Teen who got accepted into all 8 Ivy League schools rejects them all! (suspect, Indiana)
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His parents must be pretty well off if Harvard was going to make them pay a lot in tuition to attend.
Probably a good choice overall to go to the state school. He avoids any stigma of affirmative action (which he doesn't need) and stays close to home and family support network. And since he aced the ACT and SAT, he'll likely have no trouble with the MCAT and be able to attend any med school he wants.
Quote:
Originally Posted by desertdetroiter
Meh, if it wasn't AA they'd be finding something else to stigmatize you about. AA is just the latest thing. Blacks were heavily stigmatized long before AA was even thought of.
Just wanted to note that just because he chose Alabama doesn't mean that he won't be labeled as an Affirmative Action pick.
I'm sure he will be. Most black students, no matter their credentials, when they go to a mainstream school they are seen as an Affirmative Action student.
I went to an HBCU and due to that, people assume that my education was sub par due to the perception that HBCUs are worse than mainstream colleges/universities. I remember a few years ago a similar story came out and the kid went to FAMU instead of the Ivies and people were up in arms and acting like he sold himself and his education short by choosing an HBCU even though he was going into business and FAMU has a really good business program and their graduates are recruited aggressively by many major corporations. They also have a great network of alumni.
Someone actually accused me to my face many years ago of being an AA recipient and I told them I went to an HBCU and they then told me I received a bad education due to that and also that I was an AA hire at my job even though our company was majority black and didn't participate in AA. FWIW, this was a resident of a building that my company managed.
I agree with desertdetroiter in that no matter if AA is around or not, black people are stigmatized as something. I personally find the whole AA thing funny
Someone else mentioned that no white kid would get into all 8 Ivies when earlier in the thread someone did post links that showed a white kid who did just that. And just FYI, many Ivies look at whether someone is from an educationally disadvantaged background or if they are the first generation to go to college. Many whites fit this category, especially those in rural areas or Appalachia.
Just wanted to note that just because he chose Alabama doesn't mean that he won't be labeled as an Affirmative Action pick.
I'm sure he will be. Most black students, no matter their credentials, when they go to a mainstream school they are seen as an Affirmative Action student.
I went to an HBCU and due to that, people assume that my education was sub par due to the perception that HBCUs are worse than mainstream colleges/universities. I remember a few years ago a similar story came out and the kid went to FAMU instead of the Ivies and people were up in arms and acting like he sold himself and his education short by choosing an HBCU even though he was going into business and FAMU has a really good business program and their graduates are recruited aggressively by many major corporations. They also have a great network of alumni.
Someone actually accused me to my face many years ago of being an AA recipient and I told them I went to an HBCU and they then told me I received a bad education due to that and also that I was an AA hire at my job even though our company was majority black and didn't participate in AA. FWIW, this was a resident of a building that my company managed.
I agree with desertdetroiter in that no matter if AA is around or not, black people are stigmatized as something. I personally find the whole AA thing funny
Someone else mentioned that no white kid would get into all 8 Ivies when earlier in the thread someone did post links that showed a white kid who did just that. And just FYI, many Ivies look at whether someone is from an educationally disadvantaged background or if they are the first generation to go to college. Many whites fit this category, especially those in rural areas or Appalachia.
I'm sorry you experienced that. I went to an Ivy and no, I never assumed any AA classmates were affirmative action students, I assumed they were smart kids who worked hard to get where they were, just like I did.
And it's also sad that people think HBCU provide an inferior education - they should try going there! I went to graduate school with some students from HBCUs and they were some of the best students in the program!
Of all the public schools he could have gone to for free, I'm surprised he chose a SEC school. Their academics are well below those of the Big 10, Pac 12 and ACC.
AA is alive and well; however, this kid and the one linked below got in on their own merits. I applaud their hard work. They don't go to the "we're vicitms" school of Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson.
I suspect this is not that unusual. My oldest daughter was accepted at both Yale and Harvard and never even told me until years later because she thought it was going to be too much money. I'm glad she made that decision because I would probably have gone ahead and funded it even though it would have been very expensive. State school instead.
Of all the public schools he could have gone to for free, I'm surprised he chose a SEC school. Their academics are well below those of the Big 10, Pac 12 and ACC.
It looks like Alabama was his safety school. He knew he would be accepted there - and he knew he would get into their Honors College.
Most Honors College programs turn a big university into a smaller experience - and have higher academic standards as well. It can be more like a small private university inside a big public. So I wouldn't necesarily knock the academics at Alabama.
Anyway, if finances were going to be a consideration, I'm stumped for a couple of reasons: 1. He spent upwards of $600-$800 on application fees to all of these schools and 2. He had to have known exactly what the Ivies would cost before applying. There are calculators on their individual websites that estimate (very accurately I might add) what your cost will be based on your personal financial situation.
Meh, if it wasn't AA they'd be finding something else to stigmatize you about. AA is just the latest thing. Blacks were heavily stigmatized long before AA was even thought of.
Federal need-based financial aid has academic progress requirements as well. Schools have to maintain requirements in terms of GPA and/or pass/fail of courses in order for students to keep getting federal financial aid.
Institutional need-based financial aid works the same way. Most institutions use the FAFSA to determine their financial aid award just like federal financial aid does.
Neither are a scholarship.
Quote:
Originally Posted by NJBest
Satisfactory academic progress is a requirements of all institutional and federal financial aid. That doesn't make it a scholarship. The only requirement to qualify for the aid is merit. You can lose it by performing poorly just like you can lose federal financial aid.
Interesting way to twist it up, however... but unsuccessful.
Why are we debating this when the schools themselves call them scholarships ?????????
there are true need based financial aid that isnt taken away unless you are put on academic probation or actually fail classes, a need based financial aid package with an academic requirement above pass fail, is a scholarship plain and simple.
Smart kid If he works hard and has drive I suspect he'll be in the top tier of whatever profession he chooses.
I make more than most Doctors and graduated from a local State school.
Yeah I doubt this was an affirmative action case.
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