<p>People that come out with statements like, "people in top schools are there because they got lucky or were privileged", are genuinely bitter about their inability to get into the school of their choice, and thus to make up for it they try to tell others that going to a top school doesn't matter. Talk about having an inferiority complex.</p>
<p>Tough luck guys. Should have worked harder in high school rather than party your life away.</p>
<p>to whoever started this thread, just know that once you get to college you are no better than anyone else. and you should not feel that way now, either. so stop being a conceded jerk and posting useless crap like this. and besides, there are other people out there who are going to even better schools than you, im sure.</p>
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"What exactly does socio-economic background have to do with getting into a good school? How much of an advantage does a kid whos parents make 120,000 dollars a year have over someone whose family makes 75,000? 'Privilege'?"
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</p>
<p>
[quote]
"People that come out with statements like, "people in top schools are there because they got lucky or were privileged', are genuinely bitter about their inability to get into the school of their choice..."
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</p>
<p>Okay, (1) I don't think the $75-120k difference is really the one in question here; (2) I really, really try to avoid such meaningless statements as this one might appear to be, but I'm not even sure how to respond, especially given the tone of your posts. I'm really no expert on the subject, anyway, so I'll just go for the obvious...</p>
<p>Are you two serious?</p>
<hr>
<p>In other news, nobody's saying that the vast majority of students at top schools didn't work hard to get there. Insanely hard in many cases! But to pretend that there isn't still a lot of luck involved--luck being born where you were, and being born into the family that you were, luck having the teachers that you did, luck not getting the really nasty grader for a particular class, luck taking the SAT on a month that "clicked" with you, luck that your school allowed you to participate in a certain EC, luck that your parents could afford to let you participate in an expensive but unique sport, luck that #1 in your class moved away senior year so that you could fill her spot, luck that you learned about something early enough to really allow a unique passion to develop, luck that your neighbor went to a particular top school and took the time to convince you to visit campus, luck that your family is willing to pay for a top education, or luck that you receive a viable financial aid package, luck that the admissions officer who read your application wasn't in a bad mood, luck that you didn't get an incompetent interviewer, whatever--is just ridiculous. </p>
<p>It doesn't mean that everything has always gone your way, nor does it mean that you're undeserving of your spot. It certainly doesn't mean that you shouldn't be very proud of yourself! It only means that on top of being proud of yourself, you should consider being pretty grateful. There are a lot of very hard-working, very intelligent individuals out there. A lot more than there are spots at top American colleges.</p>
<p>Yes I am grateful for what I have. However, posters on this thread have been saying that people in top schools are entirely there because of luck and nothing else.</p>
<p>^but you also said that you only got there because of hard work and no luck and said that everyone else partied their lives away. I was valedictorian and was good in just about everything i could have been but i didn't get into my top choice. luck certainly plays some part in it and just because everyone isn't going to whichever top school doesn't necessarily mean they partied away in high school.</p>
<p>Yayyyyy Elitism /sarcasm</p>
<p>What the hell is the point of threads like this? You my as well put a sign on your head saying "Hello, I am a prestige obsessed butthole."</p>
<p>Go gloat in your school's forum if you're that insecure.</p>
<p>
[quote]
People that come out with statements like, "people in top schools are there because they got lucky or were privileged", are genuinely bitter about their inability to get into the school of their choice, and thus to make up for it they try to tell others that going to a top school doesn't matter.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>You completely and utterly misunderstood my point, and apparently didn't read my post closely (because nowhere did I say that luck alone would get anybody into college, only that it is a larger factor than most people think). I go to a school that is considered a "top school" and I worked very hard to get there, and I'm proud that I was able to take advantage of the opportunities given to me. I am simply saying that somebody who would feel arrogant about this should recognize that the simple fact that they had the means and opportunities to achieve success is in itself extraordinary. </p>
<p>Why do you think programs like Affirmative Action exist? Because inequalities in socioeconomic opportunity are so fundamental and restrictive that "work ethic" alone is not sufficient to get every deserving person into college. Hard work can only go so far if you your high school has barely enough funding to give out textbooks, let alone hire AP teachers or college counselors or offer tons of EC's. And there are tons of these schools out there, so unless you're willing to say that every one of those kids could lift themselves out of their situation if they just gave it the ol' college try, then you can't deny the environmental influence (i.e., the factors you have no control over) on one's situation. </p>
<p>I don't really want to pick on the OP, because I don't know what he meant by "arrogant." He could have just picked a bad word for "proud." I don't really care, because I do know some people who are actually arrogant about where they ended up, and I have to be honest when I say that it's disgusting. </p>
<p>Does that mean I'm saying "Don't go to great schools because of your class privilege"? Absolutely not - it would be criminal for any of us to waste the opportunities we have been granted. But, you know, try and be a little humble about it, and recognize that there are <em>very</em> few places where the inequities of American society are more starkly displayed than in higher education. I don't want to be a great moralizer, but it feels like some people could use a reminder. </p>
<p>
[quote]
What exactly does socio-economic background have to do with getting into a good school?
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<p>hoooooly ****</p>
<p>I felt arrogant about going to McGill, given the environment I was in. Most struggled to go to community college/worked menial jobs. </p>
<p>I feel crappy about my school now. I wish I went to a top 10 elite American school with a multi-billion dollar endowment.</p>
<p>I guess if I had worked harder, I could have gotten into an Ivy that would pay my tuition. Oh well. I agree, it takes some perspective to see what really matters, namely how virtuous a life you lead based on what you've been given. At the same time, I don't think one should trivialize the efforts it takes to gain entrance to an Ivy league school for most students.</p>
<p>Oh, one thing I'll say-girls at Ivy league schools are generally very, very ugly yet think their hot. Which means you spend the 4 years of what was supposed to be the sexual highlight of your life with very little to work with.</p>
<p>I don't know if UF is considered a top school, but I feel really good about it due to the extremely low cost, strength in areas of study I am interested in, numerous opportunities offered by the school, and the successful sports program...there are lots of hot girls too</p>
<p>Chamillionaire, it definitely is.</p>
<p>To HisGraceFillsMe:</p>
<p>What about those who overcame tremendous hardship to get to a top school? When their culture, economic status, family, community were going against their path to academic success? Did they still get in based on pure luck?</p>
<p>While there's some luck involved in admissions (i.e. an officer pressed for time gets annoyed by superfluous material in your app), the committees think long and hard about whom they select.</p>
<p>I think that everyone should feel good about going to college at all. Those who see the benefits of going to a top school (amazing financial resources, great minds in one place) would probably feel great if they get in. I, for one, am paying less to attend a top school, so I feel great. On top of the low cost, I will be stimulated by professors who are leaders in their fields. However, I do acknowledge that the majority of my classmates come from a privileged background (I don't).</p>
<p>Sorry to bust your bubble, but a truly top school does NOT have hot girls, or at least very few. </p>
<p>BU is NOT a top school. Neither is UF, or McGill for that matter. They are designed so that rich, mediocre, and hot students can go to them. </p>
<p>MIT, Caltech, Harvard, Princeton, Cornell, etc. all have extremely unnattractive students with very little sexual activity on campus. My friends who go to these schools verify this. </p>
<p>Not to mention scientific research.
<a href="http://www.gnxp.com/blog/2007/04/intercourse-and-intelligence.php%5B/url%5D">http://www.gnxp.com/blog/2007/04/intercourse-and-intelligence.php</a></p>
<p>BTW, your sex life is a far greater predictor of happiness than income/educational achievement.</p>
<p>And frankly, nerds really don't do that well outside of academia, either. Compare a quant's salary to the frat dude turned CEO. That's life. Nerds are forced to sacrifice their own happiness for the well being of society.</p>
<p>So they don't have sex. Does that automatically mean they're unattractive? No!</p>
<p>In fact, "beautiful people are more intelligent."
See this study conducted by a London School of Economics scientist:
<a href="http://harcourtassessment.com/hai/images/dotcom/sciencedirect/j.intell.2004.03.003.pdf%5B/url%5D">http://harcourtassessment.com/hai/images/dotcom/sciencedirect/j.intell.2004.03.003.pdf</a></p>
<p>I do feel there's a difference in men and women's tastes though. Guys think the hot girls are at the lower-end schools because they they find the sweatvalley girls with fake everything attractive. Girls, however, don't go for that... they want class, style, <em>genuine</em> confidence, finesse, intelligence, status, and good looks. The top schools are filled with such men.</p>
<p>Also, I hypothesize that wealthier people tend to look fit and therefore sharper (more money to invest on personal care products/healthy lifestyle upkeep). Because the top schools are filled with wealthy people, they will also have a lot of fit and sharp-looking people.</p>
<p>"And frankly, nerds really don't do that well outside of academia, either."</p>
<p>You really should check out Silicon Valley sometime.</p>
<p>Hey-</p>
<p>my D got into Stanford and she is beautiful...stop generalizing.</p>
<p>and nice, very nice.</p>
<p>if i say yes then ill jinx myself</p>