<p>I don’t think that ily is really trying to complain, but I know where esmee is coming from. My family is struggling extremely hard right now and that’s pressuring me, but on the whole, I’ve had an amazing life. I work hard, but I pay for my own private school. I pay for most of my things. And the fact is, that’s a good feeling. I have good quality clothes (despite being very old at this point), an awesome, close-knit family, the internet, my own computer, three meals a day, health insurance, and so on and so forth. We have a dog and a house and a semi-new car. I was gifted with intelligence. I might get to go to college… with little or no debt. So frankly, except for when it comes to figuring out the electric bill, I don’t give a damn what the poverty line says. Life is good, and life will only get better from here on out. The life I’ve lived and the accomplishments I’ve worked for will get me into the college in which I will thrive, whether it’s my current first or last choice.</p>
<p>Esmee16; I think that everyone’s story is different, and their curses and blessings differ. This is why I think college applications should attempt to see a student’s motivation in the face of adversity. I’m from NY state as well, and I truly think poverty is a relative term. It depends on your family’s size, your income, where your income is going, what payments you have to make. I don’t want to seem ungrateful or whiny. The fact that you’re going to a college prep school is very fortunate for you. My family wasn’t offered enough financial aid to go to the prep school I was accepted into. So good for you, and I hope you make the best of it.</p>