 05/19/2026 10:12     Subject: If doing research in high school is unfair and puts poorer students at a disadvantage, what extracurriculars are fair?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Apparently someone just learned the phrase “witch hunting” and is trying to use it as many times in one day as they can.

Apparently, someone had nothing concrete to say because her brain is so fk’ed up.


Right! What is with witch hunt person?

But interesting that they stopped saying it when it got called out. Clearly they had no real response so they just accused people of witch hunting.

If you don’t see it’s witch hunting, you’re an idiot.


Pointing out flaws in an idea is witch hunting? Okay. Sure.
Anonymous
Post 05/19/2026 10:11     Subject: If doing research in high school is unfair and puts poorer students at a disadvantage, what extracurriculars are fair?
My spouse was a poor rural kid who did research/ISEF as a teen. His science teacher put him in touch with a mentor at the University of Florida.
Anonymous
Post 05/19/2026 10:08     Subject: If doing research in high school is unfair and puts poorer students at a disadvantage, what extracurriculars are fair?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I saw this Reddit comment about research in high school (https://old.reddit.com/r/AskProfessors/comments/1tg9z5l/high_schooler_interning_at_a_toptier_research/omfaesb/):

“Sigh. High school students shouldn't be doing this.

Maybe just enjoy what's left of your childhood?

And don't participate in things that pad your college applications in a way that's totally unfair to other students who aren't connected to/don't live near/can't afford/don't know about intern opportunities at research universities.
But really this is on the professor who's supporting this nonsense.”

So if students shouldn’t be doing this, what extracurriculars should they do? Even things like sports or robotics favor the privilege


What’s left of your childhood?

100 years ago these kids would be working in factories and on farms. Some would be married with families.This notion of some mythical, sacrosanct “childhood” is a modern invention.


+1000

Life is unfair and apparently DCUM just now realized it.

Being born American is an unfair advantage over the vast majority of the world population.

Being born to rich parents is an unfair advantage.

Being born to a two parent household is an unfair advantage.

Being born to a household with a stay at home parent is an unfair advantage.

Being born to a parent who is dedicated to education is an unfair advantage.

Being in a good neighborhood with lots of educated families is an unfair advantage.

A child who has none of these is at a huge disadvantage to one who has several or all of these.



These advantages are not unfair. They are the product of prior planning and sacrifice.
Anonymous
Post 05/19/2026 10:06     Subject: If doing research in high school is unfair and puts poorer students at a disadvantage, what extracurriculars are fair?
Anonymous wrote:I believe all high school kids should get a job where they are forced to do stuff they don’t like. This not only shows the AOs the applicants have grit, commitment, social skills, but it also makes the kid realize what kinds of jobs they would end up having if they don’t go to college. I also believe it makes these kids become more empathetic adults, who understand what it takes to work in menial jobs.



Just “being in high school” achieves this.
Anonymous
Post 05/19/2026 10:00     Subject: If doing research in high school is unfair and puts poorer students at a disadvantage, what extracurriculars are fair?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Apparently someone just learned the phrase “witch hunting” and is trying to use it as many times in one day as they can.

Apparently, someone had nothing concrete to say because her brain is so fk’ed up.


Right! What is with witch hunt person?

But interesting that they stopped saying it when it got called out. Clearly they had no real response so they just accused people of witch hunting.

If you don’t see it’s witch hunting, you’re an idiot.
Anonymous
Post 05/19/2026 09:55     Subject: If doing research in high school is unfair and puts poorer students at a disadvantage, what extracurriculars are fair?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Apparently someone just learned the phrase “witch hunting” and is trying to use it as many times in one day as they can.

Apparently, someone had nothing concrete to say because her brain is so fk’ed up.


Right! What is with witch hunt person?

But interesting that they stopped saying it when it got called out. Clearly they had no real response so they just accused people of witch hunting.
Anonymous
Post 05/19/2026 09:52     Subject: If doing research in high school is unfair and puts poorer students at a disadvantage, what extracurriculars are fair?
The OP is trying to confuse poor with dumb and lazy.
Anonymous
Post 05/19/2026 09:48     Subject: If doing research in high school is unfair and puts poorer students at a disadvantage, what extracurriculars are fair?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I saw this Reddit comment about research in high school (https://old.reddit.com/r/AskProfessors/comments/1tg9z5l/high_schooler_interning_at_a_toptier_research/omfaesb/):

“Sigh. High school students shouldn't be doing this.

Maybe just enjoy what's left of your childhood?

And don't participate in things that pad your college applications in a way that's totally unfair to other students who aren't connected to/don't live near/can't afford/don't know about intern opportunities at research universities.
But really this is on the professor who's supporting this nonsense.”

So if students shouldn’t be doing this, what extracurriculars should they do? Even things like sports or robotics favor the privilege


What’s left of your childhood?

100 years ago these kids would be working in factories and on farms. Some would be married with families.This notion of some mythical, sacrosanct “childhood” is a modern invention.


+1000

Life is unfair and apparently DCUM just now realized it.

Being born American is an unfair advantage over the vast majority of the world population.

Being born to rich parents is an unfair advantage.

Being born to a two parent household is an unfair advantage.

Being born to a household with a stay at home parent is an unfair advantage.

Being born to a parent who is dedicated to education is an unfair advantage.

Being in a good neighborhood with lots of educated families is an unfair advantage.

A child who has none of these is at a huge disadvantage to one who has several or all of these.

Anonymous
Post 05/19/2026 09:40     Subject: If doing research in high school is unfair and puts poorer students at a disadvantage, what extracurriculars are fair?
Teens should do stuff that they learn from and that interests them. If that's research in a lab, great. But I fear that too many are doing it just so they can list it on a college application.
Anonymous
Post 05/19/2026 09:39     Subject: If doing research in high school is unfair and puts poorer students at a disadvantage, what extracurriculars are fair?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:What about this one?
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/14-year-old-scientist-heman-bekele-on-his-quest-to-fight-skin-cancer-with-soap
Fair or unfair? Rich or poor?


Connected. The mentor is: Deborah Isabelle she has an MS in Material Science.

It's not like that kid read into latest cancer fighting drugs, then read about skin cancer, then experimented between the how effective soap is to the skin cancer. That requires patients that have skin cancer and willing to have a 13 year old without a HS degree experiment on them.

This is exactly the fake HS research that the thread is complaining about.



I don't see your logic. So poor disadvantaged high school kids can't have mentors?
How'd you assume that kid didn't read into latest cancer drug development?
Where it says they conducted experiements on patients?
Anonymous
Post 05/19/2026 09:34     Subject: If doing research in high school is unfair and puts poorer students at a disadvantage, what extracurriculars are fair?
Anonymous wrote:All such opportunities should come through schools, not connections.


How would the schools determine who got the opportunities? There won't be enough to go around.
Anonymous
Post 05/19/2026 09:33     Subject: If doing research in high school is unfair and puts poorer students at a disadvantage, what extracurriculars are fair?
I believe all high school kids should get a job where they are forced to do stuff they don’t like. This not only shows the AOs the applicants have grit, commitment, social skills, but it also makes the kid realize what kinds of jobs they would end up having if they don’t go to college. I also believe it makes these kids become more empathetic adults, who understand what it takes to work in menial jobs.

Anonymous
Post 05/19/2026 09:31     Subject: If doing research in high school is unfair and puts poorer students at a disadvantage, what extracurriculars are fair?
+ 1

We had the funds and opportunity, but I refused to jump on this bandwagon- for either research or nonprofit. It is ridiculous.
Anonymous
Post 05/19/2026 09:26     Subject: If doing research in high school is unfair and puts poorer students at a disadvantage, what extracurriculars are fair?
Anonymous wrote:What about this one?
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/14-year-old-scientist-heman-bekele-on-his-quest-to-fight-skin-cancer-with-soap
Fair or unfair? Rich or poor?


Connected. The mentor is: Deborah Isabelle she has an MS in Material Science.

It's not like that kid read into latest cancer fighting drugs, then read about skin cancer, then experimented between the how effective soap is to the skin cancer. That requires patients that have skin cancer and willing to have a 13 year old without a HS degree experiment on them.

This is exactly the fake HS research that the thread is complaining about.

Anonymous
Post 05/19/2026 09:24     Subject: If doing research in high school is unfair and puts poorer students at a disadvantage, what extracurriculars are fair?
All such opportunities should come through schools, not connections.