Stanford Education---ON SALE!

Stanford University's Financial Aid Page / Amazing.

Can you getting a Stanford education for less than you are paying to go to the University of Wyoming?

"Stanford is dedicating an additional $20.7 million to need-based scholarships for undergraduates in academic year 2008-2009. "

By doing this, those with academic/talent merit are able to over-look their hesitations about the cost of getting the education "they worked for."

Some of its highlights include:

1. Zero parent contribution expected for those from families who earn less than $60,000 but students aren't home free, Stanford expects them to donate a part of their summer and part-time wages towards their education. A more than fair price for students whose parents may be "regular-" or well-off but who have to pay for school themselves.

2. Tuition waived for students whose parents make less thatn $100,000.

"Stanford will ensure that all tuition charges are covered with need-based scholarship, federal and state grants, and/or outside scholarship funds."

Tuition, which ranges around $30,000 per year, will be waived, and the only cost the student is expected to pay is the $11,000 room and board costs!

3. Students are not expected to take out loans to pay for college.
Stanford offers students work-studies (jobs on campus) for about $2500 a year. But unlike other schools, the average wage of workers is about $11 an hours meaning they will only have to work 7.5 hours a week! Students are expected to contribute $2,000 from summer earnings. Again, very reasonable.


Colleges which receive heavy endowments from the government (Stanford's is $17 billion) or high donations are able to make this amazing opportunity for students a reality. Stanford is following in the same footsteps of Princeton and Yale who are also able to give students an affordable ivy league education.

This concept shows the best way to determine admissions: MERIT. No matter what, if you show enough talent, enthusiasm, and ability to get into theses school you deserve to go there, no matter what. You aren't cast aside because of race and you aren't discouraged because of your income.

Article About Stanford from the International Herald Tribune.

Out Reach

Going along with my last post, I have two friends of mixed race who also hate the out-reach program.

My friend sent a very aggressive letter to the Multicultural Affairs office when they had sent her an "end of the year review" email asking her what she thought of the emails they sent her.

The gist of it was that she did not, in fact appreciated it and that she did not sign of up for it and that she had repeatedly requested being taken off it. And it ended with something like "I am not a stupid, poor Mexican that needs your help"

Wanna Be A Minority?

Fragments of being minority on campus. Meant to amuse, not to inform:

GOOD MORNING WORLD! Let's check our email....

[glares, despairs, sighs] Thanks, UW Multicultural Affairs for flooding my inbox with you duplicate copies of your newsletter which I don't want and won't read! And I'm glad you have a newletter practically every other day! If I have four in my WyoWeb inbox, I know I'll have at least two in my personal email which you somehow have also! Yeay! Thanks also for singling my out and making me feel like I shouldn't fit in with everyone else.

Thanks, but no thanks, I think I can be a person all myself.


I resent that I have to be group as a minority when I feel like I am a person with a perosnality before that. I hate distinctions of any kind, positive or negative. I strongly believe in the merits of people, not just academically, but in their character, behavior, values, etc. I had no say in where I "came from" (which quite literally was Nebraksa) but I have unqiue choices that I make which define me.

Last year I went to Truman State University and for some reason everytime I would have another Asian student in a class with me they would facebook friend me within a week with a hokey phrase and an emoticon. Not that I'm not for making friends and meeting new people, but I hated, HATED the fact that they only wanted to be my friend because of my race. Even though they just wanted to find someone to connect with...blah blah blah. And, not only would they friend me, but their friends, who I didn't even know would friend me too. And those friends of people I didn't even know would comment on deeply archived photos which I had entirely forgotten about ( "LOL this is a funny pic. U R too cute!").

I don't know how to say this without sounding mean, but I imagine them walking around in tight pods which creep closer and closer to any other asian they see on the sidewalk and they get sucked into the middle of this pod and are never seen again. Ever.

And I know how this is. My mom also asks me how Asian people from my elementary school are doing. People I haven't talked to in years. She wants to know what's the up-and-up on all the asian people who I might know over all my other actual friends, but I couldn't care less. She probably wants me to compare their success to mine and no matter who "wins" suggest that I should have done something different anyway and been better off.



And now you know.

Penny to the Wise

My roommate can't afford to attend the University of Wyoming, but she's here. The last deadline for payment for this semester was last Friday, October 17th. And she hasn't paid the full bill.

Because she can't afford it, does that mean she doesn't deserve to be here? She has merit enough to be accepted by enrollment and get a music scholarship, but don't buy what you can't afford?

It makes sense in the domestic world when one is exchange money for goods and then immediately using those goods. But when we talk about education, we're talking about investing. We are getting our degrees not necessarily for the fun and prestige of it, but we know down the the road it will help us get a better job and live comfortably. That's why those that can't afford it are more willing to take out loans---the likelihood of them obtaining a better job with a college degree increases dramatically, just as finishing high school makes a difference. NPR's personal finance expert, Chris Ferrell, considers student loans "good loans," loans you want. Not only that, but a nation wants educated people (what economists term "human capital) because they will be the ones who pioneer new technology, or will be able to lead, or teach next generations, etc.

The value of education is priceless...but also very expensive. This goes beyond attending the luxury private school, but even more reasonably priced public universities. I claimed earlier that race is a poor reason for someone to be given help in the admissions process, so why should income be treated any differently and be given concessions?

1. Economists David Ellwood and Thomas Kane discovered that the role of family background in influencing post-secondary “training choices” has been increasing overtime. Meaning, it may be harder for those in "bad neighborhoods" to get the proper encouragement and guidance they need in planning their future. A college education can make a unparalleled difference in the outcome of someone's life. A study by the College Board backed this up when they found that only 54% of those from families in the bottom quartile enrolled in college, compared to the 82% from those in the top quartile. If they can't afford it, why should they even bother?

2. The child’s expectations are shaped by their environment, and Michael McPherson and Morton Schapiro, co-authors on a book about financing college, concluded that the lower the income, the less likely a student was to apply to a prestigious college, the less likely that they would be admitted, and the less likely they would enroll if accepted; despite their qualifications.

3. And unlike minorities, and in some cases athletes who are admitted more carelessly, low income students who are admitted are more likely to succeed.


Having a low income is more disadvantageous that being a minority. There are some districts where over 75% of the students have free or reduced lunch. Schools like this are simply unable to afford the same services that other schools can offer. The book Equity and Excellence described situations in low-income neighborhoods where 36% of the teachers left midyear. These students are struggling with an incomplete education, no matter how much they work and they shouldn't suffer for it. A study compared the average cost of of money spend on students, about $7000 being the average, found that in low-income neighborhoods (the study used Detroit) only about $4000 was spent per child, and in high-income neighborhoods about $11000-12000 dollars were spent.

These are circumstances that are brought upon students but which can be improved Unlike race, income hampers the quality of education a child receives and therefore the ability of them to properly demonstrate their abilities. And coming from a poor environment may hamper their success as well. I believe there is a false assumption that minorities need more help because minorities are 10 times more likely to attend a poorly funded school. But a minority shouldn't be favored over a white child who attend lived through the same situation as they had.


Sure, it would be great if we could have an admissions process based solely on merit and talent. And the solution could be leveling the school systems (NOT by No Child Left Behind) and putting more funding into struggling schools, etc. But we don't live in a fantasy world where solutions can be quickly solved by doling out money we really don't have.

Give a penny to the wise, and the penniless.

Midterms

Sorry for the infrequent posting. I hope next week to overwhelm the public with information

"One WSU Perspective" - Article

Quote taken from http://affirmtheactions.wordpress.com/ Affirmative Action Blog on March 31, 2008 title "One WSU Perspective":

2. Are you FOR or AGAINST affirmative action in regards to the role it plays in the college admissions process?

I am for Affirmative Action in regards to the role it plays in the college admission process. I believe that it opens doors, opportunities and avenues that were not originally afforded to people who are at a loss, financially as well as racially.

I was annoyed that this blog doesn't allow comments. Ideas like these and directives like Affirmative action create a stigma that minorities are in some way inferior to perpetuate that they are victims who need help which I do not believe. It is not impossible for minorities to become successful even if they come from a difficult background.

Affirmative Action is meaningful to me because I'm an underrepresented minority in the lowest income bracket. My mother works part-time as a hairdresser (and in my opinion--- as a involuntary client---she's not very good; plus her customer base consists mostly of old ladies who are thinning out as time goes on...) and my father has been unemployed because of a disability all my life. We made do, I feel fine. Where you come from, I believe, only has a little to do with what you can accomplish.

What I think needs to most attention in admissions process and in dealing with who needs to most help is income. Which I think is mixed up with race far too much. There are/may be a lot of minorities who live in "bad neighborhoods" but I do not believe they should receive more help than the white residents. I hope to more closely address the issue of income in my next blog which I have just introduced.

"I believe that it opens doors, opportunities and avenues that were not originally afforded to people who are at a loss"

Shouldn't everyone be given opportunities?

Professors Meeting

J Pham

Congratulations on Being White---5 points.

"If two people apply for a job, college admission, scholarship or other scrutinized entity, should one be given better treatment than the other because of their skin color?"
-Greg Chick "Time to Rethink Affirmative Action?"

This article lightly summarizes some of the topics I want to discuss in this blog with it's anti-affirmative action argument. I acknowledge that there was a time in our society when such measures of affirmative action where necessary to level the playing field and get qualified minorities the positions/education they deserved. But today? I agree with Chick that it is time to rethink the goals of Affirmative Action. If want college admissions (specifically in my experience) to be truly fair, school would look at merit instead of race.

In my last post I was trying to write a little segue into college admissions, not a life long desire to go to Harvard---although I failed. What I want my readers to think about is what they would feel like if they found out that they weren't admitted to a school they wanted to go to and were qualified to go to. And then to find out later that a student who didn't meet the same standards was admitted because of their race. It's unfair.

It's ridiculous to try to create "perfect ratio" of ethnicities in college over those who are more qualified. And I want to emphasize that it is not just the underrepresented minorities that are getting pushed into a college that they may not have the skills for, but "over-represented" minorities that are getting denied college admissions even if they are qualified--this was the case at University of California, Berkly where many qualified to over-qualified Asian students were denied admission.

And of course I can't talk about Affirmative Action in the admissions processes without mentioning the University of Michigan whose admission policies were actually found unconstitutional in 2002 and had to be changed:

Michigan's admissions was based on a 150 system with those applying needing at least 100 points to be automatically admitted. And in their system Black and Hispanic students were award and automatic 20 points.

Not too bad right?...Well it is considering that other characteristics like an “outstanding essay, leadership, or personal achievement” were each worth only 3 points.

"Diversity is a good thing. It makes us a better institution, state and country. But let's not unfairly and wrongly achieve this admirable goal. Let's have a discussion about how rightly we can ensure a diverse environment for all of us, not at the expense of qualified individuals being left out."

Chew on that.

Etiology of Me or this Blog

My desk in the dorm room of the first college I went to.

When I was little I was under the impression that I had the potential and means to accomplish anything my tiny heart wanted. I distinctly remember writing in my second grade journal that---on the newsprint paper with the bold blue lines---that one day I would go the "Harvrd." What would I do there? What did I want to be when I grew up? What would I study? How would I afford it? These were trivial questions to me.

My mom only laughed when she read it.

Evidentially, I did not end up at an ole timey little school in Massachusetts. And this was not because there was some great injustice done to me, but rather a culmination of different faults.

I have been a straight A student since elementary school, in high school I was president of three clubs, and active member or officers in others. Elected to senior council and National Honor Society. Volunteered weekly at a hospital among other places. Was on the junior varsity tennis team. Worked. AP Classes....

Blah blah blah BLAH

As I entered my senior year I realized that all this fluff wasn't really important. That more than half of students applying anyway had my exact resume if not better. So I wonder: What does push admissions over the edge or hold them back?

Would it be the fact that I sincerely cherished the thought and work it takes to get an education?
Would it be my race?
Would it be the fact that it would be the fact that I'm low income?

Where we attend college can change our lives. I sincerely hope that our admission is not prevented by something trivial. That could be the greatest loss we never experience.