(…)
Cole and Demar lived in different parts of the South and were total strangers to one another. Yet they were also alike: hard-working, eager and ambitious. Demar wanted to become a U.S. senator. Cole aimed to pursue a career in environmental science, or maybe international relations. Both were determined to make it to college. To a great college. Both aspired to the Ivy League.
Both were girding for senior years swollen with AP classes and after-school activities. Demar would serve as student body president. Cole would become head of Model United Nations. Both had long lists of target schools months, if not years, in the making. Both were seen by the numerous adults they’d befriended over their academic careers, from teachers to debate coaches to pastors, as exceptional.
And, after the Supreme Court’s decision, both would reconsider their applications. The difference was how.
By the end, I was feeling emotionally invested in both of their journeys - my fingers are crossed for them, and I hope we will be told of the outcomes.
Was anyone else frustrated wondering, “Why was there no Posse and/or Questbridge scholarship app filled out by Demar?” by the end of the essay? I hope that wasn’t just me, but it once again just shows how many programs meant for low income, high achieving students still aren’t publicized/understood enough.
To be clear, not frustrated with the student but by the system which isn’t adequate.
@coffeeat3 I, too, was wondering if/when those NPCs would be run. And how much that would have helped both students understand what their financial aid packages might look like before the end of this process.
My overwhelming takeaway, though, was I could never be a reporter because I would’ve probably spent all the time I was supposed to be ‘getting this story’ trying to help educate both students as to what the Supreme Court ruling actually said about what admissions departments can and can’t do, how to create a better list of schools that fit their objectives and budgets and what programs existed to actually help them get further towards their goals.
It would have been nigh on impossible to just write down their assumptions and beliefs if I knew they were mistaken and watch this potential train wreck in slow motion.
This part is so frustrating. So many schools are being super conservative and reading scholarship apps race blind too…scholarships were not in the scope of the ruling at least based on the handful of ruling-interpretation-and-likely-impact webinars I listened to. Ugh.
