February 16, 2019
By now you have probably heard about the Harvard Admissions Lawsuit brought by an Asian-American applicant who did not get admitted. The gist of the case is that while this student (and other Asian-American students) may have perfect academic credentials, their admission rate is lower than less academically qualified students. The Department of Justice has weighed in on the case, and now the courts are rendering their opinions. It is expected that this case will eventually go before the US Supreme Court for a final decision on Affirmative Action.
Although the outcome of the case will be interesting, this whole question is about “fairness”. It’s not fair than one student can go to Harvard and another student can’t. Well, I’m here to tell you, “Life is not fair”. We treat students with kid-gloves so that they don’t learn that anymore. High schools don’t rank students because it might make them feel bad if they aren’t #1 in their class. Sports leagues give “participation” trophies and don’t want to put too much pressure on children who lose. Children need to learn that life isn’t fair, and they need to learn it early in life…except for your kids; they are the most amazing kids ever! I know; mine are too.
Part of Harvard’s Admission guide was entered into evidence at the trial, and there are several interesting factors that go into their admissions decisions. I know that you think that your students should be able to get into their “Dream College” just because they have great grades and test scores, but I’m here to tell you that is not how it works. College is not a meritocracy.
In fact, the Harvard Admission guide suggests that grades and test scores are not nearly as important as most of use think. The manual talks about many social engineering factors that are considered such as great athletes, racial groups, ethnicity, likability, and many other discriminating factors. We at Class 101 have known this for a long time. You can’t go to a highly selective college or any college, for that matter, just because you have great grades and test scores.
Students that want to get admitted to Harvard or any of the other great college need so much more on their resumes: extracurricular activities, community service, leadership, demonstrated interest…and the list goes on.
We at Class 101 take a lot of time investing in students that want to attend these schools. You need to start helping your students earlier, rather than later in their high school years. We start with students early because they need time for us to help them accomplish their goals. If you want your child to go to a great college that they love for four years, then sign-up for a free consultation to have us review your student’s progress and potential.
October 29, 2020
It’s College Planning Crunch Time There’s no denying it: Junior year is the most critical time for college planning. It’s when high schoolers start to focus on their future and make decisions that really count. And with most students just 10 months away from applying to college, it’s clear that the eleventh grade is crunch […]
Read More >July 31, 2020
August 1st is the most important day of the year for rising seniors in high school. As students return to school this year, classes may look a little different. With the shift to socially distant or online learning, students will have to adapt to many new things. However, one thing has not changed: August 1st is the […]
Read More >October 10, 2019
Not All College Admission Advice is Equal Earlier this week, I was discussing horrible, terrifying stories about college things that go bump in the night. Things like BAD information from your high school that is flat out, DEAD wrong. Which year’s tax return do I use for the FAFSA? The first doozy was from a […]
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