<p>I've noticed that a lot of people define themselves by the colleges they've gotten into... and if they don't get into a top college or an Ivy League than they feel they are failures. It's really sad and pathetic that people think like that. My family thinks that way too (though I'm not Asian)</p>
<p>
[quote]
If you were my Korean friends who grew up in the mean streets of LA, I'd agree with you.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>on another thought, growing up in asia suburbia (examples in california: silicon valley, san gabriel valley) is horrible too! LOL. you're always under intense pressure cuz not only do your parents put you under pressure, but you're at the constant comparison (and competition) with all your friends and schoolmates.</p>
<p>Ehh...I guess. </p>
<p>But I tend to think that the pressure of getting into UCLA is slightly less cruel than the pressure of fearing for your life.</p>
<p>My parents used to compare me to other asian children but ever since I told them my dreams of becoming either a comic artist (manhwaga) or an animator, they supported my dreams and left me alone. (If they really want somebody academic to boast about, they have my brother. I'm the kinda artsy one.. =_=;; not that great though) I think it sucks when a parent compares you to somebody else (then they get really <em>*ed when you compare them to somebody else's parents... like "</em>*sdfjl's daddy bought him a porsche! I got a stickin nothing!" "why don't you go live with them then?!" grr</p>
<p>Polite Antagonis
[quote]
</p>
<p>I say that ivy-leage resources are wasted on many asians, they are just there for the moolah; more so than any other group, and will fail to donate money or help society.</p>
<p>From personal experience, I also find that there to be a singificant "conversation-gap" for asians. That is the level of intelligent conversation you can have with an asian is often much lower than you would expect from a similar person of another race with the same credentials and grades.</p>
<p>The biggest problem with asian culture is that it forces people to do anything to achieve these long-term goals which may not be right for the person's talents. Yeah, nobody wants to be poor, but making someone a doctor when they probably belong in a relaxed 40k a year job?</p>
<p>ITs just greed and pride.
[/quote]
Hmm....I agree with you - Polite Antagonis- that many asians do aim for ivies just for the moola and for the prestige- Not exactly for the betterment of mankind (which of course is the "real" purpose of a higher education). But more so than any other group? I wouldn't be too sure of that - I think it depends on where you are and if the asians you know are really of ivy-level intelligence in the first place.</p>
<p>My personal experience in conversing with people of high credentials/grades has also resulted in a large "conversational-gap" with many non-asians as well in terms of intelligence and whatnot. I personally know plenty of asians who are capable of holding an intelligent discussion - intelligent and informed people are always a rarity, regardless of race. Race has nothing to do with it, the reason why more it seems to be moreso for asians is because there are more asians with those high grades and credentials than in any other race. (admit it - asians are hard workers), but it is true that that doesnt necessarily mean they are working for the right cause. </p>
<p>There are plenty of intelligent asian people who are working for good causes and its not fair to bring down the whole race by pointing out those who don't. If the ivies really are as selective as people say, then Im sure they're able to weed out many of those greedy asians anyway.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Prestige does help with getting a good job because it gives you an opening into the job market through recruitment--but you need to use that opening to sell yourself.</p>
<p>The problem is academia doesn't necessarily translate into the world outside of it. That's what many asians don't understand, I think. The handshake is equally important as the resume. (Personally asian, by the way)
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Very good point Allorion, sometimes in all my hardwork I tend to also forget that "the handshake is equally important as the resume." I think we all need a reminder of that fact once in awhile =P I think the real lessons in life are learnt in college while K-12 is just a period for us to develop the studyskills and the maturity in preparation of college. That's just what I think - im just excited about college I guess xD</p>
<p>And just to point out, Allorion there seems like an intelligent and goodnatured ASIAN fellow to me just by reading his comment. ^^</p>
<p>I already posted aferwards I meant "many" and not "all" asians. I also know a few of the obsessed asians and many of the well-rounded ones that ended up at top schools and places. I also feel that as Americanization sets in, a lot of the bad habits disappear. However, I can definitely sense a kind of amorality to certain sects of east asian culture that puts material wealth and status above all else. And as I've said, for every asian person breaking stereotypes more power to you.</p>
<p>The "American Dream" is to make a lot of moola. It's not an ancient Asian value. In fact, a vow of poverty was considered noble in societies with strict Confucian values. Of course, prestige was stilli important, but it did not always involve making a lot of moola (and in fact, being rich was looked down upon, especially if you earned your money through hard work).</p>
<p>The American dream is financial and poltiical independence.</p>
<p>East Asian society fits well in liberal/democratic suburbia though, with the lack of civic society, and an obsession about money.</p>
<p>
[QUOTE]
East Asian society fits well in liberal/democratic suburbia though, with the lack of civic society, and an obsession about money.
[/QUOTE]
</p>
<p>Shows how much you know about traditional East Asian culture.</p>
<p>Lack of civic society? An obsession with money?</p>
<p>Umm... what China, Japan, and Korea did you study?</p>
<p>wow, talk about sweeping generalizations in this thread.</p>
<p>kevster, you may not mean to stereotype all asians, but you did name the topic "asians and college prestige"</p>
<p>has anyone every seen Better Luck Tomorrow?</p>
<p>I thought it was good movie... in many different ways</p>
<p>though they leave the Parents out...</p>
<p>my hs classmates used to make fun of me about my college choices. i picked mostly lac's and now at kenyon, one of the best schools in the country, academically the same level as some of the ivies. and where are they now? well, mostly at some state schools like virginia or north carolina.. haha who's the loser now.</p>
<p>LoL, that movie was so much like my high school except for the killing. Most asian kids were pretty desperate to get into a good school. Probably the same thing as any kids with a lot of pressure like Jewish kids, etc.</p>
<p>Better Luck Tomorrow was about amoralism in suburban life, not necessarily about asian kids.</p>
<p>Money, security, whatever, all the same thing.</p>
<p>I don't think u should generalize about any group of people... i hate when people generalize and say that asians are the "model minorities" bc it masks really serious problems... like the large economic gap within the Asian-American group... while many Asian-Americans are highly educated and live in the upper middle class suburbia there are also Asian-Americans who are extremely poor and unfortunately, colleges do not take the tribulations that these people endure into account because Asians are generally stereotyped as the "model minority" and are generally not seen as needing help... the "model minority" stereotype also opens the way for colleges to discriminate against Asians in the admissions process... last year Princeton did a study that showed that 4 out of the 5 spots given to needy minorities would go to Asians if affirmative action was eliminated... that's extremely racist if elite colleges are imposing a system which keeps the Asiain-Americans representation lower in order to allow other people to take their sports solely because they are not Asian-American... I don't understand y people don't do something to stop this racist against Asian-Americans</p>
<p>people should acknowledge that many asians are smart because we work hard despite our poor imigrant parents. many black kids (i know) on the other hands have wealthier parents but still do poorly in school because they're lazy.</p>
<p>Asian culture tends to promote passive-aggressiveness so asians are not very politically active. </p>
<p>There are indeed many asians who overcome great obstacles coming here and the parents have a right to stress economic security to their kids and tell them to get a good education and high prestige job. The rate of poverty among asians is a little higher than whites and they are underepresented in many fields outside of medicine and finance. </p>
<p>I think many asians are indeed a little to knee-jerk in their reactions, and focus on long-term goals too much, at the expense of more immediate concerns.</p>
<p>Too much generalizing in this topic.</p>
<p>"I think many asians are indeed a little to knee-jerk in their reactions, and focus on long-term goals too much, at the expense of more immediate concerns."</p>
<p>I'm the exact opposite, haha.</p>
<p>But I'm still going to go to UCLA. For immediate concerns. ;)</p>
<p>Many =! generalizing. You're lucky if you've never met an asian person like that. Berkeley is full of 'em.</p>
<p>My parents thought that Swarthmore and Claremont McKenna were bad schools. My parents didn't know about Tufts until I told them it was ranked right next to UCLA. My parents think the University of Michigan is a third tier school, and same with Syracuse. She looks down on USC, and has no idea what Emory is (me neither but I know it's a great school). Guess what? They're asian.</p>
<p>My first choice school's a tie between NYU Stern and University of Michigan-Ann Arbor. of course, they'll flip if I tell them the University of Michigan one, since it's not as famous as NYU is. </p>
<p>My mom flipped out when I indicated finance for my intended major on the PSAT survey last year, because it's not engineering or medicine. She thinks if I go to Michigan, then I'll end up homeless and jobless. And my aunt claims that since Michigan is a public and has a lot more people than NYU (20k vs. 24k: that's a LOT more) the former is going to have fewer resources for me to utilize...(she's been doing college counseling for awhile...how the hell she drew that conclusion I'll never know). Guess what? I have asian parents.</p>
<p>I know for fact that NYU Stern and Michigan Ross are basically of equal caliber for finance. I know for fact that the opportunities that either school provides are relatively equal, and I know in my heart that both University of Michigan and NYU are cold and liberal, and I'm happy to go to either...(happier to go to Michigan since I'll save my parents $10k at least and that means they'll give me more money). And since I DO NOT want to go to an ivy (and don't have the 4.2 required to) I don't hang out with asians since I don't take AP Calc BC, AP Physics C or AP Chem (in fact, I hate science). I have one asian friend who wants to go to UPENN, and she respects and recognizes that not everyone is like her and that it's fine to go to Michigan over an ivy, but she lives in the states and has Americanized parents. </p>
<p>OP: Don't mind them. Whatever. You can make fun of them when they're at Berkeley studying Quantum Physics at 4AM and you're at USC and you've been sleeping for 5 hours and went to a party in which Lindsay Lohan, Tom Cruise, and Angelina Jolie were on the guest list.</p>
<p>At least that's what I'll do...I have a couple friends who want to do engineering, and I'll make fun of them from Ann Arbor, MI at 4AM, after a nice 5-6 hour nap.</p>
<p>Someone also commented about how Asians are greedy...I'd love to respond to that. I want to go into finance because I'm fascinated by the stock market and I'm interested in how money is moved around an economy and stuff like that. I had a couple friends call me greedy, but I don't mind. I want to go into stock trading because I thrive under heavy pressure, and I'm interested in the stock market. The fact that good stock traders make $15MM a year is just an added bonus. I'd probably go into stock trading even if good stock traders made $50k.</p>