Comparing your kid to Appalachia is key
by dulac89 (2024-01-07 11:13:51)
Edited on 2024-01-07 14:07:31

In reply to: A Few thoughts. Apologies for it being long  posted by wpkirish

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The idea of a meritocracy only works when you have two candidates that are otherwise equal in their baseline. If two people are in a race, but one has a weight shackled to one leg is the person that wins the race really the fastest person?

Is the kid who got straight A’s and a 1500 SAT but had tutors and multiple SAT prep classes really smarter than the kid who got a 1350 on the SAT and got A’s and B’s on the hardest classes that their school offered, without a tutor or prep class, and while working every day at an after school job?

That is the challenge that I think everyone is struggling with. I would argue that kid may be a stronger candidate than the rich white kid

My kids are certainly very smart, but I don’t know if they would’ve accomplish what they accomplished without the resources we gave them.

I suspect a lot of people would be ok with
by Tex Francisco  (2024-01-08 13:47:40)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Cannot reply

affirmative action if it really were just a gentle thumb on the scale for the the deserving second kid in your example, but I don't at all think that is how it is implemented. The reality is colleges would rather have a wealthy, highly resourced black kid with a 1250 SAT than a poor Asian kid with a 1500.

Also, I've been involved with some minority-focused recruitment programs at law schools, and on more than a few occasions I've been shocked at how poor the undergrad transcripts are for some kids at top 30 law schools.
I would much rather hire the second kid
by czeche  (2024-01-07 17:32:22)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Cannot reply

I anticipate the second student would be much more resilient.

On a related note does anyone have info on the rate of use of psychoactive medications on campuses such as notre dame? I include such meds as SSRIs and their like, stimulants, anti psychotics, etc. I've heard it's way up, I'm just curious how high. I tried to find info on that but did not find it.

Personally, I think this insistence on nearing perfection and "failure is not an option" is creating a neurotic bunch. Upper middle class seems generally consumed with worry their children will end up in a lower strata, thus creating an arms race. Of course, employers find the neuroticism useful.
Agree. So when I should think of DEI that’s what I think of
by dulac89  (2024-01-07 18:04:51)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Cannot reply

It’s not making decisions based solely on pure merit and resume
Ergo looking for socioeconomic diversity
by czeche  (2024-01-07 19:50:28)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Cannot reply

I think evaluating for true socioeconomic diversity is a much better way, not least because it's a way to really tap into unrealized talent.

However, it would really cut into tuition reimbursement, so that too is a nonstandard
Besides, I could see some parents finding a way to game that as well.