New York high school student accepted at all eight Ivy League schools (Mastic: 2014, school district)
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Yes, it's blown out of proportion to some extent, but I do think school district matters for kids closer to the median.
An exceptional kid is going to be exceptional anywhere (and arguably, may be considered more "remarkable" in the college admissions process when coming from a weaker district because the exceptional kid "overcame" the "obstacles" of being from that district).
However, for a kid closer to average, I think school district plays a role because that kid's school experience will be shaped by the norms/standards among peers, and in better districts, peers are more likely to be grade- and school-oriented than at a weaker school. If the norm is that everyone studies and tries to get at least Bs, an average kid will aim for that; if the norm is that no one studies and everyone's fine passing with a 67, a kid may think it's acceptable to aim for that instead. So choosing a school district requires you to consider what type of kid you have - some kids (like the young man featured in the article) are incredibly bright and self-motivated, and don't need peer influence to aspire to that kind of success. School district doesn't matter for those kids. Other kids (probably most other kids) don't have that internal motivation, and need the push that a "better" school district is more equipped to provide.
I'm with 85dumbo, this smells of affirmative action. The kid is probably qualified but others were passed up so he could be accepted.
Affirmative action? All 8 institutions felt this young man would be an asset to their campus and passed up other qualified students? Admissions is as much a qualitative process as it is a quantitive one (test scores, coursework). Maybe it wasn't his skin color or last name...maybe applicants of his profile from the Mastic area rare and that's what made him stand out?
So the kid has to be white for his achievements to be legitimate in your opinion?
I never said he wasn't qualified. I just think "affirmative action" played a role in his acceptance to all the schools.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
