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So you decided to go to Cal... - akiddoc - 03-30-2020

...then this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWRk7UL2y4A&frags=pl%2Cwn


Go to 8:20 to about 10:00. (mom's comment at 9:50)

RE: So you decided to go to Cal... - Phogge - 03-30-2020

How many poor kids can afford so many application fees?

RE: So you decided to go to Cal... - Mick - 03-30-2020

(03-30-2020, 06:17 AM)Phogge Wrote:  How many poor kids can afford so many application fees?

Good question.  I only applied to SCU and Stanford.  I wanted to apply to some of the UCs, but my dad said it was an extra $50, so forget it.

RE: So you decided to go to Cal... - 2006alum - 03-30-2020

(03-30-2020, 06:17 AM)Phogge Wrote:  How many poor kids can afford so many application fees?
Most schools offer fee-waivers, and these days, tons of schools offer waivers to induce additional applications to boost the denominators of their acceptance rates. For a needy credible candidate with strong grades and scores, application fees are the least of their worries. The bigger hurdles are having the the wealth to pay for tutoring, fund travel for sports and competitions, and provide for various extra-curriculars to boost the applicant's soft factors. If anything, the biggest hurdle for lower-income kids is that working a part-time job to help make end's meat doesn't look too fancy these days, to say nothing of the suburban teen who'd like to start saving by lifeguarding at the community pool. Application fees are the tip of the iceberg.

Circling back to this video, it's dismaying to me that an otherwise seemingly-thoughtful Stanford admit seems so eager to exhibit a level of vanity and public self-absorption that would have made the biggest braggart of my generation "back in my day" blanche. I can't believe how quickly the norm has shifted to publicizing all of this, which, as one of the comments below the video said, is such great "content." SMH.

RE: So you decided to go to Cal... - French Rage - 03-30-2020

As a Cornell undergrad, I love the way she pronounces it talking to her grandparents.

RE: So you decided to go to Cal... - Farm93 - 03-30-2020

(03-30-2020, 12:04 PM)2006alum Wrote:  
(03-30-2020, 06:17 AM)Phogge Wrote:  How many poor kids can afford so many application fees?
Most schools offer fee-waivers, and these days, tons of schools offer waivers to induce additional applications to boost the denominators of their acceptance rates. For a needy credible candidate with strong grades and scores, application fees are the least of their worries. The bigger hurdles are having the the wealth to pay for tutoring, fund travel for sports and competitions, and provide for various extra-curriculars to boost the applicant's soft factors. If anything, the biggest hurdle for lower-income kids is that working a part-time job to help make end's meat doesn't look too fancy these days, to say nothing of the suburban teen who'd like to start saving by lifeguarding at the community pool. Application fees are the tip of the iceberg.

Circling back to this video, it's dismaying to me that an otherwise seemingly-thoughtful Stanford admit seems so eager to exhibit a level of vanity and public self-absorption that would have made the biggest braggart of my generation "back in my day" blanche. I can't believe how quickly the norm has shifted to publicizing all of this, which, as one of the comments below the video said, is such great "content." SMH.
Reaction videos are absolutely the norm now.   Thousands of them are produced each year.   You can find them for almost every level of selectivity BTW.   You can find people that are genuinely excited to get accepted into Cal State Dominguez Hills, and you definitely can find them for any school that accepts less than 20% of their applicants.  

To some degree they are very helpful to HS sophomores and juniors, and the parents of those students.   For everyone that ends with an acceptance to Stanford or Ivy league schools, there are 10 or more that end with ...."That's OK, I didn't think...."

This year, in particular, these videos are almost required since these kids can't share their decision experiences after school with their friends.   In prior years most of the videos like this would include a group scene on the UC day and the Ivy day as a lot of kids together learning their admission status together of smartphones and tablets immediately after school.   Can't do anything like that this year of course. 

In fact, I will give every member of the HS Class of 2020 a pass on anything they opt to do on social media as none of us can claim to understand what it is like to graduate in this type of situation.  They will not get to enjoy many traditional HS experiences, so I am 100% OK with any of them trying to capture and share the few that remain on video for their friends and extended family to see.

RE: So you decided to go to Cal... - Phogge - 03-30-2020

I don't admire the concept of helicopter parenting and the need to pile up the extra curricular. Kids need to be kids and if that means a state school or a JC for a bit so be it. Our boys had a balanced childhood with serious stuff mixed with a bunch of fun, at home and with friends. Both got scholies. I would rather have a kid at SJS and working a part time job to help defray cost while learning about real life than an angst ridden child overburdened with a musical instrument, a travel team, two volunteer projects, a student office and the pressure of a valedictory address on her plate. Sorry, but that's just me, an overachieving graduate of the State School System.

RE: So you decided to go to Cal... - qwerty49 - 03-30-2020

It's a far cry from the Jurassic Age when the lump in your throat disappeared when you realized the envelope you brought in from the mailbox was a fat one.

Anybody else notice that one of the Ivy rejection letters was from the school of engineering that (coincidentally?) was sponsored by a foundation sharing her surname?  I'm guessing at least one of her parents is on the OSU faculty.

I spent way more time playing baseball in the street than I ever did at a library.  But kids today are much more focused and accomplished at an early age.  Her EC's looked more like a job resume.  

I was a bit turned off at first by the vanity angle, but this is the way things go these days, and the excitement about the Stanford admission was genuine.  Good luck to her.

RE: So you decided to go to Cal... - akiddoc - 03-30-2020

There are thousands of these videos on YouTube. Some are from kids who are showing off. If you think this kid is showing off, you haven't seen what's out there. Some kids are listing 23 out of 23 admissions including all 8 Ivies, MIT and Stanford. 

I saw several of these yesterday in my boredom. I was looking for the ones with Stanford admits. Almost all were similar in that Stanford trumped every other school when the kid realized Stanford was saying yes.
(03-30-2020, 06:17 AM)Phogge Wrote:  How many poor kids can afford so many application fees?

All of them.

Just to reiterate, there are fee waivers if you are low income.

The new norm is a minimum of 10 applications. 23, 25, or 30 is unwarranted, but that is what is happening. 

My daughter applied to 13 six years ago. My son applied to 10. Some of my patients have applied to 20.

RE: So you decided to go to Cal... - Phogge - 03-30-2020

Hey Q. We played street football all our young lives. Luckily I had Sunset Gym two blocks away with a small baseball field. Plenty of diamonds in the City. I used to play on a minimum of two teams every summer and our "travel ball" was catch Muni or hitch until we got old enough to drive.

Pedialyte, 23 out of 23 is just showing off and kids today could use a bit more humility. And fun.

RE: So you decided to go to Cal... - Mick - 03-30-2020

(03-30-2020, 12:31 PM)Farm93 Wrote:  Reaction videos are absolutely the norm now.   Thousands of them are produced each year.   You can find them for almost every level of selectivity BTW.   You can find people that are genuinely excited to get accepted into Cal State Dominguez Hills, and you definitely can find them for any school that accepts less than 20% of their applicants.  

To some degree they are very helpful to HS sophomores and juniors, and the parents of those students.   For everyone that ends with an acceptance to Stanford or Ivy league schools, there are 10 or more that end with ...."That's OK, I didn't think...."

This year, in particular, these videos are almost required since these kids can't share their decision experiences after school with their friends.   In prior years most of the videos like this would include a group scene on the UC day and the Ivy day as a lot of kids together learning their admission status together of smartphones and tablets immediately after school.   Can't do anything like that this year of course. 

In fact, I will give every member of the HS Class of 2020 a pass on anything they opt to do on social media as none of us can claim to understand what it is like to graduate in this type of situation.  They will not get to enjoy many traditional HS experiences, so I am 100% OK with any of them trying to capture and share the few that remain on video for their friends and extended family to see.

My young son was in the middle of class when the notification email was supposed to arrive at 12:00 pm.  His friend took the video while Little Mick repeatedly refreshed his screen.  At 12:03, he received the acceptance email, jumped up, and quietly as he could said "F**K yeah!"

He shared it with us.  Didn't put it online.  I liked watching it, candidly.
(03-30-2020, 12:56 PM)Phogge Wrote:  I don't admire the concept of helicopter parenting and the need to pile up the extra curricular. Kids need to be kids and if that means a state school or a JC for a bit so be it. Our boys had a balanced childhood with serious stuff mixed with a bunch of fun, at home and with friends. Both got scholies. I would rather have a kid at SJS and working a part time job to help defray cost while learning about real life than an angst ridden child overburdened with a musical instrument, a travel team, two volunteer projects, a student office and the pressure of a valedictory address on her plate. Sorry, but that's just me, an overachieving graduate of the State School System.

I think it depends upon the kid.  Reminds me of the story of the parent who anxiously asked the music teacher if their son "had what it takes" and the teacher replied "it depends on how you nag him."  "How we nag him?" asked the parent.  "Yes," said the teacher.  "If you nag him to practice, he won't be successful.  If you nag him to stop practicing, he'll be successful."

I think some kids have that inner determination and fire to do it.  I think some kids have none of that.  And there's a wide range in between.  I do think students need guidance, if for no other reason than to understand what it takes.

RE: So you decided to go to Cal... - Canalejas - 03-30-2020

(03-30-2020, 06:39 AM)Mick Wrote:  
(03-30-2020, 06:17 AM)Phogge Wrote:  How many poor kids can afford so many application fees?

Good question.  I only applied to SCU and Stanford.  I wanted to apply to some of the UCs, but my dad said it was an extra $50, so forget it.

I only applied to UCB, UCLA, and Stanford (early.) And Stanford waived the app fee.

RE: So you decided to go to Cal... - Mick - 03-31-2020

(03-30-2020, 11:25 PM)Canalejas Wrote:  
(03-30-2020, 06:39 AM)Mick Wrote:  
(03-30-2020, 06:17 AM)Phogge Wrote:  How many poor kids can afford so many application fees?

Good question.  I only applied to SCU and Stanford.  I wanted to apply to some of the UCs, but my dad said it was an extra $50, so forget it.

I only applied to UCB, UCLA, and Stanford (early.) And Stanford waived the app fee.

My dad never went to college.  To him, a college was a college was a college.  

I think he wouldn't let me apply to the UCs because in the 1959-60 basketball season (when Cal won the NCAA), he was recruited by Pete Newell.  He told my dad "Son, Cal is interested in you.  What are your grades like?"  Dad replied "Cs and Ds."  Newell shook his head and said "Son, Cal isn't interested in you."  My dad's hated public education, particularly the entire UC system ever since.  Totally logical.

RE: So you decided to go to Cal... - akiddoc - 03-31-2020

(03-31-2020, 05:52 AM)Mick Wrote:  
(03-30-2020, 11:25 PM)Canalejas Wrote:  
(03-30-2020, 06:39 AM)Mick Wrote:  
(03-30-2020, 06:17 AM)Phogge Wrote:  How many poor kids can afford so many application fees?

Good question.  I only applied to SCU and Stanford.  I wanted to apply to some of the UCs, but my dad said it was an extra $50, so forget it.

I only applied to UCB, UCLA, and Stanford (early.) And Stanford waived the app fee.

My dad never went to college.  To him, a college was a college was a college.  

I think he wouldn't let me apply to the UCs because in the 1959-60 basketball season (when Cal won the NCAA), he was recruited by Pete Newell.  He told my dad "Son, Cal is interested in you.  What are your grades like?"  Dad replied "Cs and Ds."  Newell shook his head and said "Son, Cal isn't interested in you."  My dad's hated public education, particularly the entire UC system ever since.  Totally logical.

I applied to one school - Stanford. My parents refused to pay for the application fee to Cal. Said it wasn't worth the money. Both of my parents attended Stanford in the 50's. If I hadn't gotten into Stanford I would have attended the U of Manitoba where my father worked.

RE: So you decided to go to Cal... - Phogge - 03-31-2020

I pitched two great games at the start of my senior season. So the Giants scout comes to my next game. Knocked out in the first. Adios. Had passed on a couple of scholies so I went to State. Never looked back.