I understand what you’re saying and I know your son worked hard to achieve what he did.
What hurts these kids is watching those with lower SAT / ACT scores, lower GPS, lower class rankings, those who didn’t work as hard as they did get offered admissions, sometimes with full rides, to universities from which they were rejected. This happened to both my daughter and, three years later, my son.
That’s what angers me.
I believe college admission should be based on merit and not skin color. My daughter asked why she should have worked so hard only to watch as those who didn’t work as hard as she did get offered admission when she didn’t.
I saw the pain this caused her because of completely unfair policies like government-enforced and approved preferences in college admissions and scholarships. Three years later she told me it still hurt.
When AA is in effect, there are REAL people who are hurt as a result of these racist policies.
My son is not hurt at all by the rejection.
The Ivies are considered “reach” schools. The one where he applied has an admission rate of 6%. He expected to be rejected. (For the record, my son isn’t “white.”) It was a long shot chance, but I think everyone who scores high should take that chance.
I’m sorry your daughter was so disappointed. IMHO, the existence of AA hurts everyone, including people it’s supposed to help, because the very existence of AA leads people to question someone’s qualifications. It creates animosity and suspicion among people.