<p>I've been holding in a grammatically-correct, properly capitalized rant for quite some time, but I believe it is now appropriate to rage against the machine... pun intended.</p>
<p>-We (as the members of this fine web site) have this really terrible, terrible habit of automatically dismissing all Asian applicants as over-represented minorities. Even the 4.0 GPA, 2400 SAT kids whose parents happened to come from Taiwan get thrown into what I call the "nice job, kid, but you're screwed," pile. Anyone ever happen to realize that Asians make up around 20% of Harvard's undergraduate pool? They're getting in, and I'm pretty sure the fact that their geographical origin is farther east than most of ours isn't keeping them from attending fantastic colleges. Putting down kids who worked their asses off because of their race is downright ridiculous.</p>
<p>-STOP COMPLAINING ABOUT 3.8 and 3.9 GPA'S. Yes, I'm aware you got four or five B's--how terrible. Every year, high school students get into fantastic colleges with 3.3, 3.4, or (how TERRIBLE!) 3.2 averages. Acknowledge the fact that yes, pal, you did quite well in high school, and suck it up. A few B's never hurt anybody.</p>
<p>-I will admit to participating in this mindsuck, but the "What Are My Chances" forum has become out of control. The only ways to appropriately judge one's chances of admittance to a school are to consult the university's official statistics and class profile; check one's high school's Naviance Family Connection web site to see what other students at a school were admitted with what true, unbiased, REAL statistics; and meditate. A lot. None of you--besides AdCom representatives, former or current--can give any sort of "chancing" besides your best guess. It's a potentially damaging system, and it needs to stop.</p>
<p>I'll most likely think of more things to complain about in a bit, so feel free to drop your comments, questions, and (more than likely) complaints here. I'll be here all night, folks.</p>
<p>I don’t see many members of CC putting down Asians as over-represented or dismissing their hard work just because of their race but I pretty much stick to the ‘Parents’ forum so maybe you’re seeing that in other areas.</p>
<p>IMO race shouldn’t be a factor in admissions since it’s racial discrimination but the ‘race in admissions factor’ has been discussed already many times on CC.</p>
I’ve never gone there and based on what you said I’ll be sure not to.</p>
<p>Aren’t most of the ‘chances’ posted by HS students being responded to by other HS students who don’t really know what they’re talking about anyway? You’re right in your post - if people want to understand their ‘chances’ they just need to do a bit of their own research by checking the prospectives college’s website for its admission stats and possibly naviance if they have it available for their school or at least for some other schools. Beyond that they need to understand the inherent variance and lack of predictability at some colleges including the ivies, some of the UCs (which don’t admit/deny based on race), and many others, so anecdotes aren’t always all that helpful.</p>
<p>as i said: “The only ways to appropriately judge one’s chances of admittance to a school are to consult the university’s official statistics and class profile; check one’s high school’s Naviance Family Connection web site to see what other students at a school were admitted with what true, unbiased, REAL statistics; and meditate. A lot. None of you–besides AdCom representatives, former or current–can give any sort of “chancing” besides your best guess. It’s a potentially damaging system, and it needs to stop.”</p>
<p>Honestly, there needs to be a personal reality check – what DO you think is likely to happen when you post rather personal information on a web forum? Be it CC or a home decorating site or even a cooking forum, you’re inviting . . . God Knows Who . . . to comment on your life. </p>
<p>And comments come. Alas, they arrive without any context. You don’t know if the respondent is clever, accurate and insightful or a dreadful, narrow minded, mean spirited ignoramus. </p>
<p>There is some learning that can happen here and perhaps getting slapped down for being a stellar student of hardworking heritage is a (brutal) eye opener that there is always an Eeyore at the party. Hopefully one also begins to see how many campuses and people would be absolutely delighted to be graced by that same student’s presence. </p>
<p>Bigotry isn’t new. Rants against bigotry aren’t new either. Truthfully, I don’t think Rants against bigotry help that much (other than to give the ranter an adrenaline buzz). I hope you’ll turn your energy to the positive – and encourage students, whoever and wherever they are, to find paths that work – and to gently disagree with the ■■■■■■ and troublemakers. You can point out their errors but the minute you move into the rant voice, you “feed” the ■■■■■■. </p>
<p>We are at the point in the annual cycle where anxiety is high. There will be high anxiety from now until April 1/college acceptance time. Then there will be celebrations for some and grief for others. Guess what? The grief stricken will wail for a few weeks, and then pick themselves up like the champs they are and get on with life. </p>
<p>Don’t feed the ■■■■■■. Be nice. Be aware that this “chance me” stuff is an episode in life that is highly focused but soon gone.</p>