<p>“They had the luxury of not having to work at minimum wage jobs during the school year. Their “work” was doing the very best they could in their classes. They had time to do the ECs and volunteer work that they enjoyed and that look good to admission and scholarship committees.” </p>
<p>Interesting how some middle income people’s kids have these “luxuries”. I guess we’re upper middle class - full pay at school. My kids had time to do ECs and volunteer work that they enjoyed and looked good also. However, they worked from the time they were 16 during the school year, summers and in college.</p>
<p>LIMOMOF2, would love to include you in any get-together! My guess is that I won’t be there again (with enough free time for a gathering!) until fall sometime. One of my Ds is getting married this summer so wedding planning and events will be consuming much of my time til then. I seriously would love to have a get-together with some CCers, maybe lunch or dinner or even just a coffee and dessert meeting or a glass of wine, whatever works best. My trips to the city usually consist of a mix of business and pleasure and my time is fairly flexible so I’m sure we can come up with something that will work for everyone.</p>
<p>alwaysamom: Best wishes! I think that’s what you say to the bride and her family. That is such wonderful news! I am thrilled for you all. And that’s fun things to take up your time. Yea!</p>
<p>DocT, just because you’re children chose to work (or you forced them) doesn’t mean that you didn’t have the luxury of eliminating the option. You simply chose not to. It was a choice, and that in itself is the luxury.</p>
<p>And I believe the same. Yet some families don’t have the luxury to make that decision. For better or worse, their children MUST work and often times must work more than what is considered optimal.</p>
<p>You’re missing the point - they should be working whether they have to or not. I don’t accept the idea that children who are fortunate enough to not have to work should have the luxury of taking summers off etc. I disagree with the statements earlier that it allows them to develop ec’s and volunteering that competitive schools are looking for. Competitive schools are also looking for students who don’t get every handed to them - work is highly valued for admissions to the elite schools.</p>
<p>No, I believe you’re missing the point. I’m not writing about a student working within the context of college admissions. Rather, I’m writing about students that must work for a reason altogether more important the college admissions: sustenance. There’s a difference in urgency and pressure between the two. Whether ones parents thinks their kid should work, or if its a good resume builder, or even a good character builder is irrelevant. Not having to worry about feeding yourself is, in my opinion, a luxury that all students aren’t afforded. And given that fact, not having to work but choosing to (because it’s a choice so long as you don’t suffer by not doing it) is a luxury. Do you disagree?</p>
<p>I don’t believe in large, sweeping, normative statements. There are often many solutions to the same set of variables.</p>
<p>My daughter worked, always. She loved babysitting; she was the assistant teacher for dance classes and she worked as a camp counselor.</p>
<p>My son hasn’t worked because he spent hours and hours and hours practicing his instrument. Then he organize a group to perform for nursing homes, hospitals, etc. and did quite a few performances. Working would have interfered with mastery of his instrument.</p>
<p>Two very different children. Different sets of circumstances.</p>
<p>S worked a very little bit giving lessons on his instrument.</p>
<p>D did work study and spends a lot of money in NYC.</p>
<p>S did not do work study and spends no money.</p>
<p>Again, two very different children; two different solutions. Why do we need rules?</p>
<p>“zoosermom and mythmom, thank you for your kind words. I wasn’t trying to fish for compliments, just trying to put forward another perspective in the discussion. Your kind words are appreciated, nonetheless. (The next time I’m in NYC, it would be fun for the three of us to get together. I bet we could have an interesting conversation!)”</p>
<p>alwaysamom - Congratulations on your D’s upcoming wedding! What exciting news. I’m sure you will have a hectic, but very enjoyable summer.</p>
<p>Thank you for including me in your NY get-together - you seem like a lovely person and someone it would be my pleasure to get to know. It would also be fun to see mythmom again, and I would love to meet zoosermom as we have Ds the same age.</p>
<p>I hate how some people expect low-income students to just buckle down and settle for the CC, even though they may be incredibly gifted. Those advocating strictly for loans really need to learn to see things in perspective, and how intimidating loans can be can be to low-income students, no matter how brilliant. I’m “poor” and I live in NYC, but thanks to funded grants I have been able to take a few community college courses, and the general feel is almost identical to my high school—academically confining.</p>
<p>Need-based aid is, by far, one of the best ways to bridge the gaps between low-income students and upper class students. It really is counter-productive to just lump loans on the poor, don’t you think? I’m grateful to have received a grant to attend college, otherwise, I would’ve seriously doubted going. And even then, I have to work (two jobs since january) to try to fill in the remainder of the tuition. I don’t think it’s “entitlement”, as some would obnoxiously put it, but it’s a way to try to make the playing field as leveled as possible. It’s also a <em>very</em> enticing way to garner students who, otherwise, might reevaluate a college education, from a CC or a university.</p>
<p>Found this old thread two years ago in another CC forum, where a poster (webhappy #6 post), who was a full pay student, talked about the ‘need-based’ from his perspective. Not long ago, I read the similar coomments from current MIT full pay student in MIT bologs. </p>
<p>Since ‘full pay’ students and ‘need-based’ students live in same college campus, see each other every day. May be their perspective may say something.</p>
My guess is that I won’t be there again (with enough free time for a gathering!) until fall sometime. One of my Ds is getting married this summer so wedding planning and events will be consuming much of my time til then. I seriously would love to have a get-together with some CCers, maybe lunch or dinner or even just a coffee and dessert meeting or a glass of wine, whatever works best. My trips to the city usually consist of a mix of business and pleasure and my time is fairly flexible so I’m sure we can come up with something that will work for everyone.</p>