I don’t care if you don’t think my explanation is adequate enough for you.
I think it is more impressive to get accepted into an Ivy or equivalent school and get need based aid then to get into Alabama (or fill in the blank school) and get a full ride/large $$ merit scholarship simply because your stats are higher than the average instate student because UA/fill in the blank school wants to up it’s ranking. It’s the same money at both schools - just coming out of a different labeled pot. Better Alabama and all those other school like it give better need based aid to those who need it - but sadly, it’s a game they think they have to play.
I was never saying that I think getting a big merit-based scholarship from a low-tier school is more impressive than or as impressive as getting into an Ivy. My whole point in all of this is that sentences like: “He got into Princeton and was offered 40k in financial aid,” should be cut off after: “He got into Princeton.” Adding the extra information about the financial aid is the equivalent of saying: “He qualified for the Olympics in track, and he will be wearing orange shoes.” It is amazing that he qualified for the Olympics, but the color of the shoes he will wear at the Olympics is completely neutral. This is not to say that the whole statement says nothing about his merit, just that the last half adds nothing.
I don’t want to diminish her achievements but school just used her as their show monkey. No one needs to apply to that many schools with these credentials. It was waste of guidance counselors’ precious time that other students could’ve benefited from. It was a misuse of application fee waivers. Anyways, most of this money is duplicated financial aid, top colleges don’t give fat merit scholarships. It is a useless number as she can only go to one college and only use scholarship or aid that applies to that college.
Food for thought: All these stories with millions of dollars in “scholarships” only feature students from underprivileged racial and financial background. How come you never see all of those wonder students from middle class Asian families with tiger moms that everyone keeps talking about, getting these “merit scholarships”?
Because positive role models and success stories are fewer and farther in between for African Americans. Is that hard to understand? Why be so negative, @WorryHurry411 ?
Look, we get it. The entire point of this thread was the exaggerated numbers affixed to Ms. Alexander’s admission to multiple colleges. By putting this oft-used spin, it even magnifies the accomplishment. I went to a majority black inner city magnet HS with many achievers. Our entire graduating class headed off to college. The students were the toast of the town. The aggregate “scholarship/merit/financial aid” numbers were paraded. My own numbers probably contributed greatly to the total b/c of my family’s income level and the fact that I applied to some very generous colleges. At 18, I knew the number was fluff. La-de-dah
@OHMomof2
I’m not saying that Asian kids don’t get merit scholarships. Just not in millions and these stories only feature poor URM kids and amount of merit scholarships from top colleges is a very small portion of this big sum. Most parents don’t understand these details and start expecting huge sums of merit scholarships to make attending top college a reality for their kids.
Maybe you’re addressing a problem that isn’t really there? Sure, a story of someone getting $3M might excite some family. But that excitement quickly sheds if they do even the basics of investigating the real costs. Net Price Calculators, talks with other families, with HS guidance staff, etc.
Like I said, as a graduating senior, I saw the puffery in these numbers. I can guarantee you as a parent saving $ for kids’ future college, I waded through the puffery very quickly.
and again, what does Ms. Alexander’s race or even the commonality of stories like this being focused on minorities have ANYTHING to do with it? Like I said, super achievement among black families is a great point of pride and widely shared – because traditionally, this is uncommon. What’s strange or notable about that?