Comparing US and BA schools

[sergio]

So?

So most people get stuck going to poor schools.

 

[on the brink]

So most people get stuck going to poor schools.

Perhaps, if they lack good grades and determination. Not everyone qualifies to attend MIT or Harvard, either.

Think Darwin.

 

[lunar]

Perhaps, if they lack good grades and determination. Not everyone qualifies to attend MIT or Harvard, either.

Think Darwin.

I believe Darwin talked about the survival of the fittest animals, not those with wealthy parents.

 

[sergio]

I believe Darwin talked about the survival of the fittest animals, not those with wealthy parents.

Even if one accepts the idea of social darwinism, there are not nearly enough spaces for all the qualified students to enter the Colegio Nacional. And it is not true that all who do manage to get in come from needy families. As with everything in life, having connections helps to get a child admitted. Many parents could easily afford private schools if they wanted. I know several graduates who attended the school and all have come from upper middle class families. One is a surgeon's son. Incidentally, the wealthy or it might be more accurate to say "wealthier" also produce some intelligent kids.

 

[sergio]

Perhaps, if they lack good grades and determination. Not everyone qualifies to attend MIT or Harvard, either.

Think Darwin.

And more than a few who get admitted to Harvard get there due to connections or for reasons other than academic qualifications.

 

[on the brink]

And more than a few who get admitted to Harvard get there due to connections or for reasons other than academic qualifications.

That's common knowledge.

But perhaps not well-known is that so called "legacy students" are welcome because their families donate huge sums to the college, and thus finance the education of those who are admitted but cannot pay full tuition.

Harvard extends need-based scholarships to 55% of all undergraduate students, while at MIT the number is 58%.

I have first-hand knowledge of this, having received financial aid at MIT. After a first semester with top grades, tuition was waived, and there were free books, and a teaching assistant job until graduation. Our class included a few legacy kids, along some wealthy students from all over the world, and some others from poor US families. Like the daughter of a Lutheran pastor working in a Pawnee reservation, or the third son of an Irish postman's ten-kid family. Going to school with such diverse people was an education in itself.

 

[sergio]

That's common knowledge.

But perhaps not well-known is that so called "legacy students" are welcome because their families donate huge sums to the college, and thus finance the education of those who are admitted but cannot pay full tuition.

Harvard extends need-based scholarships to 55% of all undergraduate students, while at MIT the number is 58%.

I have first-hand knowledge of this, having received financial aid at MIT. After a first semester with top grades, tuition was waived, and there were free books, and a teaching assistant job until graduation. Our class included a few legacy kids, along some wealthy students from all over the world, and some others from poor US families. Like the daughter of a Lutheran pastor working in a Pawnee reservation, or the third son of an Irish postman's ten-kid family. Going to school with such diverse people was an education in itself.

I am aware of these scholarships. But admitting students who are not qulified just because the schools expect to get large contributions from their parents is not justifiable. It's also a fact that tutition wasn't beyond the reach of many people in past decades. Students used to work their way through college, something impossible to do today.

 

[on the brink]

I am aware of these scholarships. But admitting students who are not qulified just because the schools expect to get large contributions from their parents is not justifiable. It's also a fact that tutition wasn't beyond the reach of many people in past decades. Students used to work their way through college, something impossible to do today.

I seriously doubt "unqualified students" get accepted either at Harvard or MIT. Or would last long if they managed to slip under the wire, as academic requirements are incredibly tough.

By the way, neither of these schools offer athletic scholarships. Only brains and dedication count. In fact, academic pressure and competition for grades are so strong that while we were there, a full 40% of undergraduate students required psychological assistance at one time or another. Married students fared a little better, but not much.

 

[sergio]

I seriously doubt "unqualified students" get accepted either at Harvard or MIT. Or would last long if they managed to slip under the wire, as academic requirements are incredibly tough.

By the way, neither of these schools offer athletic scholarships. Only brains and dedication count. In fact, academic pressure and competition for grades are so strong that while we were there, a full 40% of undergraduate students required psychological assistance at one time or another. Married students fared a little better, but not much.

I disagree. SATs are not even required by Harvard. Academic performance is not the only determiner for admission. Leadership skills are taken into consideration along with race; the latter has led to lawsuits by Asians who claim they are discriminated against.

 

[on the brink]

I disagree. SATs are not even required by Harvard. Academic performance is not the only determiner for admission. Leadership skills are taken into consideration along with race; the latter has led to lawsuits by Asians who claim they are discriminated against

Color me perplexed: SATs were never mentioned in my post but then, you seem to disagree with everything.
Just out of curiosity, did you attend an Ivy League school?