tetrishead

This will be happening, eventually. I'd imagine within the next 10 years. While most candidates seem to agree with changing AA to be based on socioeconomic status I doubt any of them will have the cojones to deal with it this go round.

CollegeBoundSoon

Kids (students) tend to overestimate the value of a college degree from an "elite" school. As an employer, I'd almost always rather hire a solid A/B student from a State school than an A student from an Ivy League school. They work harder, are more balanced socially, and they don't act as if they deserve something. Anybody, and I mean ANYBODY, can afford a college education at a State school. If you are poor, you qualify for student loans and you'll probably get grant money also. Then you work hard, get good grades, pay off your loans, and live the American dream. Go to Wikipedia and look up several State Colleges, click on "notable Alumni" and you'll see tons of State school grads who went on to become very successful.

lizdarocker

I agree. I have no money n it's hard for me to get thru college.

Particle_Man

I only read the first post, so I apologize if this has already been brought up.

The SAT is an APTITUDE TEST. You can study for months and it won't help you gain more than 50 or so points. Stop whining.

Particle_Man

"I'd almost always rather hire a solid A/B student from a State school than an A student from an Ivy League school. They work harder"

I must be missing something here.

Taggart

Yeah ^ that was my reaction too. A solid case of "whaaa?"

Particle_Man

Ah, I just glimpsed at his post history, and in the past he's been claiming to be a student rather than an employer. He's schizo.

tetrishead

If you study the subjects the SAT tests, yes, 50 or so points is about right. If you study the SAT itself for "months," it's pretty much impossible not to bang out a score in the 95th+ percentile.

tlesc01

To the OP:
I used to think this too, and it was discouraging. I am not impoverished, but I go to a rural school with little funding and did not have the resources to take prep classes and pay to go to those awesome-looking things you get in the mail.

Colleges know what you paid for and what you earned. I was selected for 2 national programs during my high school career: one was an all-expenses paid study trip to Germany based on language skills, and the other was a Japanese studies program from Stanford for which I received credits upon completion...again, free. Those were the two most impressive elements of my resume, and I earned them. I did not buy them.

People are right: colleges want to see that you did the most with what you had. If your high school is super competitive, obviously you will have to make the most of it and do a ton of stuff to stand out to colleges. If you go to a smaller, less wealthy school, you can still go to an awesome college if you go the extra mile to find opportunities you can afford (read: that are free). There is a lot out there, you just have to look for it.

srunni

I got a decent score on the SAT (2210) without studying for it...it's really not that hard if you work on your math/English skills over the years in school, rather than trying to cram those abilities into yourself in a few months before the test.

kingjoker54

I understand where the poster is coming from because my family is well below 10,000. But I know I can get into college because I'm trying everything possible. So if I work hard, and my classmates are out there getting high and not caring about if they graduate then why should there kids be rewarded.

Again this is coming from a person who's family came from a third world country so what do I know.

Peeople89

I think colleges take into account that not everyone can afford those things. I'm from a strait up middle class family (was lower-middle-class most of my childhood) I'm going to an Ivy League school next year, and I never took one SAT prep course (I bought a book but never used it), never joined any honor society, etc. Really, I never spent any money on much of anything that was put on my application. My parents paid for violin lessons, but I didn't put that on my application, and I think my playing violin in my high school orchestra played little part in my acceptances. I can't think of anything I did that costed more than $100 that was used to add credentials (they paid for school trips that I guess 'enriched' me, and may have enhanced my ability to write insightful essays, but the trips themselves were not explicitly put on my applications). Also, instead of taking college courses at community college, just take AP classes, why waste your time getting credits that may or may not transfer?

mechales

AP tests can be expensive. At my school, it costs $84 per AP test. If you take 5-6 APs a year, as many people seem to do on CC, that's several hundred dollars that some families can't afford.

Narcissa

1. SAT classes are BS. they dont work. period. I've seen my friends poor thousands of dollars into these. I've never taken tbem in my life. And i had a really high psat score and hopefully a really high sat score?
2. National leadership stuff dont matter much. they will not get you in to college. Actually, there is little consideration for them. Most good programs are free or give VERY generous fin aid.

I go to a public school and have never had a tutor in my life for anything. Honestly i could probably afford it but why would i want to waste my money..

The richest people i know (and trust me i know a lot of them...that are like RICH rich...not like the 200k/year people seem to catergorize as "rich" ) did not even come from top 20 schools. So no, a non-harvard education doesn't mean u won't get a good job.

Have fun!

Liist

AP tests should be administered for free if you take the course in a public school.

The people that I know are rich all started their own businesses. I know a guy who grew up in a poor village in China, managed to be at THE top of the class (back then, only the top 1% even had a chance to go to college), got a college education, and started an import export business here in America.

In my city, there is a man that owns and manages several McDonalds. He started off as a high school graduate flipping burgers.