I wish I weren't Asian

<p>They will end up doctors and scientists< just not hyp ones!</p>

<p>What do you expect schools to do then? Say they can fill schools 75% with qualified Asians who fit the stereotype, should they do this? Or should they try and keep a reasonable racial balance? Asians are already represented in top schools 10x what their population proportion is. It could definitely be worse.</p>

<p>What I think colleges should do is to not even look at the race or names of applicants. They can look to other factors for identifying, like SSN or Birthdate, so that totally race-blind admissions can occur. Then, if Asians are still admitted at the same rate, I won't complain.</p>

<p>the jews have all the money and the whites have all the power...</p>

<p>until we revolt!!!</p>

<p>Guys, on jewish discrimination: they used many different tactics to try to sort out the jews, and they ranked them (at Harvard, for instance) in four levels of jewishness-- from "absolutely certainly a jew" to "definitely not" and they would discriminate accordingly. They asked for parents' surnames, original names, if you had ever changed your name and why, so forth and so on. They made an effort to discover true identities to avoid having jews.</p>

<p>There's more, of course.</p>

<p>but, to correct myself--'resentful' is probably not the appropriate word so much as 'annoyed' --annoyed is what I mean, it just feels like a nagging point. Similar but not the same, but the phrasings I keep hearing are equating the situations as being wholly analogous when they certainly are not.</p>

<p>^^^ mari, what the hell?</p>

<p>
[quote]
b4nnd20: "I wish I could say that, but college is too important to me" [in response to: "screw them, I'm proud I'm Asian"]</p>

<p>Hate to say it, but that's the Asian stereotype right there...putting college/school before everything, even personal beliefs...I think THAT is what colleges are trying to avoid. It's a particular type of person who is unfortunately more common among Asian populations than among white/black/Hispanic populations, and so it's unfortunately become the stereotype for Asians as a whole.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>that was quote worthy. Well said.</p>

<p>This post is for those Asians who fit the sterotype, who would rather study or watch some good ol anime than drinking yourself silly, who enjoys learning and attending classes for its own sake, who feel at a disadvantage in the college admissions process.</p>

<p>
[quote]
This is so racist. It made me cry. I hate being Asian. Textureless math grind? Don't people realize that these are actual human beings they're dealing with? How can they be so insensitive? I can't believe that someone would make a blanket statement about Asians like "not providing the right intellectual environment." This person has a job?

[/quote]
</p>

<p>So think about it...would you want to go to that kind of a school? With that ideology? I don't think many Asians realize the type of schools HYPS are trying to build. They are trying to build schools filled with diversity, not just hard workers. This, in turn, means they are actually NOT GOOD CHOICES for a majority of Asians out there who just want to work hard, chill with friends and not party too much, and study and learn. Yet sadly, all those Asians don't realize this and buy into the hype of HYPS, and apply anyway, get rejected, then complain. I would say that schools like Cal Tech, MIT, and the UCs, among others, are better fitted for Asians. Time and time again students look only at rankings and don't consider fit. It's even sadder when people in this thread suggest that Asians should change themselves or study something nontraditional to help their chances. If you actually want to, because you want to be somebody different, that's fine. But changing yourself or studying something you don't want to...just to gain admissions into a college? That's like pretending to be someone you're not just to fit into somewhere that honestly, you don't fit in anyway.</p>

<p>
[quote]
Hate to say it, but that's the Asian stereotype right there...putting college/school before everything, even personal beliefs...I think THAT is what colleges are trying to avoid.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>That's a good way to put it. You should never put college before your personal beliefs. No, colleges aren't THAT important. Not for you to spend the next four years in a place with Caucasians, Blacks, Hispanics, Internationals, with frats/row team/eating clubs/secret societies when deep down all you really want to do is hang out with some Asian buddies and do some calculus problems, just to have that shiny Harvard degree that hardly matters after you get your first job. Really, after you are admitted to whatever college, you will not care less about the admissions process or which schools rejected you. There is just too big of a hype surrounding admissions to the elite privates and frankly, students need to just calm down and realize HYPS isn't the end-all of higher education, and may not even be the best schools for them.</p>

<p>To clarify:</p>

<p>I wished I could say "screw you." That comment I made was not directed to my Asian pride. I still am proud to be Asian. I'm proud of wanting to be an English major. I'm proud of my love for hard rock. I'm proud of my B in AP Chemistry. I'm proud of my absolute lack of musicality. But I absolutely hate that my pride in my heritage and in myself will lead admissions officers to judge me based on stereotype and disregard my accomplishments because "there are too many Asians."
Who said I put college/school before everything? My schoolwork self and my partying, dating, movie-watching, cigarette-addicted, dancing self are completely separate. I want to be able to live each to the fullest. So quit judging me based on race and bringing everything back to my Asianness.</p>

<p>And I don;t even want to go to Harvard. I want to go to Yale because I like their humanities offerings. It's not about prestige. Stop stereotyping.</p>

<p>Could someone clarify what the comment about personal beliefs meant? I don't quite get it.</p>

<p>
[quote]
There is just too big of a hype surrounding admissions to the elite privates and frankly, students need to just calm down and realize HYPS isn't the end-all of higher education, and may not even be the best schools for them.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Bravo! <clap> <clap> <clap></clap></clap></clap></p>

<p>yet another asian thread. I try to not respond but they're all so annoying. get over it. I'm asian too and you know what? Sometimes you deal with what life throws at you and TOUGH it up. I'm not a math nerd, shy quiet SAT tennis playing science geek but I see them all the time. If you fall into these stereotypes than whoopie doo its your fault. </p>

<p>However, if these stereotypes don't apply to you, than be proud of who you are, not necessarily your race. Be proud that you broke the damn mold.</p>

<p>If anything I see these 100 of threads about asian whining leading to another stereotype, that how asians do nothing but whine.</p>

<p>Yup, I agree. But would you tell yourself "Harvard isn't everything anyway" if they stereotyped your entire race as asocial and studyholic? Be honest. You would care. I care. Harvard is the 6th school down my list (obviously close to the bottom) and I couldn't care less if they accepted me or not (really, and neither do my Asian parents) but the fact that admissions officers make these comments is just deplorable and depressing. If you read my first post, I highlighted a comment by a Vanderbilt admissions officer. I'm not even considering Vandy, but my reaction still was "This guy has a job???"</p>

<p>And it's too bad you think I'm whiny. Someone's got to "whine" for these annoying stereotypes to go away.</p>

<p>I'm not saying let society bend you over, but its pointless what we say on an internet board. Think black civil rights movement. Theirconcerns were expressed in person through marches and rallies. Granted I don't feel admission "racism" merits such a type of movement but internet complaints that has no impact on the matter becomes redundant.</p>

<p>How you describe yourself makes you sound like you DON'T fit this stereotype. So I don't see how it would upset you, colleges will see your transcript, it won't match that of a typical asian. This so called stereotype isn't perceived by just college admission offices, its perceived by most Americans. Its how we're portrayed in the media and its what people think of. Oh so unfair but you kno why it happens? Because most asians fit into this unfortunate stereotype. Don't go complaining to people telling them to think of us differently. Get our own people to stop fitting into these stereotypes.</p>

<p>I understand all of what you guys are trying to say, but one thing I just don't get is:</p>

<p>Person A--love tennis, violin, science/math, wants to be a doctor, high SATs and grades...because their parents make them do it, for college. </p>

<p>Person B--love tennis, violin, science/math, wants to be a doctor, high SATs and grades...because they truly and genuinely love it.</p>

<p>Both Asians...but both are regarded by HYPS as the same. So it is not fair.</p>

<p>Second example:</p>

<p>Person A--love tennis, violin, science/math, wants to be a doctor, high SATs and grades...because they truly and genuinely love it.</p>

<p>Person B--love tennis, violin, science/math, wants to be a doctor, high SATs and grades...because they truly and genuinely love it.</p>

<p>Person A is Asian and Person B is Caucasian/Black/Mexican/ <insert race="" other="" than="" asian="" here="">.</insert></p>

<p>Considering that everything else is the same(meaning recs, essays...) person B will have a higher chance of getting in than Person A. Why? The only thing different among them is the color of their skin! Nothing else is different; they both have the same passion for their ECs. This is blantantly not fair!!!</p>

<p>A couple of years ago there used to be a well-known poster on CC known as jamimom. In addition to launching her own kids into college she also taught classes about and/or consulted on college admissions. She used to do this exercise that some found very instructive: She would have the students fill out mini-apps listing their stats, ECs, and interests. And when she removed the names, most of the Asian parents could not pick their own kid out from among the other Asian kids. Same academic focus. Same stats. Same ECs. Same interests. This was a real light bulb moment for many of them -- that maybe they needed to think beyond the usual Asian measures of achievement and success.</p>

<p>After all, if their own parents couldn't pick them out of the crowd, how can you expect adcoms to be able to?</p>

<p>I like b151's point. Yeah, it isn't fair. But I guess whining on the internet that it's not fair isn't going to change anything.</p>

<p>I refuse to say that it's not important or that I'm getting overly concerned about college. I have a right to be concerned about my education and my (un)equal opportunity to get the best one possible. I'm just going to stop whining about it. That way the people who group a whole continent as antisocial study freaks won't have any ammo, when they grow up and I'm kicking ass as anything-but-a-doctor.</p>

<p>It's not really the perceived homogeneousness that bothers me. It's the perceived social problems that bother me.</p>

<p>I am Asian. My son is nothing like the Asian kids described here. He plays football, and is never home on Friday, Saturday or Sunday. He is one of the most popular kids in school. He does take the hardest classes possible, most of the kids in his classes are a grade or two above, and he has very good grades, but not 4.0. He is better in humanities than science, but loves both. His teachers constantly complain about him talking in class. He is who he is, he does not think of himself being any particular race. His main concern is spending as much time with his friends as possible, and not his GPA or SATs. He is average. But again, this is not what HYP's want. They want someone to be passionate about something unique. But as an Asian kid he can't be passionate about math and science. So you can't this or that. Don't know if all this makes sense.</p>

<p>b4nnd20- I'm glad you plan to not fall into the stereotype. out of curiosity, what do you mean by perceived social problems.</p>

<p>Another thing I don't understand is that why do colleges like an Asian who doesn't fit the Asian stereotype more than someone who does.
I mean, an Asian who likes humanities more than math/science is not better than an Asian who like math/science, they are just DIFFERENT. DIFFERENT does NOT mean better. Just because there are more of a kind doesn't make it worse than a different kind. So why is it better to NOT fit the Asian mold? I honestly don't get it. So what if they are DIFFFERENT? Does it really matter? Why not just pick the most qualified?</p>

<p>b151: Perceived social problems: sorry, my wording was off. I meant to say, perceived lack of social skills. In the article, it said that Harvard evaluators consistently ranked Asians below whites in "personal qualities." I feel that that's racist. Just because someone was raised to have a good work ethic and not to party excessively doesn't mean you should resent them (and actually the most balanced people I know are Asians--they don't just party and socialize...they actually achieve too. Whereas the people with the best "personal qualities" often sacrifice achievement for socializing. I'd prefer a balance between the two). </p>

<p>Being hardworking and partying limitedly is different, not bad. If you contend that the stereotyped "Asian behavior and socialization" is indeed bad, then you're criticizing a whole culture. That's just how people do things.</p>

<p>Lukeli: read my first post. Colleges worry that theyr'e getting "yet another textureless math grind."</p>

<p>lukeli88- well because colleges want to be diverse. An asian kid that matches the mold will generally be like other asian kids who fit the mold (nothing diverse/new/different). One that doesn't fit the mold stands out from the crowd. After reading 20 applications with tennis, and wonderful science/ math qualifications, a kid presumably of equal or better qualifications in lets say football, government, and the humanities simply has separated himself from the crowd.</p>