defend the indefensible: THE IVY LEAGUE

http://www.marxists.org/glossary/people/r/pics/robeson-paul.jpg

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http://www2.physics.umd.edu/~yskim/prince/brooke11.jpg

Correct me if I am wrong, though, but don't most of these schools--like, um, most schools in general--base most of their financial awards system off of the FAFSA? This is not including purely merit-based scholarships, obviously. It seems to me, as it always seems, that unless that system gets substantially reformed, people who are not relatively upper-middle/upper class are not going to be able to afford to go to any "quality" university. I mean, Columbia is trying to help me petition my FAFSA results so that I do meet more qualifications, but at current my "expected family contribution" equals half of my earnings for last year. This wouldn't be different if I went to CUNY instead, and I wouldn't be able to get any financial assistance there, either (actually, by logic of the government "awarding" you the difference between your EFC and the tuition cost, I actually get more aid, ie some, at Columbia than I would get, ie none, at a CUNY school). Since I can't actually afford either tuition, I decided to just take out the higher loan and get my degree from a school that is going to have more immediate "results", fair or not as that distinction might be.

I mean, what percentage of low-income people are in any university, period, Ivy League or not Ivy League? How many people apply to an Ivy League from that economic bracket? It's kind of unfair to pin numbers like that on any of these schools when from the get go people just assume they aren't going to make it in or they cannot afford it and just don't bother (as mentioned in teeny's article).

Nellie McKay is written off - http://nymag.com/daily/entertainment/2007/08/nellie_mckay_calls_columbias_p.html

She should go back to being a redhead.

I presume it is possible to learn something at an ivy league school such as might, in part, justify the huge expense in time, money and effort. Learning is good. Therefore the ivy league is defensible on the grounds that they are capable of facilitating something good.

which is completely outweighed by rich white kids learning nothing and assuming shell positions that drain our nation of its competitiveness in a global marketplace. and the fact that the rest just get burdened with debt and/or wind up working for some ridiculous freegan hippie junk parade like the media or congress.

(splutters) But...but...hey! That's not a very good defense at all!

Man, I love that Nellie McKay. More people need to use insults like "goofus" or (as I say) "jerkface" or "hilarious-head."

My single-mom family was in the lower economic bracket (qualified for large blocks of free cheese in the early eighties and got free school lunch, etc.) but my brother went to Harvard and my sister went to Yale. My mom always impressed on us that we had to get good grades to get scholarships to good schools. She moved us from DC to Montana when my older siblings were starting junior high specifically because the chances of getting into good Northeastern schools improved coming from bumfuck (and also cuz she was a hippie who wanted to garden topless in the mountains amongst the bears and rednecks). I'm sure being from Montana helped me get into Wesleyan. We all got full rides (but lots of debt upon graduation). Thank god for need-blind admissions! Got me the hell out of Montana!

Now they're both raking it in, buy the whey.

maria you consistently amaze me with your posts. you are awesome.

i got into wesleyan, too -- but i was too stupid to get a scholarship sufficient to pay the lion's share of expenses there & my parents refused to make up the difference ;__;

actually, i only ;__;'d way back then -- now, i know that my parents were right to hold the line.

he moved us from DC to Montana when my older siblings were starting junior high specifically because the chances of getting into good Northeastern schools improved coming from bumfuck (and also cuz she was a hippie who wanted to garden topless in the mountains amongst the bears and rednecks). I'm sure being from Montana helped me get into Wesleyan. We all got full rides (but lots of debt upon graduation).

My friend's Dad did the exact same thing, except from Jersey to Wyoming. Also, he made sure that they had no net income (they ran a B&B). I went to school with one of 'em (smallest Ivy), and the other one went to Princeton. Princeton, fwiw, forgives ALL LOANS, and she basically graduated paying about $10k total for her education.

not entirely sure why I capitalized "dad" there.

My friend's Dad did the exact same thing, except from Jersey to Wyoming. Also, he made sure that they had no net income (they ran a B&B)

this is totally what i am doing. oh wait, i'm not having any kids. well, i'll do it anyway.

thanks, stence! i'm blushing.

My friend's Dad did the exact same thing, except from Jersey to Wyoming. Also, he made sure that they had no net income (they ran a B&B). I went to school with one of 'em (smallest Ivy), and the other one went to Princeton.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Hogue

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oops, that was from the nellie mckay article
also "kookily eclectic"

it's true that Jersey=D.C. and Wyoming=Montana, although I think I got the better deal.

no need to blush just keep on' postin'!

it's like... reverse economic racism!

j/k

But there's another side to that: I was told to my face in an admissions interview that if I didn't get into that school it would be because I did not have an alumni relation. On the one hand, this might not have happened if my grades/math SAT/I dunno something had been a little better. On the other hand, it still kinda sucks to be told that.

BUT I am still one of those lucky people who is going to school for about a tenth of what the actual cost is. Being poor is awesome sometimes!

omg hilarious-head xp so good

I was told to my face in an admissions interview that if I didn't get into that school it would be because I did not have an alumni relation.

i have a legacy at princeton going back 3+ generations on both sides of my family (if youve ever met anyone who went to princeton youll know that this is not bragging) and they rejected the shit out of me. the sense i got was mostly just that they didnt care about pleasing my parents or grandparents because none of them ever donated any $$.

so, the legacy thing only works if your relatives are pledging ca$h

it's amazing the lengths that parents go to to get their kids into fancy schools! moving across the country, etc. my boss has kids going into 6th and 7th grade and endlessesly obsesses over which middle and high schools to send them to (the application processes sound very college-like) and already has contacted private college guidance counsellors.

this is the kind of shit that makes me never want to have kids.

esp if u live in a particular town, it gets evil. junior year is scary shit. u don't wanna run into a mom whose daughter just got rejected from Cornell.

i remember hunting the mailman down in his mail vehicle on my block in anticipation of my letters. when he handed me to fat ones, i just started screaming. was in the best friend's beemer. oh LONG ISLAND I MISS YOU MUCH