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GOLDSEA |
ASIAMS.NET |
ASIAN AMERICAN ISSUES
ARE IVY DEGREES WORTH THE SACRIFICES
ending their kids to ivy league universities is the dream of every Asian American parent. Or so it seems. And there is no shortage of young AA willing to oblige. As of 2000, Asian Americans made up 12-19% of the undergrad enrollments of the top-20 ivies.
No one questions the prestige associated with ivy degrees. In fact, sneer critics, that's the only thing bought with the extra money. And even that, they add, is wearing thin in a nation in which he cultural center of gravity has shifted to California.
It's true that investments in high ivy tuitions often don't show up in career earnings when compared with graduates of public universities of comparable student body profiles. But the criticisms run deeper than return on investment. Some Asian Americans who have attended ivy league colleges have come away regretting their decisions for other reasons.
Foremost is the sense that the ivies are structured for the benefit of legatees, the progeny of blueblooded alumni. Comprising upwards of 40% of some ivies, the legatees are often exempted from stringent admissions standards. The result is that AA students with excellent credentials are the workhorses preserving the institutions' high academic reputations, thereby giving a free ride to undeserving legatees.
Another common complaint is that the deck is stacked socially against Asian males in a system designed to preserve the princely status quo of the scions of WASP families. A disproportionate number of attractive AA females are admitted by the ivies, some have observed, while far fewer attractive AA males are admitted. This subtle bias, suspect critics, is implemented in the screening interviews used by most ivies.
Then there's the Eurocentric worldview imposed by the courses. Not to mention the lousy weather, bland food and having to put up with locals hostile toward Asians. Contrast all this against the majority-ease lifestyles enjoyed by the AA in, say, the UC campuses.
The bragging rights an ivy education affords parents, conclude critics, are far outweighed by the psychic and emotional sacrifices exacted from their kids.
Does an ivy education provide rewards commensurate with the sacrifices? Or is it a trap for AA with overzealous parents with old-world views?
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WHAT YOU SAY
[This page is closed to new input. --Ed.]
(Updated
Tuesday, Apr 1, 2008, 06:01:01 PM)
Who says you need to have a Ivy education to make it in the White man's world?
If tolling and kissing you white bosses ass is your idea of getting ahead in life, then by all means go through with your fantasy of doing the linear thing of getting a Ivy league education, graduate with honors and work for a prestigious firm and kiss and suck and brown nose every white ass to get to the top.
Personally a certificate or a diploma is only a achievement in a certain point in time. Life as reality is is not linear nor is it static. Life is dynamic like a spiral where you have ups and downs but it continues to evolve everyday. To limit yourself to work for others to gain the recognition you crave is only a big waste of time and energy. Rather do your own thing and make it work for you instead of just being a blind follower of others.
Be Self Employed and work for yourself and hire the White Ass to work for you instead.
An Ivy League education is nothing more that a expensive way to train you to work for others! Prestige is nothing more than a piece of paper to hang up on the wall to show off to others. I'd rather be more impressed by someone who has his own successful business and made it themselves. Their knowledge is more useful than any GPA related or Ivy league degree.
Besides, once he makes it he can always go to Kinkos and make himself his own degree to hang onto a wall.
So to the big fact of life in terms of success and money and pride or whatever this Ivy league degree is also irrelevant.
Truth time
Thursday, July 11, 2002 at 11:58:33 (PDT)
Hoboken and others:
It's true on one hand that Ivies do not give merit/athletic scholoarhips, etc. That's what most people hear and believe. Typically need-based financial aid is all anyone can expect.
But I do remember that a small number (a handful at most) of entering students receive special scholarships given to truly exceptional individuals. If my memory serves me correctly, Penn had something called Benjamin Franklin scholars who are given tuition or maybe even room and board, without regard to need.
Harvard also-this was back in late 80's when I was applying-had something like " Crimson something" scholarship given to a few extraordinary individuals, covering at least tuition ...
Hoboken sounds like a decent guy; he gave helpful advices; let's wish him the best in his Wall Street career.
Idiot-savant
Tuesday, July 09, 2002 at 17:45:13 (PDT)
Gentlemen,
I stand corrected on the scholarship issue in the Ivy League. 17 was a very long time ago and not really a part of life that I remember with fondness (or wish to). As for being flamed, we all have a right to our opinions and should feel free to air them out; if debating helps other AAs to succeed in this white-dominated society, then I'm all for it.
As for having truly graduated from Cornell.... well, you're free to believe what you want. I never claimed to know the history of the Ivy League and don't really care, but what it does mean to me (past and present):
1) Elite and prestigious name. Women give you more consideration ("he's got a future") and employers look at you a little more approvingly. Right or wrong, it works.
2) A great education (but maybe no better than other good non-Ivies)
3) Years of misery and hard work (go to Princeton!)
4) Almost-nonexistent sex life with fat, plain, arrogant girls.
Hoboken_CornellGuy
Tuesday, July 09, 2002 at 13:43:11 (PDT)
Hoboken-
I'm an undergrad at UVA, and I'm definitely in agreement with you on one thing: if you have the opporunity and don't have a large sacrific (socially or financially), Ivy is the way to go. Elite undergrads open doors in a way that state schools just do not. From a public school, I can still get the same jobs that a harvard grad can get if I have a high GPA (3.6+), but no one will ever look at my resume, see my alma mater and say, "ok, let's interview this kid." Kids from Princeton do get that kind of treatment.
Ivies do not give merit aid. They do not give academic scholarships, nor do they give atheltic scholarships. They have not done either of these since the ivy group was established over 50 years ago. They are however, need-blind -with the sole exception of brown-, and most will strive to make it possible for anyone to pay.
PS sorry for the flaming first post. I still don't think that you actually graduated from an ivy given that you don't know what the ivy group stands for, but that's no excuse for my behavior, and to your credit, it was a long time ago for you to remember.
cheers
CAgentility
Tuesday, July 09, 2002 at 03:57:29 (PDT)
Hoboken:
Ivy league schools don't offer any merit scholarships. I was under the impression that the 1954 agreement banned both athletic AND nonathletic scholarships. you may be thinking of a private foundation scholarship, which usually has some element of merit required in the application process. plenty of Ivy students rely on those to pay tuition.
T.H. Lien
Monday, July 08, 2002 at 22:40:09 (PDT)
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