Two Topics in One (Pretending to be African-American; leadership skills) - Page 3

BeautifulNerd219 · 09-08-2009, 05:14 AM

@sorghum- I never said I wanted/needed the race card to favor me, and one of the African guys IS using his race for favor. Hence, joining BSU and wanting presidency. Point blank, why would I check other knowing that I'm African-American...I'm not ashamed of who I am or where I come from, but I don't think I should be attacked for getting into a college based off of race when it's a HOLISTIC approach. All I'm saying is, I know that no matter what is done, race is always on the back of everyone, at least in my surroundings, minds. I don't care, I'm just acknowledging how it is. So your argument to "tick" someone off by NOT including my race would prove invalid regardless b/c 1. I don't need to prove anything to anyone 2. I AM african-american, and I feel like the other box is there for people who genuinely can't find a box that encompasses everything they want to put or for people like you who want to tick someone off....BeautifulNerd219 has not the time or care to try to tick people off. I'll tick them off when I graduate (lol; it's a joke fyi). End of story.

Obstinate · 09-08-2009, 10:41 AM

Agreed. Check that "race card" with pride, because it's who you are. And don't let any jealous CCers tell you otherwise.

BeautifulNerd219 · 09-08-2009, 08:52 PM

^ See, you get my point. Lol I just had the urge to type "All my life I had to fight." I'm sorry you guys, humor keeps me going. I can't be all stressed out from school, so I like to laugh and keep my spirits up.

crimsonchin68 · 09-18-2009, 06:30 PM

agreed, i think when it asks where you're from or what ethnicity you are you should just check what it is. no bs'ing around, just truth.

crimsonchin68 · 09-18-2009, 06:33 PM

btw about your other post, college is not so hollistic. it's heavily based on numbers like gpa and sat. that's what they really want. unless you have something else really special like a great mile time, you need the numerical stats. the other stuff is just filler to know more about you after they've established you can do the work. the stats are important which lead to more stats like graduation rate, yield, and college standardized test scores. they want the numbers more than anything else.

BeautifulNerd219 · 09-18-2009, 07:48 PM

Yeah, numbers are important. But if you think about it, if someone doesn't have the numbers, odds are they're not going to apply to top schools, so what's next under that: the ACTUAL person. It's a given that most students who apply to top schools are of course at top status, so I think it is much more holistic in order to find well-rounded kids and not kids who are so focused on school, they have no social skills.

crimsonchin68 · 09-19-2009, 06:50 PM

i agree that the person does matter, a lot. but i mean don't most kids apply early decision to a reach school? and by the definition of reach school, you may be slightly or highly underqualified. personally, i think that the numbers are a good place to start so that an admissions officer can determine if the kid can handle the school. obviously a 2.0 student wouldn't be able to hack it at harvard princeton or yale. after it's been determined from gpa sat sat 2's etc..... that a student can handle the work, then i think the importance of what ec's you've done, what you're essay is like, and what they gathered from your interview. a variety of different people with different skills is important, but the ability to do the work at that school trumps all. after all we are still going to college to learn despite all of the other activities we can do there.

Ohboi · 09-19-2009, 09:53 PM

Ugh. I overheard two kids in my class talking about that a couples days ago. The guys was like, "He's half black I think (not talking about me). He'll probably get into college because of that." Then was girl said, "Yeah, that's what I hate. All these people who've been through like tragic ****..." She was interupted then and subject was changed, but I know she was going to say we get things so much more easily. If she actually had gotten the phrase out I probably would've told her off. I hate the ignorance.

crimsonchin68 · 09-20-2009, 10:31 AM

i woulda just told her half counts imo, and there's nothing she can do about it

monstor344 · 09-22-2009, 10:55 PM

True story: kid from my HS was a dark Indian; wrote on app that he was Ghanan, and he was accepted by Stanford. He then blabbed to a jealous classmate who spilled the beans to his high school counselor. I think his acceptance was rescinded.

monstor344 · 09-22-2009, 11:02 PM

Oh, and my stance on reporting your ethnicity: just because you hate the system and the attitudes that it has spawned doesn't mean that you shouldn't use it to your advantage. Whether you check African-American or leave it blank, other people will judge you anyways; they will probably assume you "gamed" the system. It really comes down to a question of your personal ethics: are you trying to prove your own capabilities by not using the substantial affirmative action boost? The fact is, even though I am not black myself, if I had the opportunity to use affirmative action as a great advantage, I would use it, despite my disagreements with affirmative action.

If you select "African-American," are you getting perhaps an undeserved advantage? Yes, but don't let that deter you. If you hesitate, someone else will gladly take your spot. And there are few things more valuable than your college education.

BeautifulNerd219 · 09-23-2009, 10:12 PM

^^ I agree. I figure, either way you're screwed. And to be honest, I don't care why people think I got into a school b/c 9 times out of 10, I won't see them at the school anyway or be talking to them much.

And @crimson...lol that's what I was saying. Just in my own special way. I'm just saying colleges don't SOLELY look at grades, and the kids at my school think that it's all about grades and NOTHING else (oh and except some random leadership positions they conjure up...they're all running for prez of random clubs).

crimsonchin68 · 09-24-2009, 12:48 AM

LOL, great post monstor, it's true. everyone should use everything at their disposal. it's very competitive at most of the schools i want to go to so why not? grades are important no doubt, but anyone who's ever looked at admissions criteria knows that there are about 20 factors whether they are VERY IMPORTANT or CONSIDERED.

i think leadership positions are hilarious. now i may be a hypocrit because i have several of them, but the kids who run for everything are usually tools. president of StuCo, president of NHS, etc..... i also find some of the "ec's" that you just get picked for are bs like peer leader, NHS, boys state. it's all bs imo. the kids who got chosen for that stuff usually just kiss teacher behind and get chosen. it's funny how we've been taught team work is important for so many years, and now they wanna see "leaders" what they seem to forget is that only so many can "lead" because if everyone's a leader they will be in charge of nothing. for more on the race topic please comment on my thread "questions about race" i hate when i see like 30 views but no posts.

Ohboi · 09-24-2009, 09:30 PM

@crimsonchin68
I agree with you about the EC's thing. I have quite a few myself, but I don't kiss teacher's behinds for them. I know a few kids that do. One in particular is starting to get a little arrogant about his positions, which is really annoying. There is one leadership position (an apprenticeship) I want in one of my EC's that I've been trying to get for like 3 years, and for some reason the director won't give it to me. She says she wants to see leadership and everything, and I show leadership all the time, yet a bunch of my friend who haven't tried nearly as hard as I have get the positions because they are one of her favorites. It's so annoying. I tell myself I don't care anymore, but then I keep trying because deep down it bothers me because I want it really badly. It's really great opportunity and I just don't understand how I'm not qualified for it. And there's no limit to the number of apprentices they can have anyway. ugh.

Yes, I realize this is completely off topic from the thread.

bellanaija · 09-25-2009, 10:28 PM

one thing that upsets me the most about this whole argument is that when people think of affirmative action and things like that, the vision that immediately comes to mind is of a non-hardworking black person "taking" their spot. however, many studies have shown that the biggest beneficiaries of AA, are NOT black people, but are actually white women (thats why when i see white women on a rampage against AA i get so upset, they're fighting against something that they benefit from so much and dont even know it!)