<p>if the two students attend the same school theyre equally privileged.
simple.
being an immigrant doesnt make your life harder so much so that a 2000 sat equates to a 2400 sat. thats complete bs.
and dont tell me that sat classes help and so forth because if a student is really dedicated that stuff doesnt matter. i got my score up from a 1240 psat to a 1440 sat (r+m) without any classes or tutors.
and whos to say this girl is even poor? perhaps she was the queen of zimbabwe? although not likely, one cannot judge just because she is reportedly an “immigrant” and has a single mother. </p>
<p>and by the way kbbm describes this student (however biased the viewpoint may be), she seems like someone who DOESNT deserve to go to columbia.</p>
<p>Race is not a definition. Your actions and perspective on life is. One may argue that having racial quotas is a way to ensure a diversity of perspectives on life. Why do that when we have essays that tell them so much more than our skin pigmentation? Affirmative action is a cheap, outward gesture to make people feel good.</p>
<p>In my mind, shoving a human being into a box by arguing that one race has a certain perspective on life that another doesn’t is the very definition of racism.</p>
<p>Sorry, my mind is still in essay mode.</p>
<p>P.S. Just another thought – If one were to write an essay about the hardships of immigrating to a new country, that would tell the admissions committee exactly what they needed to know, regardless of what country it was. Let the chips fall where they may</p>
Top American universities are not after “the best and the brightest” academicians. In another word, their ultimate goal is not to educate a class of intellectual people.
Top American universities want to educate classes of leaders. So, people, you should be ready to accept even the not very smart people will be your leaders one day. If you see it this way, you d</p>
<p>What’s your point? Didn’t OP say this girl got 2100? And you don’t need 2400 to get into Columbia. What do you know about how hard life is as an immigrant (and why do you make such a blanket statement as though all immigrants have the same experience?)</p>
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<p>Who says a kid has to be poor for Columbia to find them interesting?</p>
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<p>Maybe Columbia wants to have some students who have proven themselves to be bright hard workers and also have a different viewpoint from the one you’re expressing. Maybe she’s just that.</p>
<p>OP sounds like a bitter ***** who needs to get over herself.
Have you seen this girl’s ENTIRE app, including the essays? No? Then STHU and quit whining.</p>
<p>Op, you’re ridiculous. You do realize that URM’s generally have a more difficult life, right? Wouldn’t you completely grab at the opportunity if, say, asians were the ones with the comparative advantage, not blacks and hispanics? You would. I’m an asian myself, and even in my most cynical mindset, I have always supported AA. People need an even playing field. </p>
<p>The admit rate as URM may be similar, but by and large, the admission statistics are rather different between URM and unhooked. Obviously, AA can’t compensate for not trying and just being a spoiled brat, that’s not it’s job, but it can and does help people who may have gone through disadvantages get the opportunity to live a better life.</p>
<p>My question is why do we automatically jump to the idea that Affirmative Action is the only way she got accepted?</p>
<p>Columbia is a diverse school in a diverse city that wants students who will provide some life on their campus. The fact that the OP comes off as obsessed with arbitrary numbers and admissions criteria rather than the lifestyle and message a person gives sheds a little light on the type of college student s/he will be (neurotic, annoying, cry-baby, etc.)</p>
<p>You can not assume that she only got into Columbia for being an immigrant and you can not assume that if she was another race, she would not get in. Sure she participated in three events, but if she was exceptional at them, that rings louder than someone who participated in 15 and was only good at 2 or 3.</p>
<p>Secondly, just because she has a nice house does not say she didn’t have hardship. What did her family have to do to get there? My mother and I have a nice home, but we were living in a one bedroom of a friend’s house for YEARS and didn’t own anything but a car before we got here. The OPs view of the situation is limited at best and you have no clue what her home-life could be like. She could have overcome more than you know.</p>
<p>My suggestion the OP is to worry about what type of energy and message you put out to colleges instead of who you THINK deserves to get in or not. If you come off as this whiny and self-entitled to other colleges, I can see why they wouldn’t accept you.</p>
<p>can you elaborate? or do you just enjoy refuting claims without basis?
i think thats a bit ridiculous.</p>
<p>and columbiadiva would you be a supporter of AA if it didnt help you?
had you gotten rejected by columbia, with all of the “hardships” that you have went through, would you still think the american system is fair? undoubtedly you will answer yes, but youre not in a position to answer that question at this point. youve already experienced its benefit. </p>
<p>and yes, i do know what its like to be an immigrant. i have tons of friends who migrated and my own parents are immigrants along with their families. none of these people believe it is their “right” to see “equal opportunity”. if you ask me, THEY and all the liberal politicians that support them are the babies. my family and my friends are go-getters. theyre not sitting on welfare waiting for their checks in the mail. </p>
<p>i hate liberal ideology. i think there is something to be learned from the mexicans who come to america and dont expect anything more than what they receive. and theyre completely satisfied with what america has done for them.</p>
<p>My parents immigrated to America with nothing.
My father returned to his homeland when I was two years old, to find a good job. My mother became my family’s primary supporter, and as a result, we had very little.</p>
<p>I attend one of the most competitive schools in NYC, and am ranked within the top 10% according to my guidance counselor. 2290 on the SATs. A decent number of ECs.
My chances of getting into Columbia are slim to none, simply because I’m an Asian.
Is that fair? Any URM in my position would have a pretty good chance. I think that colleges should admit students based primarily off of merit, and not off of race. AA is racism, simple as that.</p>
<p>gshak13: Another assumption. I don’t think the “american system” is fair now, even with AA, but that is another discussion.</p>
<p>I should have elaborated more. While I own up to the fact that race is a factor and something that is considered, it burns me when people place claims that it is the ONLY factor that got someone somewhere. I worked hard in middle- and high-school so that I could be accepted into someone’s college (It just so happened to be Columbia) as I’m sure many others did. My mother and I made sacrifices to get me to this place and for the OP or anyone else to say that AA was the ONLY reason, makes my and others’ sacrifices seem worthless and me and others seem like a “token”, neither of which is true or fair. To say that someone gets something because they are African-American/Asian/whatever is an insult to them as a person and any work they put in to get somewhere. </p>
<p>My point is that people (including African-Americans) spout too much sour grapes by essentially playing the race-card. Call it naive, but I believe that I got into Columbia because I sacrificed and did above and beyond what was expected of me from day one. Being African-American was a motivator, but not a cause. If an Asian, Hispanic, Caucasian or whatever else did what I did and went through what I went through or worse, I would be comfortable with them being accepted and celebrate them all the same.</p>
<p>And @hawkdancer: I hope that you still applied and that it turns out well. You are right: It should be by merit alone, and you deserve it.</p>
<p>Life has never been fair and never will be. My father told me that many years ago when I was a child. To complain gets you nowhere. Life is about learning to navigate the waters you are in. There are plenty of people who will have more advantages in life simply because they were born to privilege but there will also be many who have less advantages and greater hardship. You, like many, are born somewhere in the middle. Be happy and make the best of your situation.</p>
<p>aright columbiadiva i just reread your ed stats- i think you were a competitive applicant excluding your urm status.
im sorry for judging you, but you must understand where i am coming from, and i can see that you do by your response.</p>