<p>momsdream and northstarmom:</p>
<p>Tell me does your won children that has any disadvantages in growing up.</p>
<p>Did they fear for their life in going to school? Did they see first hand guns used and their own circle of friends either killed or be put in jail? They saw most of their friend using drugs and no hope out of this environment? Did they have both parents who were absent from their life? Did they have some parent who does not care about education, as parents are involved in drug addict?</p>
<p>Second case: Did they have parents who want to improve their kids life but have no resources to move out of underperforming schools? Sometime they have sleep hungry, as there is no money for food? One parent maybe in jail and no one is to tell them what to do? Nobody encourages these kids that they need to sober up to avoid kids? How many of you saw the Coach Carter? </p>
<p>If you answers many of these questions yes and still your kid perform then that kid should be admitted over a kid who has even won Intel prize? You may have seen these circumstances yourself but you kids has not been exposed to this environment throughout their life. Now if a kid still perform and complete the education despite all odds? This kids is a performer and better than 90% of URM kids admitted by todays standard. The odds were against this kids and he still perform. This kid is a survivor. These kids deserve merit awards and financial aid and everything. This kid is much better than URM who are getting in just telling America is discriminating against me. Tell me if you make $75000 then you are like rest of us. We face problems too but do not talk about it. We have our own problems. I have poor language skills as compare to you people who are native English speaker. Me Me Me alone? But immigrating to this country was my choice. And I must overcome my language skills by using my technical skills. </p>
<p>Whatever you may say, your kid has no disadvantage at all if he did not saw the problem with gun, violence, drug, and no parental supervision. And rest perception is not important. In my company many AA are engineers. I ask them that do they have any disadvantages? There answer is none. I rest my case. </p>
<p>So a KID with no potential problems does not need a leg up in admission. But I agree with you that as a URM parent you have a right to ignore merit and push what is good for you and your kids? But that does not make it right?</p>