Blacks at Wharton

kafkareborn · 10-25-2009, 09:16 PM

Well, I feel that Blacks in business are too far and few in between. Ever since the days of Douglas and King, the importance of economic progress in conjunction with political progress has been emphasized and yet little progress has been made economically. Politically ? Look at the Attorney General, the Supreme Court, and the Oval Office. But economically ? We lack leaders still.

Raymond McGuire is perhaps one of the few Blacks in high levels of the finance industry. I have nothing against sports stars and rappers, but I find the fact that most of the richest black people in the country fall into one of those two categories. Sure there are outlines like Oprah but still I think we are far underrepresented. We remain the poorest race not only in America but also globally. I think we, as the educated blacks of this nation, should take the lead and give the kids in the ghettos around this nation hope to become something more than the next 50 Cent. Many blacks, I feel, believe that the only path to riches are these two career paths, and who can blame them? After all, the majority of the uber wealthy individuals in our communities become so through these two career paths. Our people deserve better role models, we should be their role models.

I believe it is high time that we as a people start embarrassing business more and looking at schools that can give us the best education in this field - mainly Wharton- more intently. Blacks should start becoming the business leaders of tomorrow. I would encourage all of you to apply. I am doing so this year.

So, my question to all of you is, are you considering Wharton ? Are you considering business in general? Why and why not ?

I think we can get a good discussion going here.

Millancad · 10-25-2009, 11:06 PM

Not applying. I have no interest in business and Penn is not the school for me. But the only person I know who goes to Wharton is black.

iAvocado · 10-25-2009, 11:10 PM

I have a legitimate question about ethnicity
...I am a biracial student (half German and half African)
My top choice school is Duke
and I was wondering what I should select in the race box in order to give me the best chances for admission.
I pretty much look African American, and since duke has the BISA program (I believe that is what it's called and that it is a program meant to attract African American students), I know that race is a big factor for them.
In addition, I know that I am someone who could benefit from affirmative action, however I feel as if by only checking the 'black' box, I am not being true to myself.
I also chose to write my common app. essay on diversity, in which I obviously mention both sides of my heritage. I feel that if the admissions officers detected this incongruence that it would not be good...

I have a 3.7 uw and a 4.6 w. I took 9 AP's throughout high school and all the rest honors classes.
I've got a 30 on my ACT's...which is a bit higher than my SAT, so i figure I wont even sen my SAT scores in, and a 750 on my Bio SATII
My extracurricular activities include a bunch of clubs (with positions), +ENHS
also, I was the first female at my high school to be a 12 season Letterman (xc, indoor and outdoor track)
my times are good enough that I would contribute to the team, but not amazing enough to get me recruited by such a good DI school!
what do you think my chances of admission are and what should I do about the race predicament?

thanks in advance for the help!

iAvocado · 10-25-2009, 11:12 PM

"I have nothing against sports stars and rappers, but I find the fact that most of the richest black people in the country fall into one of those two categories."

too true kaf, anyway, I feel like this generation has the capability to change all that

thefranchize9 · 10-26-2009, 06:59 PM

Avocado, you're definitely on the right track. Keep Working hard in school and on those essays. I think your chances for Duke are quite strong. Good luck! Are you applying early?

thefranchize9 · 10-26-2009, 07:02 PM

And you do ya thing Kafka! I, however, am applying to yale early (i'm in love with the school, what can i say) and want to become a surgeon. I WAS going to apply to wharton before but my careers goals have completely changed after realizing Biology excites me more than business. But i completely agree with you. We young intelligent blacks need to work extremely hard to bring our race to where it needs to be and to show others that we are just as capable as the next guy.

kafkareborn · 10-27-2009, 05:49 PM

Ha, thanks franchize. Good luck with Yale. Someone needs to become the Black Buffet. I suppose I'll put my name forward for the job :P he he.

thefranchize9 · 10-28-2009, 10:53 PM

Lol. I feel extreme pride when I see an African American succeed in anything academic. You just gotta play ya cards right. Kafka, you can do it!

kafkareborn · 10-29-2009, 06:47 AM

Holy crap ! I got a 1480 on my sat today (CR + M) really happy !

BigAppleDaddy · 10-29-2009, 07:32 PM

kafakareborn

i wish you well in a business career and congratulate you on your strong SAT scores.

but (and here i go on my soapbox) we need strong young black people going into every area, not just business. i think oneof the saddest things that happens is that black kids are too often discouraged from excellenece in any area-- and sadly, sometimes this discouragment comes from well-meaning black people. kids are told that in entertainment or sports, the odds are too high and its so stereotypical. they're told dont study linguistics or french or archaeology or some relatively arcane subject in college because there's no way to make a living at it. they're told don't be a lawyer because corporate law is a relentless grind and other types of law don't pay. you want to be an artist, a writer, a novelist? you'll starve. don't go to school for that. want to be a nurse? how come? be a doctor! oh wait. medicine isn't what it was in the good old days before malpractice insurance soared and HMOs came along, and you'll be in debt till you're 50 anyways.

you get the point. sadly i have heard all these things said to black high school and college students too often. too infrequently have i heard people say that whatever the young man or woman wants to do as a career is okay, just work hard at it. i heard such talk when i was in school back in the day -- and was embarking on a nontraditional career -- and i hear this talk from too many parents today in one form or the other.

so i get a little frightened hearing you beat the drum for business. big business is an okay for you, and i encourage you to succeed at it. we do need the next generation of dick parsons and ursula burns and john rogers.

but please don't look down on those who make different career choices--even if they are the stereotypical ones of sports and music. all black kids need the support of all other black kids--ESPECIALLY of all other black kids. if we don't support our own, who will?

wishing you the best, i hope, at wharton

kafkareborn · 10-29-2009, 08:42 PM

Thank you BigAppleDaddy. I agree with you almost entirely. I concur, I think young blacks should pursue esoteric knowledge, whether or not that knowledge leads them to wealth or not. Pursuing knowledge for knowledge's sake is absolutely important. The black community needs more McGuires, sure, but we also need people like Carver, Hughes, and Neil Tyson.

I do not look down on blacks in sports at all. In fact I am friends with and go to school with Jason Morris, one of America's best young basketball players. The principle point I was trying to make is that as members of the black community we should broaden our outlook and attempt to strengthen our presence in traditionally underrepresented fields. Finance comes to my mind which is part of the reason I am devoting myself to that field. To others it may be the study of Aramaic. To others still it may be nursing, as you highlighted.

My purpose here was to bring blacks who are interested in finance together to encourage each other and to apply to schools like Wharton to broaden our scope and presence in this one particular field. Others who are interested in other fields are free to create other threads.

I do not mean to discourage any one profession, just to encourage this one. I notice a glaring problem in economic disparity between the black and the larger community both at the ground and at the upper echelons of society. I intend to do something about that. If like-minded young blacks would like to also do something similar I do not see anything wrong with us discussing that.