Kids With Good Grades — but No Hardships — Struggle to Enter College

Fox News ^ | Tuesday, August 13, 2002 | Trace Gallagher

[NEWwoman]

Los Angeles

[NEWwoman]

The class warfare and class envy never stops!

Good families that do what's right for their kids (provide for them, stay together, provide support, keep them out of harms way, ...) are shafted.

Question: What is really considered a hardship?

[Lil'freeper]

Question: What is really considered a hardship?

Surviving public school?

[NEWwoman]

Agreed.

[jjm2111]

How are life challenges verifiable? Can't these kids make some up?

[dead]

The kid should go punch a liberal politician in the face, then apply under the juvenile offender hardship.

Two birds. One stone.

[Always Right]

"None of the students know what to do, they don't know what counts so kids are pretty frantic at this point."

Isn't it obvious. To get into the best schools you need to be a homosexual crackhead who grew up in the ghetto who has no idea who their daddy is.

[fone]

I had to *choke* register my son back into public school today as we have no private schools beyond 8th grade out here in stickville ohio.

When I indicated my spouse and I were the biological parents AND there was no divorce or custody papers involved, the secretary had a sigh of relief that it was a refreshing "change."

That said, this NONSENSE of victimhood never ends. It has gone beyond bizarre.

[NEWwoman]

That thought has occurred to me.

I've heard of parents coaching their kids to act like they have some disability or syndrome in order to get more money from the government.

Let's face it. Life is not fair. But most of us get over it and carry on with what life has dealt us -- and succeed.

[Aria]

Just brilliant! Punish the students and their families who have done everything right and reward the families who have for one reason or another not given their kids the best opportunities in life and/or reward kids who lie about their circumstances. Our tax dollars at work.

[RonF]

Grades and scores are verifiable, and in fact colleges do go to great lengths to verify them. No assertion that isn't verifiable, and verified, should affect school admission.

I have a daughter in a fairly selective college out East (it's interesting to listen to her talk about some of the PC stuff going on there). She had top grades, a 1390 out of 1600 on the SAT, and a 33 on the ACT. The latter two are 95% to 99% range. Yet, her athletic abilities were more likely to get her financial assistance over and above need-based money than her academic achievements. This is ridiculous.

[NEWwoman]

We need a lot more parents like you!

[reflecting]

would growing up in a two parent, fundamentalist christian, politically conservative, southern home, evoke sympathy?...could claim minority status ....worth a try

[Dakmar]

As you were saying the other day...

[NEWwoman]

Frankly, you really are in the minority. Some minorities count more than others in this "Alice in Wonderworld" world we live in.
But, as I said before, we need more parents or just plain citizens like you.

[Renegade]

This happened to my son. Graduated 4th in class with a 4.3 GPA . Sat's of 1340. Because my wife and I both work, are white and are from a functional family, the college of his choice offered him a $2500.00 subsidized loan. If he was from a dysfunctional family, a minority , or a sport jock that couldn't read, he might have gotten a full scholarship.

[onedoug]

'Seems consistent. What else does anyone think "university" means these days?

[Constitutionalist Conservative]

Just brilliant! Punish the students and their families who have done everything right and reward the families who have for one reason or another not given their kids the best opportunities in life and/or reward kids who lie about their circumstances.

But wait! This experience should count as a hardship! Then they could reapply, telling their heart-rending story about how they were shafted by the university....

[sonofron]

maybe alot of california's best and brightest will leave the God-forsaken state and it's screwed up system and go else where. Why would i want to attend a school that initiates such a policy? There are alot of good schools out in cali, but this will probablty work to the advantage of their competitors.

[amused]

This is like the Seinfeld episode where George is vying for a great apartment and has to compete in a saddest life story with a survivor of the Andre Doria.

What were this kid's SATs? And what is a 4.5 based on? When I went to school we got 4 for an A in standard classes, 4.5 in Honors and 5 in AP. But even getting straight A's in 4 or 5 honors classes & AP(which couldn't be taken by most until junior year) still meant regular grades brought down the average.

My sister had good grades, good extracurricular activities(sports, clubs, volunteering) in a Catholic HS but was not outstanding on her SATs which hurt when applying to colleges.

[NEWwoman]

Are any of you familar with Betty Smith's book, "A Tree Grows in Brooklin"? It was a movie, too. It took place around World War One.
The main character, Mary Francis, worked very hard in grade school and loved learning. Her mother said to her, I have only enough money to send one of you (her or her brother) to high school. Her brother hated school and didn't care. So the mother chose to send the brother. (Mary Francis ending up working, skipping high school, and going straight to college.)
Rewarding bad behavior and punishing achievement is not new.