To be clear, “plain normal smart good kids” are fine, but I have one (and another on the way) that the Ivies used to go out of their way to find, and at whom to throw scholarship money.
I am completely eclipsed by my son academically and athletically, but he doesn’t really have a shot at my alma mater, even as a legacy. “Rich trans-generational legacy” is what matters: old money, usually.
Lesser-performing - far lesser-performing - kids get these spots if they have the requisite skin color. That starts with the most prestigious prep schools, and is also true with the Ivies.
White middle class kids aren’t wanted, even when they are outrageously smart, hard-working, talented, have won award after award, etc. It just doesn’t matter.
These schools want kids of a certain color who can simply make it through college. That is the goal.
Ultimately, it is the end of the idea that the “smartest kids” go to these schools. They don’t.
We’re in the thick of choosing colleges now. I have a senior and a junior, both are top students, one excels in athletics the other music.
My senior wanted to go to Brown, was recruited for football. We were very put off by the in-your-face wokeism and LGBTQ nonsense during the tour. My son would not have been a fit there.
He’s going to Michigan next fall on a 4-year Army ROTC scholarship. Saving me over $200k which is nice.
Michigan had over 98,000 applications and accepted 7,500. Crazy. The fact he had the Army scholarship put my son over the top. They charge the government full freight.
My wife went to Johns Hopkins, is way smarter than me. My junior will apply there as well as other “fancy” schools - Carnegie Mellon, Cornell, Dartmouth, a few others. His safety schools are WPI and UMASS Amherst. We’ll see what happens. Hopefully he’ll get an NROTC or AFROTC scholarship.
Got some time for our 3rd son, he’s in 6th grade. I’ll be happy when it’s all over.
These schools want kids of a certain color who can simply make it through college. That is the goal.
Ultimately, it is the end of the idea that the “smartest kids” go to these schools. They don’t.
.......
This has been going on for a long time. Thirty and 40 years ago one knew that pigment counted more than anything else.
The fact that it has been unsaid so long is the amazing thing.
Lots of Pali scarfs back then too.
Jews didn’t notice?