<p>My family has been in this country for at least seven generations that I know of. It fought in just about every war for this country: civil (union), world war I, II, korean, vietnam, u name it. No one even could fathom college, and my mom was the first dang person in her family to graduate from high school but she could not go to college! But they were all broke as a joke and here I overcome as many obstacles as possible going to a rural, Podunk high school and I still get rejected while these universities accept first generation immigrants from Asia and people from other countries! Why?! It's B/S! And they get rid of early admission policies to make themselves look good and still reject low income applicants. Particularly white ones because the higher income whites take the spots away. One of my other friends was rejected from an ivy league school and he is the first generation college student and his income is even lower than mine. Poor rural applicants get treated even worse than inner city kids do in college admission because they dont pay as much attention. Why do I have to be punished for what I am born into? I dont want to hear all kind of arguments because it's not going to change my opinion one bit!</p>
<p>You didnt get into any college? Or just HYPSM?</p>
<p>I got into Cornell for engineering. I am thrilled do not get me wrong and my family is thrilled also! It is just the idea of policies of those other schools that truly irks me! I have no problem going to Cornell, it is a fine fit for me. It's just the principle from the other ones rejections that angers me.</p>
<p>But it does seem to me that rural, low income whites get screwed over the worst in these little admission games people play!</p>
<p>I'm a low income, rural "white" (technicality - Middle Eastern, but put White for apps).</p>
<p>Waitlisted Stanford/Yale. In Pton/Brown/Chicago.</p>
<p>I worked my butt off, no doubt, and I won't lie and say I don't know a few high income minorities (all four are actually Hispanic - 3 Mexican, 1 PR) that I felt would have done better if their name and race was on my application. </p>
<p>However, it might be important to note that my parents moved here just 20 years ago.</p>
<p>Maybe the first-generations you're speaking of had better stats than you. What do you mean about "your" spot being "taken" by more affluent caucasians. If you felt that they had better opportunities than you, you could've applied to prep schools. Many of them, ESPECIALLY the best ones (Exeter, Andover, SPS) have incredibly generous finaid and need-blind admissions.</p>
<p>Your sense of entitlement is also a bit disconcerting. Your ancestors fought in all those wars, whereas you did not. And why should your family being here for seven generations give you an advantage? Should I be at a disadvantage since my family only suffered labor camps, pogroms, and anti-Semitism in Russia before they came here two generations ago?</p>
<p>"If you felt that they had better opportunities than you, you could've applied to prep schools"</p>
<p>wmmk -- I agree in essence with what you are saying, but I can tell you also that probably fewer than 1 out of every 400 people in this rural NYS county would even know what Exeter and Andover are, let alone know how to apply to them. And my region is a far cry from Appalachia.</p>
<p>Andover??? Isn't that where we send our taxes to?</p>
<p>I really do agree with mmk's statement - "Maybe the first-generations you're speaking of had better stats than you. What do you mean about "your" spot being "taken" by more affluent caucasians...Your sense of entitlement is also a bit disconcerting. Your ancestors fought in all those wars, whereas you did not."</p>
<p>To clarify my post, I understand and am in favor of AA. And...a lot of first generation kids [not meaning first gen for college, but just being a naturalized American citizen] really do have it hard. To do well in school and be the only one in your family that speaks English at a fluent level...well, that's really impressive in my opinion.</p>
<p>Haven't u ever heard of seniority rule? FYI wmmk I did not even have a computer until I was 15.5 let alone would I know how and what I had to do to get into a prep school. What do u expect ppl who went to s**tty high school's stats to be? Do u expect a perfect cake when someone is only provided batter mix and no eggs or milk? No crap i'm not fighting in those wars I wasn't alive. I would have told them not to if I had been around because of the b/s treatment they got. My family members had to put up with the potato famine and evil English regimes and slavery in the caribbean, and my German family left a long time ago when this country was first starting up. There are ppl that thought the potato famine was funny that I had to straighten out. If I went to any other country and was pushing those devout citizens out of their children's futures I know very well they would not like that one bit!! P.S. ur post still does not change my opinion at all.</p>
<p>I guess you are looking for sympathy and you have it from me.</p>
<p>sprtn are u being sarcastic because it is hard to tell sarcasm in text. But I am not looking for sympathy, I want understanding and some people to recognize where the hell I am coming from.</p>
<p>What are you looking for on this message board? You can't change anything at this point. Whining about the decision isn't productive. If you want to be an advocate for lower-income, rural white families, then do your research and don't just base your arguments on your own case.</p>
<p>The fact that you're even arguing and complaining about this is probably basis for your rejection. If your essay or any other part of your application showed this side of you to the admissions board, they would not hesitate to reject you. You have no entitlement to a better opportunity because your family has been here longer. The fact that you believe that you should have this entitlement shows your close-mindedness and your projection of blame. You should accept that you weren't the right fit for the college and move on.</p>
<p>I would be more sympathetic if you had any proof. You don't. It seems like you're just venting your frustrations at being rejected for a legitimate reason by saying that it was demographically biased. Stop complaining.</p>
<p>wow u just made an account. Hmm... Anyway I am allowed to state my feelings and disgust. U have heard of the freedom of speech right? Ok maybe not. I don't have anything to prove to you and I don't care what u think. I'll vent as much as I want. That is the American way, right? And prove me wrong, a rural white is more likely to be rejected than a upper class white urbanite. Let's see some statistics since u ppl are so fond of statistics. And I guarantee if any of u ppl accusing me of this and that would put yourselves in my shoes for two seconds you would be on the opposite side of the spectrum!</p>
<p>I would think a rural white would get more consideration than a rich one, but idk exactly how the admissions thing works.</p>
<p>Your sense of entitlement is annoying me too. If there is anything I have learned from America, it is that you have to work for what you get - you don't just get it. That's why someone can come up from nothing and why someone who has a prestigious family whose lived here for XXX years can go down. It's about you. Not your family.</p>
<p>I would think that a rural white has a much better shot than a middle class or upper class white besides those upper class legacy applicants. If you really want to specify a scapegoat for your rejection, underrepresented minorities are definitely the most valid. I read somewhere that the average URM accepted student had an (old) SAT score 170 points lower than the average accepted white applicant. I really don't understand your indignation towards middle-upper class applicants, considering they're usually the most qualified. </p>
<p>And seriously, who cares how long you're family has been here? </p>
<p>
[quote]
What do u expect ppl who went to s**tty high school's stats to be? Do u expect a perfect cake when someone is only provided batter mix and no eggs or milk?
[/quote]
</p>
<p>This statement, in conjunction with the other ranting, is hinting at the fact that you're awfully eager to make excuses. I don't care how poor you are, you can spare 20 bucks for an SAT prep book that has everything you need. You could also use your school library to download free test prep. Furthermore, being poor doesn't excuse mediocre grades. If everyone is poor from your school, then that evens out the entire student body and thus the rankings should be of individuals with equal opportunity for success. Also, if the school is full of low achieving hicks, then obtaining straight A's should be rather easy. If the teachers gave material that could challenge someone worthy of Princeton, all the other students would be completely lost.</p>
<p>I've only posted 1 percent of the story. I'm not explaining the rest. U ppl do not understand and never will. I got into Cornell Engineering, which is ranked the highest out of the ivy league for engineering at #7 while the others trail behind. U better believe I will be at a level playing field with everyone else, and I will take advantage of every resource they have to offer me. Come time to apply to grad school I will be ready! So w/e i'm done, and no one changed my opinion any yet. Go big red!</p>
<p>I'm not going to even try to change your opinion because you're clearly just bitter that you didn't get into all the schools that you wanted to. If Cornell is so great, why do you even care about HYPSM? </p>
<p>I'm glad I won't be seeing you at Princeton.</p>
<p>Top colleges are hard-pressed finding students from rural, low-income areas so if they come across one they like, they will probably admit him or her over someone from an affluent area, given that both have roughly the same academic index (actually, they probably won't mind either if the rural person's AI is slightly lower). Unfortunately, you are not this person. On the brighter side, however, even though you were denied by every single "top" college you applied to, there's still Cornell Engineering, which is a great option.</p>
<p>I agree with Evan. This exact tone and self-righteousness probably saturated your essays. I can't help but feel glad that they were so effective at ensuring I won't have to put up with this at school next year.</p>
<p>By the way, out of the 11 acceptances to Cornell from our school, 9 were Asian. More than half of all applicants from our school were Americans that can boast a record as excellent as yours. I suppose you aren't whining because you got in, which therefore makes everything good and wonderful in your eyes.</p>