<p>Do you think that colleges look down upon kids who seem to appear loyal to every characteristical connotation of the rich, snobby kids, with golden spoons in their mouths?</p>
<p>Here's what I mean. A student might not even live a very wealthy lifestyle, but his/her parents have recently retired, he/she is on the golf team at school, has traveled to many exotic, foreign countries, like Kenya or Costa Rica, etc., yet still has pretty good grades, and all that jazz.</p>
<p>I wonder if a college admissions director would just automatically get the negative connotation of this student. What do you think?</p>
<p>It is not so much that the school is going to look down on you but they are going to live by the adage of * To whom much has been given, much is required *. Your SAT scores, grades are going to be evaluated in context of the opportunities that you have had (and what money could afford you). They will ook at your ECs and jobs as there is a difference in going an EC and a job that has been "bouth and paid for" vs doing an EC that you had to bus your butt to be selected and a part of.</p>
<p>I go to a private school, and I have for all of high school. That means two things.</p>
<p>Obviously it means that I have to have the money to pay the yearly tuition to attend the school (which by the way is quite rediculous).</p>
<p>On the other hand, a private school means a much more rigorous academic schedule, much harder classes than most public schools, etc.</p>
<pre><code> Here's a little diagram to show both sides of the issue:
</code></pre>
<p>Good school => Advantages most americans can't afford => Colleges have higher expectations of me
(on the other hand...)</p>
<p>Good school => Harder, more rigorous academics than most americans => Colleges have slightly lower expectations grade-wise</p>
<p>Do the two even eachother out? I know this is one of those aggravating private vs. public school debates. I have actually analyzed this issue quite extensively in the past, because I seriously considered leaving my school for public because I thought it might help me get into college, taking into account (not necessarily correctly, mind you) the previously stated information.</p>
<p>nicewellmannered, there's nothing you can do about what the admissions officers think. It might help, it might hurt. If you have done your best in school, with good grades and extra curriculars, the best you can do is send in the application and see if they accept you. I don't know how you would alter the information on the application at this point to make it more likely you get in, unless you choose to address the issue in your essay.</p>
<p>If I knew that a college admissions director would automatically assume that connotation about me, I would maybe take a different spin with the more subjective portions of my application. For example, instead of talking about my trip to Spain in my essay, I would talk about something more... you know.</p>
<p>To be on the safe side, I would avoid anything that draws attention to your advantages in the essay. No extraordinary opportunities, experiences mingling with the destitute (that works for people who consider themselves poor but realize how lucky they are) etc. Upplay your character, your work ethic, that you're nice and well mannered :)</p>
<p>So yeah, spin it like a top.</p>
<p>Hey! You're in San Diego! I didn't know there were big prep schools there. But then, I didn't know there was a Temecula Preparatory until I met some students who transferred to my high school. Do you live in La Jolla?</p>
<p>I doubt that it plays much of a roll in the decision. It's not your fault you were born into a priveledged family. As long as you are a nice, genuine, kind and likeable kid, it really shouldn't help or hurt.</p>
<p>By the way, the phrase is "silver spoon", not that it matters.</p>
<p>They probably don't give a darn, honestly. As long are your SATs are solid, GPA is great, you're in at most of the top 40. To get into Ivies + similar, you should aim to win some regional/national competitions.</p>
<p>Going to "exotic" places is a stupid thing to even put down on the app, since it means you're slacking off big time. What's the big deal about going to kenya/costa rica??....so you bought a plane ticket for $1500, got your butt in a plane for half a day, landed on some piece of land, wore your shoes a little further by patrolling said piece of land, and came back home. How does that show that you deserve to be in an Ivy League school?? Beats me, as it probably does the adcoms.</p>
<p>Bottom line, anybody foolish enuf to think that "travel" is exotic and cultured is probably going to end up at a mediocre school (imho). They have been brainwashed, and can't compete with the truely intelligent students that are focusing on what they should be doing.</p>
<p>I wrote one of my essays on a trip to Europe that was essential to my understanding of European History. You can be all pessimistic and say the time was better spent reading the text instead of trapsing about Prague, but the point was that I really needed to get inside the subject to understand it. Travel is extremely beneficial.</p>
<p>The sort of travel where you go to South America and say "Look at the quaint tribe people selling fruit!" take some photos and high-tail it back to a comfortable suite in the Marriot is not worth it. Going to South America and trying to learn about the culture, learning about the magnificent plant species and learning to appreciate life is worth it. So, bottom line, anybody foolish enuf to think that "travel" is a blanket word meaning "vacation" and bashes anyone who does is probably going to end up at a mediocre school (imho).</p>
<p>"I wrote one of my essays on a trip to Europe that was essential to my understanding of European History. "</p>
<p>Get ready for a slew of rejections....adcoms usually know what "trips" mean to H.S. students. I know two members of admissions committees, and they don't think HS go on "trips" for an "education"....unless such statements are backed up by a big-name professors in LORs, which is usually not the case..</p>
<p>First of all, many students in the swankiest of private schools are on financial aid, so I doubt adcoms will assume you are wealthy because you go to private school. However, living in Carmel is another story.....</p>
<p>Also, in my opinion, essays on expensive trips to exotic destinations, are not going to get attention in a positive way from the reader.</p>
<p>
[quote]
I wrote one of my essays on a trip to Europe that was essential to my understanding of European History. You can be all pessimistic and say the time was better spent reading the text instead of trapsing about Prague, but the point was that I really needed to get inside the subject to understand it. Travel is extremely beneficial.
[/quote]
that would be a trip well spent. it's just that, when you list that you go to Costa Rica or South Africa, the first thing that pops into some adcoms' mind is priviledged.</p>