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It's called legacy admissions, ie, "affirmative action" for the rich and well connected, and every private college and university embraces them on both the undergrad and graduate levels. Some public colleges and universities also practice it, especially the more prestigious ones. If your father and grandfather went to Yale or Princeton, you'll probably get in even if you only have a 3.0 GPA and 1400 SAT score. Meanwhile a 100 applicants with 4.0s and 1590 SAT scores get rejection letters and get po'd at some black kid with a 4.0 and a 1589 SAT who got in because the college wanted to "diversify" its student body.
Yes, this is what I've seen. There can also be sophisticated recruitment that goes on to attract the children of the rich. E.g. One of my friends is an alum from a prestigious university who "networks" (recruits) these parents/students. This is how that particular university's endowment has grown so large - they specifically recruit in high wealth areas using alum.
A 3.0 GPA is more palatable if a library wing or sports field comes along with it. But, apparently even a smaller 5-figure donation can be enough (so I've heard). There is also a term for the list of admitted kids who do not meet the academic requirements but whose parents will be donors (can't remember the term - "growth cases" or something like that?). I'm sure anyone here in college admissions knows of this.
BTW, I just overheard a newstory about college dropouts from the middle class being at an all-time high.
No the widening income gap (which has really gotten out of control in recent years) is mostly due to quantitative easing and "too big to fail" bailouts.
I agree about the schools... (maybe I didn't communicate that well). Previous poster brought up Ivy's/Wharton/business school... But my point was that in moving toward the uppermost income classes (from whatever background), skillset/school/diploma is less important than it is in the lower/middle/uppermid classes. Leverage, network, marketing/sale of ideas is more important. Your examples support my point.
The frustrating logic many have here is to ask if something is going to help get the uppermost income? Between Lower middle class and upperclass, is there nothing in between?
You have to prove that something will get you uppermost incomes before you consider it as a means to get a bit better? Is that the logic in America today? what a bunch of baseless priviledge!
If this is how most americans think, this country will be poor and nothing can save it.
CEO's are not where the money is. Take the top 500 CEO incomes. combine them. Take the top 5 hedge fund managers. Combine their income. Guess which group makes more?
Of the top 10 richest people, 6 of them inherited it.
And so what. Does that mean that you should sit here and find someone to inherit wealth from? Does that mean that you stay in a coffee shop doing nothing unless all social injustice is fixed by year 8000AD?
The logic of many people today is this: I won't work hard until you show me a guarantee to a good income I name, likely "uppermost" as some mentioned here. There are rich people who inherited money. See, I should not work hard.
It makes me wonder what these individuals will do when the global economy deepens and our companies move on to younger and capable talent. If the chinese and Indians all think the same way, they might as well all suicide as India has a caste system, the water is dirty, people get beaten up. None of those things is good. But they do not act like these things hold them back. Indians and chinese succeed tremendously in America. Do they face less odds than americans? First, immigration rules eat them up enormously. Amercians are free to live in their own country. Yet, you often find the immigrants to be the most industrious and overcome discrimination and restrictions. Racism against the Indians and chinese are alive and widely spread. But so many of these bright people make it in America and start great businesses, contribute to the sciences, or make delicious food in a windowless kitchen. I have respect for these strivers. They do not ignore racism. Thye do not forgive racism. But they certainly know how to focus on getting better and getting ahead. There is plenty of room even for someone who is fresh off the boat in a foreign land. What connections do they have?
These same people, had they stayed in India and China, would have become valuable contributors and leaders of their prospering economy. Their counterparts are doing that. They are making their countries stronger and richer. Ironically, social justice in China has progressed with a better economy,, better salaries, stable families, and Disposable income. The problem is that americans think it's crazy or abnormal to work hard as Indians and Chinese students. These immigrants are doing things americans don't want to do and complain about jobs "stolen".
It's more like our own simply leave money and opportunities on the table. Others take it since it is available. They didn't steal. They accepted what we offered. Opportunities abound for the prepared mind, the willing heart. The global economy rewards those who respect opportunities, not those who are entitled without a trust fund. I know many foreign students and they are getting good offers. It's been that way all these years. They were nurtured a competitive mindset and make strategic decisions. This is what our american kids should have. I want to see our american kids compete well.
I worry for these people. Thye have missed opportunities. Now they are still missing opportunities. the economy will not change for these people. More people are adapting to the global economy. It will be the democrats who tell these people to work hard. It won't even take the republicans or right wing wagos. Let's see how long people are going to live in denial. The longer they do, the worse it gets. Adapt. If there is one thing about navigating life, it would be adapt. Don't obey. And don't fight battles you can't win. Adapt.
Last edited by Costaexpress; 03-31-2015 at 05:19 PM..
Sounds like you are having some personal issues with jobs. I am curious, what field do you work in and where do you live?
I have no trouble with employment or finances and never have. I'm not concerned about my personal situation, but rather the economy and future of the US and the world. My location is in my sig.
liberal arts education is exactly what develops and refines critical thinking skills. It is unique in this regard. When i speak about higher education, i am not talking about career training or vocational training. I am speaking about a liberal arts education, which is constantly denigrated by anti-intellectual forces on the internet. It can be seen here on city data.
It is easier to control people who lack critical thinking skills and a broad based knowledge of history, social policies, government, philosophy, psychology sociology and even literature.
Totalitarian leaders have historically attacked, imprisoned and killed the intellectuals. Hitler did this. As did stalin and other soviet dictators. The only state sanctioned education in the ussr was engineering - because of it's military applications and usefulness to the state.
And medicine. Keeping workers healthy enough to do their jobs and improving the quality of life of those in charge are obviously important to a totalitarian state.
We can see that in today's push from the right for the study of stem only, and the denigration of the liberal arts and social sciences.
Taken into a historical and political context, this is an unprecedented trend in the united states.
Never in our history have we been told what to learn and study and how much education is enough.
Higher education needs to be made accessible and affordable to all.
Not reserved for the sons and daughters of the ruling class.
"skills driven" is precisely what i object to. Education needs to be directed not towards tasks, but towards learning how to think for one's self.
Certainly "skills" are important. Skills are useful. But not everyone needs to learn how to repair a car, a broken arm or build a house or a bridge. Everyone, however; needs to know how to think for themselves.
However a nation full of people who do not know when they are being deceived because they have never learned to think and to discern, is a potential nation of easily manipulated idiots.
I have no trouble with employment or finances and never have. I'm not concerned about my personal situation, but rather the economy and future of the US and the world. My location is in my sig.
OMG, Ruidoso. That is a very small town in the middle of nowhere. I suspect this greatly influences your perspective. I have spent most of the past 4 years traveling in the US. What I have seen is extremely encouraging. I would not have said that at the start of my travels in 2010. In fact there were some frightening issues at that time. Certainly there are some depressed areas especially Detroit and some of the rust belt areas. There are also many areas that never had much of an economy to begin with. There is nothing to recover from because there were poor jobs and job prospects before the "great depression." I suspect Ruidoso falls in that category. I have never visited but it is my understand that costs are very low, salaries are very low and the area attracts retirees who want or need to live really cheap. All of that could also influence your perspective.
You have to prove that something will get you uppermost incomes before you consider it as a means to get a bit better? Is that the logic in America today? what a bunch of baseless priviledge!
If this is how most americans think, this country will be poor and nothing can save it.
I think you are misunderstanding my post. I have never said that I will only consider something if it "will get you uppermost incomes." Where did you read this? Again, my premise was that acquiring skillset in order to achieve higher income (the topic of this thread) is most important (often required) for income attainment/class movement for the lower and middle classes, and often less important for those already in the upper class. Do you disagree with this premise?
I am specifically addressing the "skillset relationship to income" as that is the topic of this thread. I was not addressing, for example, the importance of education for achieving intellectual/skill growth as its own reward - that is another topic.
And so what. Does that mean that you should sit here and find someone to inherit wealth from? Does that mean that you stay in a coffee shop doing nothing unless all social injustice is fixed by year 8000AD?
Nope, and no one is saying that...except you.
Quote:
The logic of many people today is this: I won't work hard until you show me a guarantee to a good income I name, likely "uppermost" as some mentioned here. There are rich people who inherited money. See, I should not work hard.
No, the attitude is that working hard is no longer valued. Which has a lot of factual basis. Know where money is? Having it already, and loaning it to others. Taking a cut of everything, while producing nothing.
Quote:
It makes me wonder what these individuals will do when the global economy deepens and our companies move on to younger and capable talent. If the chinese and Indians all think the same way, they might as well all suicide as India has a caste system, the water is dirty, people get beaten up. None of those things is good. But they do not act like these things hold them back. Indians and chinese succeed tremendously in America. Do they face less odds than americans? First, immigration rules eat them up enormously. Amercians are free to live in their own country. Yet, you often find the immigrants to be the most industrious and overcome discrimination and restrictions. Racism against the Indians and chinese are alive and widely spread. But so many of these bright people make it in America and start great businesses, contribute to the sciences, or make delicious food in a windowless kitchen. I have respect for these strivers. They do not ignore racism. Thye do not forgive racism. But they certainly know how to focus on getting better and getting ahead. There is plenty of room even for someone who is fresh off the boat in a foreign land. What connections do they have?
These same people, had they stayed in India and China, would have become valuable contributors and leaders of their prospering economy. Their counterparts are doing that. They are making their countries stronger and richer. Ironically, social justice in China has progressed with a better economy,, better salaries, stable families, and Disposable income. The problem is that americans think it's crazy or abnormal to work hard as Indians and Chinese students. These immigrants are doing things americans don't want to do and complain about jobs "stolen".
It's more like our own simply leave money and opportunities on the table. Others take it since it is available. They didn't steal. They accepted what we offered. Opportunities abound for the prepared mind, the willing heart. The global economy rewards those who respect opportunities, not those who are entitled without a trust fund. I know many foreign students and they are getting good offers. It's been that way all these years. They were nurtured a competitive mindset and make strategic decisions. This is what our american kids should have. I want to see our american kids compete well.
Good news, despite your extreme amazement of foreigners.....turns out I've been there. As a general rule Americans are still working harder then he vast majority. Weird huh?
Quote:
I worry for these people. Thye have missed opportunities. Now they are still missing opportunities. the economy will not change for these people. More people are adapting to the global economy. It will be the democrats who tell these people to work hard. It won't even take the republicans or right wing wagos. Let's see how long people are going to live in denial. The longer they do, the worse it gets. Adapt. If there is one thing about navigating life, it would be adapt. Don't obey. And don't fight battles you can't win. Adapt.
I think you might find out that people can fight battles and win. The problem that I see is that when you fight battles, even winning them comes with a cost. But if enough people have nothing to lose, we see things like the elections in Venezuela. While no one in their right mind wants to see that happen, the inability for many to recognize that large enough inequality will cause things like that is a serious danger. And when you start blaming everyone at the bottom....well...guess what? they might object. And someone can come along, who says what they want to hear, is charismatic, and can destroy everything.
And so what. Does that mean that you should sit here and find someone to inherit wealth from? Does that mean that you stay in a coffee shop doing nothing unless all social injustice is fixed by year 8000AD?
The logic of many people today is this: I won't work hard until you show me a guarantee to a good income I name, likely "uppermost" as some mentioned here. There are rich people who inherited money. See, I should not work hard.
I don't think anyone is saying any of this. Where are you reading this? Most are just reporting on what they see. This thread is about income, so people are reporting on where they see money being made. Where the opportunities are. Who here has even advocated not working because of the reality that some get their income by not working (e.g. inheritance). Of course hardwork is important - especially doing the right work, in the right market. It's also good to have a handle on how things really work if one aspires to climb up the income ladder (and there is nothing wrong with that).
Quote:
Originally Posted by Costaexpress
These same people, had they stayed in India and China, would have become valuable contributors and leaders of their prospering economy. Their counterparts are doing that. They are making their countries stronger and richer. Ironically, social justice in China has progressed with a better economy,, better salaries, stable families, and Disposable income. The problem is that americans think it's crazy or abnormal to work hard as Indians and Chinese students. These immigrants are doing things americans don't want to do and complain about jobs "stolen".
No, these Indians and Chinese students are willing to do the jobs for less money/benefits - and corporations know this.
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