<p>You read this phrase a lot on admissions blogs. I was wondering does this mean considering the student’s economic status? </p>
<p>Say for example other than economic status, two students were EXACTLY the same and MIT had to pick one. </p>
<p>Joe: Single dad that makes 50k a year</p>
<p>3.9+ GPA 2250+ SAT 750+ SAT 2s</p>
<p>Bob: Parents making 250k a year. </p>
<p>3.9+ GPA 2250+ SAT 750+ SAT 2s</p>
<p>Now obviously Joe is more “impressive”, however does MIT even consider this?</p>
<p>I believe the need blind policy means they do not know how much your parents make. I guess applicants could write about economic hardship in their essays. I am pretty sure they do try to understand your area and school though.</p>
<p>Patrick is correct. You can write about hardship in one of your optional essays.</p>
<p>Also, if you have worked as a high school student, then that counts as an EC and is an indication of economic hardship. However, being middle class is not really an advantage versus upper middle class. I mean, if you had to spend time helping to raise other siblings because you live in a single-parent household, then by all means mention that. But it’s not like your performance is normalized to your income.</p>
<p>If both candidates participated in the same set of ECs, I don’t see how Joe is more impressive than Bob’s. Sometimes in households with economic hardship, the parents make a lot of sacrifices for their children’s education. In that case, it’s the parents that are impressive and not the students themselves. I mean, if they are from the same school and took the same AP classes, why is one more impressive than the other?</p>
<p>Well, I think we can’t really know if Joe is more impressive unless we grew up in both households.
I’m an international, so it’s hard for me to estimate what it means “makes 50k a year” versus “making 250k a year”, but, to me, the things that spring to mind in favour of Joe, are:
a) likely different level of parental education
b) (lack of/“less”) financial security
c) (worse) home/family situation
d) (no/less) family support
But then, I see just one side of the coin.
On one hand, it doesn’t feel right to me to say that attending the same school makes everyone have equal opportunities, because it seems like there is a whole world beyond it (that you often really can’t write about in an essay…). But then, it wouldn’t be fair to pretend “normal” families are all the same and all great… <em>shrugs</em>
Selfishly, I would be inclined to say that Joe is more impressive, because I tend to symphatize with kids from single-parent homes. But I guess there are things that aren’t really tangible or “judgable”. (Assessable?)</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Right, exactly.</p>
<p>I see what you guys are saying.</p>
<p>OP, you may find these helpful: </p>
<p>[No</a> Chance | MIT Admissions](<a href=“http://mitadmissions.org/blogs/entry/no_chance]No”>No Chance | MIT Admissions)
[In</a> Praise Of Holistic Admissions | MIT Admissions](<a href=“http://mitadmissions.org/blogs/entry/in-praise-of-holistic-admissions]In”>In Praise Of Holistic Admissions | MIT Admissions)
[Diversity</a> or Merit? | MIT Admissions](<a href=“http://mitadmissions.org/blogs/entry/diversity-or-merit]Diversity”>Diversity or Merit? | MIT Admissions)
[Applying</a> Sideways | MIT Admissions](<a href=“http://mitadmissions.org/blogs/entry/applying_sideways]Applying”>Applying Sideways | MIT Admissions)
[There</a> Is No Formula | MIT Admissions](<a href=“http://mitadmissions.org/blogs/entry/there_is_no_formula]There”>There Is No Formula | MIT Admissions)</p>
<p>My background is more similar to Joe’s, but I chose not to mention any of that in my essays. I don’t want to give excuses - I want to get in because I am simply better than all the applicants whose parents make 250k+ a year. For me, I didn’t like the idea that admissions would choose me because of my family circumstances. So I made sure that I simply had a higher GPA, higher test scores and more awards than people whose family makes 10 times more than me. It doesn’t take a Macbook Pro, dozens of SAT classes, and private tutoring… just a desk, some books, and a commitment.</p>
<p>Of course, this doesn’t fit everyone. But that’s how I viewed myself when I applied to college.</p>
<p>Yep. Exactly my state of mind as well^</p>
<p>Just wanted to comment that the estimated median household income for 2010 was $49,445 overall, and $54,620 for non-Hispanic whites. The estimated median income for 2011 bumped up to just over $51,000, due to a 4% increase in the second half of the year. A single earner making $50,000 probably has above-average compensation, since many of the households have two wage earners. The medians do vary quite a bit by state and locality.</p>
<p>Joe looks to me to be pretty much right in the middle of the middle class.</p>
<p>In terms of a future scientific career, I think that the greatest advantage that parents can give their children is to encourage a curious and observant outlook, much as Richard Feynman’s father did. There are no income limitations on this, as long as the family income is sufficient to permit a parent to spend time with the child.</p>
<p>Wealthier parents can give their children many advantages, to be sure, but many of the advantages don’t translate into stronger scientific capability. And I can say from experience that knowledge of quantum mechanics cannot be inherited. While a parent can help in certain ways, the understanding has to be acquired anew by each generation.</p>