stop using "well her essays/recs were probably better" as an excuse

Applying to College
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<p>I'm so tired of hearing "well, that URM probably got in not because he's a URM, but because he probably had MUCH better/stunning essays!"</p>

<p>or "that girl with lower stats and ECs probably got into MIT and not that insanely smart guy cuz the she had better essays"</p>

<p>or "that asian guy with amazing stats probalby got rejected cuz his essays sucked."</p>

<p>Affirmative Action exists. URMs probably get in with lower stats than Asians not because their essays are better, but because they are URMs. I've yet to hear anything about the applicant pool at MIT to have more qualified girls; correct me if i'm wrong, but that just sounds like an excuse for girls to say when they have 3x better chance at getting in the guys do because, well, guys > girls at science and math (and i'm a girl. but seriously, the IMO team has like 1 girl and 5 guys..and the USAMO winners are basically like 99.9999% always guys.)</p>

<p>so my example is, from my school, 0/15 guys (6 EA) got into MIT and 7/8 girls got in (1 waitlist) even tho all guys had better stats than the girls. Better ECs, better anything. Also none of them failed any science and math classes and were in the top 10 while like, none of the girls were. </p>

<p>okay, we all know that having an AMAZING ESSAY coupled with AMAZING RECS about how passionate you are in what you do, and then showing that passion equally in interviews, WILL get you into schools despite mediocre/poor test scores and SAT scores. this will happen once in a while, but i doubt MIT fills its classes based on how amazing each person can write regardless of SAT scores. why doesn't it just hold a writing contest and not even look at stats? if then they wouldn't have the average class rank and SAT scores that it does. </p>

<p>however, the thing is, Recs and Essays are not so unpredictable. If this guy loves what he does and can write very well, has gone thru AP english etc, and has a lot of passion for what he does, he will probably write a good essay. He will also get very good recs from teachers who see how passionate/responsible/hardworking etc. However if the girl is not half as passionte about something, doesn't have any ECs to prove that she's passionate, gets <Cs in science classes, how will she write a geniunely passionate essay?? no she can't...so unless she's great at BSing, i can probably predict that the guy has better essays. Plus how is she going to get BETTER recommendations from her science teachers if she doesn't do half as well? (which is PROBALY why her class rank/gpa isn't as good!)</p>

<p>CORRECT ME IF I"M WRONG, but i can probably predict pretty accurately how well someone's essay is going to be based on what that person does. so if a girl/URM gets in over a guy/ORM at [insert school name] despite worse stats/ECs/scores/recs/essays, it's most likely because she's a girl/URM etc.</p>

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<p>Pleaaase I’d like for mods to close this thread. I agree with you in some parts, but there are probably AT LEAST 1,000 threads ranting about the same issue as you… I’m not bashing you, but I’m saying that this will only start a 0-productive debate.</p>

<p>BTW, I’m an Asian, just so you know -_-</p>

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<p>ooops..sorry</p>

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<p>I agree it is frustrating, but your concern is so cliche. Affirmative Action is a failed institution, but theres nothing anyone can do about it. It is the college’s own right to choose whom they want. Private Institutions can have whatever policy they want, and Public universitities are dictated by the state and federal government. Yes, it is a problem, but a common one for a lot of individuals. Don’t waste your breath complaining about it, it is what it is.</p>

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<p>i’m okay with affirmative action; i would not want to go to a school where everyone is Asian and all they do is study. but i just don’t like people who pretend it doesn’t exist</p>

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<p>No one on CC pretends it doesn’t exist. Most hate it since most are negatively affected by it. You’re preaching to the choir.</p>

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<p>

</p>

<p>Actually, quite a few doubt it.</p>

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<p>

I don’t think you go to the same CC I do. I’ve seen arguments about right vs. wrong and about how much of a difference it actually makes, but I’ve NEVER seen an argument on if it exists or not.</p>

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<p>i disagree with it, but theres nothing much i can do to make it more fair</p>

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<p>That’s why right now I wish I was Native American (instead of…asian) :D</p>

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<p>Who cares, they got in. You didn’t, luck of the draw. I hate when people complain about it, life sucks, get over it.</p>

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<p>watta CC n00b.</p>

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<p>^ right .</p>

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<p>

actually i haven’t quite applied anywhere yet</p>

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<p>

you shouldn’t buy into stereotypes like that. guys are only “better” than girls at math and science because they’re told they’re supposed to be. if you look at the curriculum at girl prep schools vs guy prep schools you’ll notice that guy prep schools have more higher level math and science courses. girls are often not provided with these same resources so of course they’re not going to perform as well in math and science.</p>

<p>

oh ok! that’s why we see more women and minorities attending top universities and more represented in professional fields.</p>

<p>

everyone on CC knows that AA exists. the argument is about how much being a urm or a girl helps.</p>

<p>anyways, i think that the issue on CC is that too many people try to take the “cookie cutter” approach to college admissions. if you’re born a URM or in a unique environment then it’s a little bit easier to stick out no matter what you do. </p>

<p>in regards to test scores, i think that a lot of parents, especially ones from foreign countries, have a hard time understanding how standardized testing works in the US. in most foreign countries standardized tests cover a nationwide curriculum. they’re not “aptitude” tests. it’s easier to pick out the students who excelled academically. kids who did well on the tests went to top universities pretty much no matter what; your scores on the tests were pretty much all that mattered.</p>

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<p>Who cares? Just go for it and see what happens.</p>

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<p>Yeah, it does exist One kid at my school this year applied to Yale. He had:</p>

<p>Perfect 2400 SAT
Perfect 36 ACT
A 5 on each of his 7 AP tests</p>

<p>He got waitlisted. The students at my school are staging a rebellion. If he doesn’t get in, there’s going to be a mass suicide. I feel it coming. LOL.</p>

<p>Oh yeah, the kid’s Asian.</p>

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<p>^wow. u know, i get the feeling that sometimes colleges see your perfect scores and think, wow, study freak, <em>reject</em></p>

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<p>"Yeah, it does exist One kid at my school this year applied to Yale. He had:</p>

<p>Perfect 2400 SAT
Perfect 36 ACT
A 5 on each of his 7 AP tests</p>

<p>He got waitlisted. The students at my school are staging a rebellion. If he doesn’t get in, there’s going to be a mass suicide. I feel it coming. LOL.</p>

<p>Oh yeah, the kid’s Asian."</p>

<p>maybe he had crappy essays, recs, and ecs… :p</p>

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<p>. :stuck_out_tongue:
*runs over with a truck and stabs *</p>