<p>Well, rich minorities can also be wealthy in terms of cultural values and they can also have a perseverance to improve their lives. Being supposedly wealthy is not mutually exclusive from cultural values.</p>
<p>I agree. However, you dont have an excuse to have lower average scores and grades than the rest of the pool (~1500, 3.8)</p>
<p>Rich minorities DO have an excuse to have lower scores and grades. Some students have test anxiety and others may attend fiercely competitive high schools, in which it is nearly impossible to get perfect grades. And, just because you are wealthy does not mean that you don't have family issues. I admit, money may play an important role in grades and test scores and quality of education, but there are numerous other factors also involved.</p>
<p>"Some students have test anxiety and others may attend fiercely competitive high schools, in which it is nearly impossible to get perfect grades. And, just because you are wealthy does not mean that you don't have family issues. I admit, money may play an important role in grades and test scores and quality of education, but there are numerous other factors also involved."</p>
<p>Dude that applies to everyone (whites, asians, latinos). Who said some poor kids dont go to competitive like hell schools? Just because we are poor doesnt mean we go to some crappy ghetto school.</p>
<p>I completely agree and that was my point. You can't make an overarching statement like, "However, you dont have an excuse to have lower average scores and grades than the rest of the pool (~1500, 3.8)." Because everyone goes through different things in their life that can affect their grades, whether they are rich or poor.</p>
<p>Right, but I am generalizing because ur "Average" Harvard applicant is just a regular over achiever. They havent been through anything really.</p>
<p>How can you truly say that without speaking to the majority of harvard applicants. It is obvious that you have a stereotypical view of the "Average Harvard applicant," but you cannot really know that none of them have "been through anything really."</p>
<p>Uh yea I can, because I studies at Harvard this summer and met applicants/students. A lot of them get good grades and scores but have nothing to offer really. And thats around 80% of the applicants. Ill let you decide what happens to the other 20</p>
<p>How can you say a person has "nothing to offer really?"</p>
<p>Do you mean offer, as in terms of influencing the life of another person, or offer as in be appealing to the university.</p>
<p>JUST BECAUSE YOU HAVE A SOB STORY DOESNT MEAN THAT YOU DESERVE A SPOT AT HARVARD.</p>
<p>take it from me, or anyone who lived a really hard life, and not just poverty, i mean the public housing street stuff. I applied like everyone else and i DONT EXPECT ANYTHING becuase i had to struggle. I tried my best and got 1430 SATs and hopefully they will see how hard I worked</p>
<p>BUT FOR THE ASIAN OR WHITE KID WITH A 1520 AND 4.0 you deserve Harvard as much as i do even though i am poor and black. </p>
<p>the brilliant cello player adds as much diversity as a poor URM, EVERYONE has something to offer, and its arbitrary to fight over something as trivial, because in the end its just empty rhetoric to make oneself fell comforted imagining that they have an edge, even though on DEC15 we will see what happens regardless since none of us choose who gets in no matter how many posts you have. </p>
<p>Try hard, do stuff for yourself, dont get hell bent on Harvard, get hell bent on Life</p>
<p>ANYONE WHO MAXIMIZED THEIR OPPORTUNITIES DESERVES TO MAKE IT.</p>
<p>DHA_3000:</p>
<p>nope, i'm not a urm
but yeah, harvard is really really good with their financial aid</p>
<p>DHA, I agree with you when you say that most students at Harvard haven't really been through anything detrimental...</p>
<p>Biz are you a first generation?</p>
<p>I dout that there are many students on this site who actually are really, really low-income. Therefore, I don't think most of you who are middle-upper class or just plain rich (even though you don't ever consider yourselves that), shouldn't even begin to try to understand the struggles of low-income students. Yes. HFAI is real. Most students who are low-income probably will get accepted, IMO. This is because they actually are probably some of the most independent, self-motivated people applying and are truely passionate about their ecs, grades, and test scores. Their parents probably don't know anything more about the SAT other than it's a college enterance test. They may not have all of the opportunities that wealthy students have. Going to a good school does pay off... That way, the SAT I, SAT II subject tests, AP exams, etc, are much easier for them because they're so well prepared. Whereas the low-income student has to self-study much of the material by his or her self. They'd be lucky just to afford an SAT prep book, let alone a course or a tutor. One's income does effect one's background and life, unfortunately.</p>
<p>My family of three lives off of 17k a year. My mother is sick, my grandmother has parkisons, and I work with my mother to help support our family. Just because I have coherent verbal skills and can take the bus to the library to use the computer and address you doesnt mean I am not poor. Poor kids can hold their own and debate too, you know. And I am lucky to afford a prep book, its something called money managment and an honest, hard-workin parent's good credit. Please dont refer to things you dont know.</p>
<p>"My family of three lives off of 17k a year. My mother is sick, my grandmother has parkisons, and I work with my mother to help support our family. Just because I have coherent verbal skills and can take the bus to the library to use the computer and address you doesnt mean I am not poor. Poor kids can hold their own and debate too, you know. And I am lucky to afford a prep book, its something called money managment and an honest, hard-workin parent's good credit. Please dont refer to things you dont know."</p>
<p>Woah... If you're referring to my post above, you're WAY off. Most students on this site are middle-upper class if not rich. This is just because generally education and income have a strong correlation. I wasn't referring to you AT ALL. It just seems to me that people don't give low-income students enough credit. Just for your information, I'm also low-income.... And I work full-time.... So yes, I do know what you're going through. And, I do own prep-books... That I bought... We don't have any at the library here, as I live in the middle of South Dakota with no opportunities or resources. Oh, and I myself am hospitalized half the time because of a chronic illness and I've missed 50% of school this year because of it.</p>
<p>oh, sorry for exploding on you. I am in your SAME EXACT situation. However, my counselors didnt mention my illness because they thought it would make harvard reject me because I am a sickly kid. Therefore, I hope "extrenuating circumstances" will do. What I hate worse though, is the admissions feelings. Somedays I feel like I have a great shot and will be admitted regardless and others that I will be flat-out rejected. Fortunately, lately, I have been feeling most of the former. I guess, I we will have to find out Dec 14th. Its so unfortuante that people whine about being discriminated against, etc etc. However, no one ever roots for the poor. I mean really, Harvard can say they want poor individuals through HFAI, but think about it really... Will they accept a perfect poor asian or a good poor white/hispanic. I just feel like this system puts on an image thats so unfair. If I had the time and resources, I would definitely have the ability to get perfect test scores and grades, however I have to support two poor women who have given their souls to feed me. At the end, I guess its just up to God. Its our faith and hope that everything will come out as it ought to. And I believe that he will find a way to give us what is just.</p>
<p>Does Harvard actually see our CSS profile? Or do they just guess-timate family income based on where they work (if they work) and where you live?</p>
<p>I dont know. I think they <em>may</em> look at it if they like, even though they say that the offices are apart. However, if you use a fee waiver and your parents have not gone to college, I believe it's pretty apparent.</p>
<p>f.scottie & runningncircles, I'm not sure where you're getting your information. My daughter received virtually identical fin. aid packages (ie., full rides) from both P and Y last spring. Our family income would also have qualified her under the HFAI, but she chose not to apply to H.</p>