<p>Another issue is the misappropriation of funding that k-12 schools receive. Too often does money go towards building new buildings than to hiring more and better teachers. Instead of spending 90 million on new school buildings, what would happen if a schools district spent that on lowering the student/teacher ratio? On educating poor inner-city kids that there's a world of opportunity for them?</p>
<p>If you look at the stats for URM admissions that's in the CC highlights, you'll see that colleges are are just not blindly accepting every URM as many people mistakenly think. Top colleges are rejecting the vast majority. 25 years ago, a much higher percentage got in. I think this is for many reasons. While colleges will still bend over stats wise for a disadvantaged URM who had few opportunities, I don't think they're doing the same for affluent URMs or those perceived to have had opportunities that should render their stats equal to those of those admitted overall. </p>
<p>I also think that all the attention given to the mistaken idea that URMs have a free pass has made many try to get over, just read this board to see all the "fake" URM wannabes. I think colleges see through them.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Too often does money go towards building new buildings than to hiring more and better teachers.
[/quote]
If many college grads didn't think it was beneath them to teach, there might not be such a shortage of teachers.</p>
<p>i wish that somebody from the current administration was peeking on what we have to say. i think there are some pretty good ideas going around here (not to be enacted but to be pondered)!</p>
<p>I disagree with the affirmative action policy but I'm sure the colleges are doing their best to be fair for all parties involved. It would be an exaggeration to compare this to the apartheid or the segregation era. The world has improved in many ways and while racism has been the focus 40 years ago, reverse racism is now the factor. </p>
<p>I am also at a disadvantage in the AA system(as Asian), even though I qualify for free tuition at Harvard just on income and go to a constantly under funded inner LA public school that has not sent a student to an Ivy in four years. So life may be unfair for us, but it's nice to know that many people care about the problem and is doing something about it.</p>
<p>I think it's a mistake to oversimplify AA. I think it's a mistake to oversimplify race relations in America and pretend that MLK and Rosa Parks fought the good fight and it's all in the past and we've moved on. We haven't come far enough to move on yet.</p>
<p>Everyone has advantages and disadvantages in life. Know who also has an advantage in college admissions? Athletes. Many of whom are not only genetically predisposed to success in a sport, but born into a family that had to money to get them to that level. It's not cheap. So is it fair that someone who is genetically not inclined to athletics, or their family couldn't afford the private lessons, or to search out a sport they could do, doesn't have that advantage? In a way it's merit. But not every person, no matter how hard they work or try, will make it to that level. And some people barely have to work to get there. It's a little more than merit. </p>
<p>Colleges fill their classes to meet needs, keep balances, etc. Students are as valuable a commodity to them as they are to the students. The simple fact is, no one is "owed" admissions to an elite college for anything. They take who they need for what they need. People seem upset about this because they think because they did x, y, z they are owed something, when in reality we aren't, because colleges take who they need. If they don't need you, then that is hard, and too bad, and probably all of us will be (rightly) disappointed in this process. It is disappointing when you work hard and it doesn't come out like you hoped. But at the same time you can't blame it on other people. I think it's easier to accept if you recognize the fact that the college just wasn't looking for you. And maybe admissions is misrepresented in this way. But most admit qualified candidates. At selected colleges where more candidates are qualified that have spots, they have to cut things down somehow, and they going to take the best class they can that fulfills what they need to fulfill.</p>
<p>I'm with whoever used the word "ameliorated."</p>