<p>What I’ll add to that schools like Amherst, Dartmouth, and a few other northeastern privates recognize that their something lethargic about their traditional campus make-up (Amherst College is aobut as politically-active and community-oriented as Beverly Hills). One thing that will often be an “it” factor will be a true sense of drive, passion, dedication, and determination not only in your academic achievements but in your extracurricular.</p>
<p>We already have a campus filled with student who do a splendid job at what’s prescribed to them (massive papers and chem tests),and little else. If that image is a relfection of you, then I’m sorry but “yawn…” There are enough 1580 SAT, 4.0 graduates from NYC magnets and New England boarding schools at Amherst, Williams, Dartmouth, and the like that do nothing. Admissions know you can do the work, they also know that this kid from an underfunded school in Miami can do the work too. I can’t stress how important the essay is, here the essay often becomes the biggest factor. In that essay the kid from Miami demonstrated a promising, well articulated determination, passion, and appreciation for the instituion that could not be denied while his counterparts at Milton and Berkshire showed that they could write weel, that’s about it.</p>
<p>If schools are really serious about ensuring economic diversity, then they should perform an international search to find students that are “poor” by global, not American, standards. And I’m not saying that there aren’t people in the US who are in tough, tough situations.</p>
<p>Regarding standardized test preparation, anyone with access to a public-use library or ~$30 to purchase used texts - and self-discipline - can achieve the same level of preparedness that a graduate of a pricey test prep program possesses. That’s a beautiful thing…</p>
<p>LAGator,
U.S. educational institutions are set up to serve mostly U.S. students, on the undergrad level. And with the internat’l tuition higher, & the spaces for those students few, your suggestion is not realistic, nor does it accord with the mission of the colleges & the target domestic populations sought.</p>
<p>There are particular programs at some U’s set up to attract students from the Third World to becoming educated & skilled on a professional level, with the goal of their native country’s development. However, some of these are graduate programs and/or assume a basic level of literacy, competency. I believe there should be HUGE scholarships & incentives for such programs here in the U.S. (Global Studies with a practical emphasis; Public Health programs, etc.) The better way to raise the standard of living in underdeveloped countries is to bring K-12 & Universities <em>to</em> those countries. Naturally, however, that’s why some foundations focus on hunger first, because a hungry stomach equals an underfunctioning brain & a distracted student.</p>
<p>I proposed earlier, on a different thread, a National University in the U.S. – in other words a publicly accessible university not tied to state residency, with a numerical qualification standard. Additionally, I have no problem with an International University here in the U.S., aimed at attracting overseas students motivated to return to their native countries & raise those standards of living. It would be an expensive operation, but creative minds & big pocketbooks can do it. People like Bill Gates & Warren Buffet & others are always looking for ways to make a difference, & some of these deep pockets have been justly criticized for their unfocused & unresearched efforts – money “thrown” at limited-use programs, not well engineered, not well defined. People accustomed to independent success do not always consult well & listen well with experts in fields not their own.</p>
<p>“The logical continuation of such an argument would be for the US to pour massive funds into fixing social ills from poverty to broken families, but I wonder how many would want to go there?”</p>
<p>“Me,” he said, waving his arms back and forth wildly and cheering.</p>
<p>(I mean why should I really care who gets into Amherst, when they have a charter from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts that states their purpose is “to educate indigent youth of good character”? If they occasionally happen upon a few indigents, so much the better.)</p>
<p>I would, too, but I know there are lots of people who supported Prop 13 in CA and Prop 2/12 in MA, who don’t want to pay income or sales tax in NH…</p>
<p>I’m not sure where my child fits into this category, but is a “poor” student with a 1350/2050 first try, with no “used prep books.” I am disgusted that somebody would assume that a poor student could have the same prepration with a ($30) used prep book for the SAT as a wealthy child with SAT prep classes! Obviously, one who is not poor has no idea what $30 can do for a household budget. There is only so much time you can sit in Borders or Barnes and Noble studying prep books before the employees get agitated.</p>
<p>college board has online study program- that supposedly targets the areas you most need to work on
I think it is free, we ahven’t used it yet as we have dial up and only one computer- but after d gets her scores back I am going to suggest it.</p>
<p>( you also might try a Barnes and noble by a university, there are so many college students at our local bookstore that employees don’t even notice if you stay all day)</p>