<p>No, and I don't want to go to Berkeley. And I made that pretty clear. And I have something called the "Room Treatment"-I just shut myself up in my room and don't come out until she stops talking about college.</p>
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Cslaw, that's not true. Many asians (and indians) are very educated, there's a good chance the Indian guy owning the motel you stayed in has a graduate degree in chemistry. Asians come from very education=ticket to success cultures, where business either operates at a bigtime (steel magnate) or very small-time (shopkeeper) levels, so the ticket to success for them comes through education (become a doctor or engineer).
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Hey, just speaking from personal experience here. Most of my Asian friends' parents were also "undereducated" compared to their children, and yet had impossibly high standards that they themselves could have never lived up to. Maybe it's psychological...wanting to compensate for what they weren't able to do (or weren't well off enough to even try). I've got lawyer friends whose parents are always taking them down a notch because they didn't become doctors...even though they're working at a grocery, deli shop, or dry cleaning place. I'm not saying that a lawyer is "better" than any of these occupations, but it's certainly a respectable (and high paying) job, yet they're always ragging on their sons/daughters for "only" being able to go to law school because they weren't "cut out" for engineering/science/medicine.</p>
<p>(Dang it, forgot to log out of my sibling's account. For some reason the "log out" button isn't working correctly...probably not getting rid of the cookie correctly!)</p>
<p>I think its not because our parents were undereducated. Quite the contrrary...my parents were OVER-educated. My mom has an MBA and a masters in comp engineering and is currently a Ph.D candidate. My dad used to be a Professor of Literature. They got their education with much difficulty, growing up in much more uncertain times. I think tehy feel that with the resources we have here, now, we shoudl be able to achieve much more than they did.</p>
<p>chibiutena,</p>
<p>Unfortunately, your case is not necessarily the norm. </p>
<p>Plus, people are forgetting that there are significant differences in the average education and income levels amongst different Asian immigrants.</p>
<p>Many Japanese will immigrate to the US with high developed-world incomes and educations. Most Hmong will not.</p>
<p>Let's be real honest here. Yeah I care about prestige. No matter what people say, top firms do recruit more students from the Ivies. I mean if you were an employer wouldn't you have a preference for a kid fresh out of an Ivy rather than a kid fresh out of a state school? It's just a practical thing to do. </p>
<p>But I hate the fact that I care about prestige so much. In truth, the prestige was my academic driving force in hs. Now that I'm accepted at the college of my choice, I'm losing my motivation. Sure, when I get to college I'll be up and running again (for the prestige), but prestige is a very unsteady and unsubstantial motivation force. If I lose this desire for prestige in college, what will I be? I'm not better than a bum on the street. I'm very grateful that my parents have pushed me to obtain the best. I just wish I had a real passion to pursue an intellectual life. For those of you who resent your parents for pushing you so hard, I really understand. I guarantee you though that most Asian parents push them so hard out of love, keeping in mind that by making you suffer (temporarily) you'll have access to greater career opportunities. Of course, some parents push their kids really hard because they feel a need to compete with other asian parents. Not a completely moral thing to do, but let's face it, if you were a parent wouldn't you want to show off your child? I know it sounds bad, but it's the truth, ya know?</p>
<p>my school is 70 % asian, so i pretty much know the feeling. i'm asian too. but the thing is i think most of the asians at my school don't know much "good" schools other than ivies, stanford, mit, uc's (only sd,la, and berkeley). at least that's what it sounds like.
oh, i think a lot of the parents want bragging rights too.</p>
<p>same here; i hate how asians are so.. yuck!
i don't know how to describe it; i mean i can't stand people blabbering about their dreams for prestigious colleges and all that crap. i'm asian myself and i have big dreams too but it's not all about the NAME of the colleges! i personally wanna go to a small place such as pomona or claremont mckenna but my parents have this "name" disease where they complain that they won't be able to tell their friends where i went because pomona and claremont mckenna aren't "name-based" colleges. </p>
<p>sometimes i wish i was anything BUT asian -_-</p>
<p>I really want to go to NYU Stern......but that's NOT because my parents could say "My son goes to NYU Stern!!!" but because I love NYC and I really like their business program and Stern's like one of the two gods of finance (Wharton being the other)...</p>
<p>Me too...I wish I was anything BUT Asian, but at the same time, I can think independently so I hope that helps me when I apply to NYU Stern (ED).</p>
<p>Yes UCLAAri,</p>
<p>Striving Hmong students at Community Colleges in Seattle and kids from Fujan province studying at City College in New York don't have the time to fret about prestige, particularly since they often work many hours in addition to school. For them, prestige is a luxuary. Sardonic but true.</p>
<p>I asked my profs about UC berkeley vs. the crappy school I'm at and the general consensus is that IT DOESNT MATTER. </p>
<p>Especially if you're going to get a profesisonal degree. because no one is goingto look at your undergrad.</p>
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Me too...I wish I was anything BUT Asian,
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<p>Jeez...you hate California...you hate your ethnicity...what are you actually comfortable with? :p</p>
<p>Generally, they are taught by their parents to be such.
But everyone knows most of these parents are either illegal immigrants or those who have no ethnic identification with their motherland, so you know their situation.</p>
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I asked my profs about UC berkeley vs. the crappy school I'm at and the general consensus is that IT DOESNT MATTER.</p>
<p>Especially if you're going to get a profesisonal degree. because no one is going to look at your undergrad.
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Depends on the field you wish to pursue. If it is academia, even your undergraduate degree matters. Look at all the professors of elite schools. The vast majority hold both undergraduate degrees and PhDs from top 10 institutions.</p>
<p>Medicine/engineering/science are totally overrated as professions. Too much school, hard (albeit dangerous) work, mediocre pay, being managed by MBAs.</p>
<p>So the highest degree I'm getting is an MBA.</p>
<p>i think that part of the reason asains are so obsessed with prestige is because thier parents are. i told my parents i might apply to one, or maybe stretch it, two, ivy leagues but then a lot of other schools as well. but they want me to apply to like 5 ivy leagues minimum. they're like "we won't be dissapointed if you don't get it, but we want you to atleast try." I think that is so pointless, why spend time on all those Ivy League admissions when i can devote my time to schools that I actually have a chance in? Asain parents (as well as parents of all other ethnicities, I'm sure) can be a pain.</p>
<p>But then when Asian people in my school blame thier ways on their parents, it's kind of annoying. My parents are like that too, but I don't allow them to brainwash me.</p>
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<p>Some people are just insecure about themselves. ;)</p>
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i personally wanna go to a small place such as pomona or claremont mckenna but my parents have this "name" disease where they complain that they won't be able to tell their friends where i went because pomona and claremont mckenna aren't "name-based" colleges.
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<p>my parents are like that too. I love Brown to death, but my second choices are Seven Sisters like Smith, Barnard, or Wellesley, or LACs like Sarah Lawrence. but I told my parents and they just scoffed and said they don't have international recognition like the Ivies... and of course, "what's the point of paying $30k/year when you could just go to UVA?" </p>
<p>:( it really sucks. and honestly I'm feeling just as pressured by the Indian community to get into a recognizably good college - UVA , William & Mary, Georgetown or Ivies (+MIT, etc), basically. I've got to admit that I've inherited the Asian pride from my parents and don't want to tell fellow Indians that I "only" got into VATech... they already look down on me because I'm opinionated and an "artist". ~_~</p>
<p>i dont think your *one asian friend's reaction/demeanor speaks for all asians. *generally, it's asian parents who are just strict and demanding of their children, its nothing on asian kids themselves</p>
<p>but i guess i know what you mean about kids who are all for the <em>prestige</em> and not for the substance. But that isnt limited to asians</p>
<p>I think Asians care alot about college prestige, due to lack of information that americans have. I mean americans know colleges dat have no global reputation but are in fact very good (ie. harvey mudd, union cooper).</p>
<p>I myself am asian, and I do care about college prestige. I mean whatever college you attend the quality of education cannot be that much different given that the college are in the same tier (ie. harvard and UMich), so it all comes down to reputation that is the significant indicator of choosing college.</p>
<p>u guys r totally putting a harsh stereotype on the asian population. seriously. so yea, i got into some ivys and berkeley and washu in st. louis and rice all good schools but still, im settling for a community college nearby just because i think thats whats right for me.</p>