For comparison, about 30% of new frosh and 50% of all college students are first generation, and about 41% of college students receive Pell grants.
People are projecting their own knowledge onto low income high school students and their families. Most people have no clue elite privates give out significant financial aid to low income students. In-fact, many people think Devry and UofPhoenix are legitimate and great schools just because they have commercials on TV.
Yes, and isn’t that the challenge that schools like HYPSM face? How many FLI (same goes for URM) can at least meet the quantitative qualifications at these schools. The fact that enrolled FLI at these schools have lower stats would indicate that the Adcoms are bending backwards to usher them through the gate.
A decade ago, yes, they were looking at the bright first gen/low SES kids. (And low SES alone.) But I agree CC didn’t think so. Even a couple of years ago, CC railed that low SES isn’t considered.
And we should distinguish between what UC has to do and what the elite Need Blinds can do.
One point, for now: you realize the wealthy colleges allocate far more in FA than they expect to give out, right?
I guess I don’t see this as a problem. Elite colleges and especially those in the Ivy League and the other Elite schools in the NE have always been to a very great extent the schools of the top 1%. And I don’t understand why this is an issue. They are elite schools and have long histories of legacy admissions and ties to the wealthy in the NE and that is fine. There seems to be some belief that they somehow owe it to people (not sure exactly who they owe it to but that is neither here nor there) to advance the lower rungs of the SES ladder. It seems that they can choose to do so if they feel it is in the best interest of the school but beyond hat I dont understand how this is an issue that needs fixing. There are many many other opportunities for students at all levels of the spectrum that will supply fantastic educations.