<p>^I have to agree with Money on this one Nosike. We should be analyzing the evidence each person presents.</p>
<p>Now, don’t mind me, I’m just providing some articles to support my “bitter” claims from a while back…just to reiterate that the stereotypes rooted within this country will, for a while to come, maintain a racist vibe throughout America: —> In response to my bitterness over how white people assume that black people dominate the welfare system.</p>
<p>This is certainly true although there is often a myth propagated that surpassing beyond a certain score can provide no additional admissions benefit. (The score is often purported to be in the 2250-2300 range.) However, I have yet to see any statistical evidence to support this assertion and there is much evidence demonstrating the opposite even when one accounts for any potential criteria that may perhaps correlate with one’s performance on the SAT.</p>
<p>I have been following this thread for a while and just thought I’d throw in my 2 cents. First of all, I too am a conservative who strongly opposes affirmative action. I have thought some of the same things you have regarding how applicants are impacted by affirmative action. I also have experienced quite a bit of bitterness as a result of the admissions process at our top schools. Honestly though, I have a little trouble seeing why you are so resentful of affirmative action as you got into a few HYPS schools. When I got turned down by Princeton, I was really upset for a couple weeks. Honestly, I got very angry when I saw hooked applicants getting into my dream school with markedly lower stats and grades than I had. Moreover, I deemed my EC’s to be better than some of the applicants who got into Princeton. So, ya I do understand why some people can be bitter over how college admissions turns out. I also understand the temptation of calling out these hooked applicants who you don’t believe should have been admitted in the first place. Let me ask you, though, who does this really benefit? It certainly doesnt help you. I mean its not like Harvard or whoever is gonna call you up one day and accept you into their school because you upset a couple of URMs. And it certainly doesn’t help the URMs. So, whats the point in attacking these people?</p>
<p>Plus, this kind of dialogue normally ends up turning into a kind of “insult war” where nothing productive is accomplished. So, I am all for debating the process of Affirmative Action. In fact, from what I have read on this forum, you and I would probably agree on almost every issue out there. But please debate the process and don’t make your arguments appear weaker by personally insulting other people.</p>
<p>Finally, I am really looking forward to meeting you at Penn. I am in the LSM dual degree program, so our paths will likely cross this upcoming year. We both got into amazing programs that will set us up for amazing careers just as well as any other school out there. So, rejoice in that success and don’t dwell on the successes of others. </p>
<p>I’ve learned to have a grudge against AA applicants as well after seeing the results threads under various top universities on this site. It just isn’t fair.</p>
<p>@justadream: I would like to suggest socioeconomically-based affirmative action, not racially-based affirmative action. Much fairer to poor whites, Jews, Asians, etc., doesn’t privilege already-affluent blacks and Latinos. In other words, it would be more effective at getting “aid” to those who actually need it. And if, as everyone says, most of the nation’s poor and disadvantaged are black and Latino, then they should still qualify for affirmative action under this sort of criteria.</p>
<p>ray, I largely agree. From an African American perspective, it has been studied that African Americans at elite schools are marginalized and outnumbered by their wealthier, better test scoring counter-parts across the Atlantic. Essentially, instead of Affirmative Action tending to the demographic that it initially sought after in the first place, it fails to meet the intentions of its primary focus by marketing African immigrants, who receive the most AA help in the racial spectrum, at the expense of poor, low-scoring African Americans. </p>
<p>I fervently argue that until the minority from the gutters of our inner-cities are provided with the same education and opportunities delegated to said minority’s counterpart of another socioeconomic background, equality is exempt from our primary education systems; thus, the promotion of bitter racial resentment stemming from policies such as Affirmative Action as it stands today.</p>
<p>OK WOW, this is soooo stupid. Everyone on here besides OP and a few others are trying to defend AA in some way. You all know AA was the reason she got in. Stop trying to act like you can analyze everything and that your more “mature” than to assume being black gets you into top colleges, cause it does.</p>
<p>Like really, just accept it and move on. OP’s friend was stupid for the email, he should have just talked to the teacher afterwards. But his anger is something we all feel, and sometimes it needs to be expressed for arrogance.</p>
<p>Class rank can be pretty useless because it varies with the context of different schools. For example, I am not in the top 10% of my class. Why? Because I am number 5 out of 55 total students. Yet I have a 3.9 UW GPA while taking the hardest classes possible. Should I be numerically and automatically eliminated from admissions to top schools? No. Similarly with this girl. Obviously Columbia decided her academics were good enough when combined with other factors to admit her. Was one of these race? Of course. Was it solely race that got her in? You have simply no idea. Her essays, for all you know, probably were incredible. She must have had something to stand out. </p>
<p>And, reaction to URM hooks. I think a lot - not all, but a lot - of people get upset about this because they feel cheated. But, ultimately college admissions is a game of sorts, whether you like it or not. In order to be successful, one must use everything in one’s arsenal, including race if it gives an advantage. The game may be unfair, but is that the fault of those who win it? Nope.</p>
<p>You friend sounds like he was annoyed that she was bragging. If I were him, I would not have cared. I actually would have congratulated her on her achievement. Who cares? In a few months I would be at Princeton and she at Columbia. He did better despite her URM hook. No need to be nasty when he has not read her entire application. </p>
<p>@ray, that’s a good idea. I agree with that.</p>
<p>so by that you mean to say that using score choice against a school that dosn’t allow it is using it to your advantage and “being a winner” in the end?</p>
<p>If you read back, you would see that no poster in this board made a claim as to “AA was not the reason she got in.” I, personally, said that there’s no downplaying a trace of a boost in this girl’s application. What was said here was that Affirmative Action was not the stronghold in her application and that she was qualified enough to handle the work, considering her 29 ACT score being in the lower ranges of accepted students. Columbia could have accepted the higher scoring hooked minority over her during the ED round, but they didn’t for reasons that are beyond us. So your argument is relatively weak in that regard.</p>
<p>Maturity? When has that come into question here?</p>
<p>I would guess that you’ve been living under a very very dark tree stomp for your entire life for you to make such a broad assumption without any trace of hesitation or sources to back up such fallacies.</p>
<p>So Overmyhead, do I have the right to call white people out for the benefits they receive everyday that I dont? The OP tried to analyze ways in which America isnt racist, however, I beg to differ–where’s your annoyance in that?</p>
<p>Ambitiousmind07 and justadream- I am just saying that the point of the matter is that we have nothing else to go by except what the OP is telling us. And it sounds like she is being very arrogant. For that, its ok to say AA was the reason. If she wasn’t cocky and accepted AA played a role, than i wouldn’t really mind.</p>
<p>Also, people try to appear like they aren’t shallow just because they aren’t blameing everything on AA, and i understand i may be shallow in my thinking, but that’s how the world is and by arguing against it you’re just sugarcoating and try to cover up what’s really going on. AA</p>
<p>No, it’s not okay. Your first two sentences are counterproductive to what you initially posted and the juxtaposition of said sentences cancel each other out. Have you considered plausible reasons as to why the Columbia girl felt the need to be “cocky,” as you see her actions? “the” reason, as in the only? It seems as if you’re insinuating that the rest of her application was not relevant to her acceptance.</p>
<p>The only applicants who get mad about AA are ones that have average scores and get frustrated when URMs with average scores get in over them and they get rejected.</p>
<p>That’s why I don’t think this story is legitimate.</p>
<p>If you have high scores and you get into your dream school, why would a supposed “Affirmative Action Admit” bother you?</p>