|
|
|
|
|
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?
This interactive article is closed to new input.
Discussions posted during the past year remain available for browsing.
CONTACT US
|
ADVERTISING INFO
© 1996-2013 Asian Media Group Inc
No part of the contents of this site may be reproduced without prior written permission.
|
|
|
|
WHAT YOU SAY
[This page is closed to new input. --Ed.]
(Updated
Tuesday, Apr 1, 2008, 06:01:00 PM)
Princeton Grad:
Good post.
One practical strategy for Asians is to attend good-quality college at the least financial cost. If Ivy is cheaper for you because you receive large financial aid, go to an Ivy. Otherwise, go somewhere where you will be happy and receive decent education at the least cost possible. Regional schools like UVA and UT are often better than Eastern Ivy if you plan to work in the same region after college.
Then, during college an AA could take mock standardized tests (GRE, LSAT, GMAT, etc. ) and decide if she could compete for an Ivy graduate school. Nowadays many AA's seek graduate degrees, which can be expensive on top of already expensive undergrad education. Sometimes, I feel that American higher education does not make long-term economic sense for many students.
Commentary
Sunday, July 21, 2002 at 22:40:40 (PDT)
what exactly is one of the "top-20 ivies"? the ivy league only has 8 members.
jay
Sunday, July 21, 2002 at 17:18:57 (PDT)
[Go back to earlier posts for many discussions on the definition of "ivies". --Ed]
I honestly don't understand why asians have this thing for UC schools. It's almost like the letters U-C-L-A and the word Berkeley were embedded in their memory ever since they came to the U.S. *shrug* I wouldn't mind a UC school I suppose but I personally consider it to be too big of a school and I'd rather not be just a number in the professor's book. Not to mention how crowded California is getting. I'm happy with applying to Boston University. :) 17/F/Hawaii here if you're wondering!
di_kimchee
dianakimchee@Hotmail.com
Sunday, July 21, 2002 at 15:42:05 (PDT)
I think Asians cannot get nearly the value out of an Ivy degree that white people can. Even though most of the Asians are more talented and brighter than most of their white counterparts, ASians do not have the same access to connections and networks that the white folks do. Unfortunately, this catches up after graduation.
Princeton Grad
Friday, July 19, 2002 at 21:43:58 (PDT)
ivy girls are mostly ugly.
SOG
Friday, July 19, 2002 at 13:17:14 (PDT)
I've been at Yale twice and to be honest I never ever saw any girl that I'd say; "she's hot". They were all butt ugly, though there were a few that were kinda cute.
ck
Friday, July 19, 2002 at 10:40:36 (PDT)
Ahh, the sex, the sex.
It is true, sex is harder to come by at Ivies (except Brown, I hear the girls there are freaks... I've met some that prove this to be true). The girls are DEFINITELY uglier than those at less prestigious universities -- can you say JANET RENO?? (the same can be said for the guys, though to a lesser extent)
They are also from generally middle to upperclass backgrounds; hence they have "standards", no matter what they themselves look like (funnily enough). They are also a little conservative as a result of this.
I generally find myself compromising my standards to get some ass at Cornell (wa-hey! what a surprise. =P). I am from Cali, and girls that I generally would look at but not do anything about in Cali, I'm all over like white on rice. Pretty sad... I'm moving back to Cali after school. Or maybe NYC.
"Big" Red (from blue-balls)
Thursday, July 18, 2002 at 01:21:30 (PDT)
Cal Berkley rules!!!!!!
C-17 Globe Master
Monday, July 15, 2002 at 12:38:29 (PDT)
Truth Time
You said it sooooo well, screw working for someone! grow some balls and work for yourself. build something on your own.
TAKE CARE
SCREW IVIES
Friday, July 12, 2002 at 20:48:10 (PDT)
Truth Time:
I agree with much of what you said, but I must point out that, if one chooses to be an employee, she must kiss her bosses ass, be it white, black, yellow, brown, blue or purple.
I was too immature to know this simple fact of life and suffered as a result.
Commentary, formerly I-savant
Friday, July 12, 2002 at 17:39:40 (PDT)
To, Idiot-savant;
Yeah, i think you're right, there was this guy in a rival high school of mine a few years ago. He got a scholarship to Harvard i think of some sort. BUT he was a pretty smart guy, in HS he took an IB diploma with EVERYTHING averaged together in marks to be at 98.3 % (4.0). He was said to have mantained a mark just as high in Harvard, a pride of that school. But right now we have smarter people who don't get that, i don't think Harvard gives anymore scholarships... Because one of my friends took an IB diploma with 98.6 % average (all courses together, he only got one question wrong in the IB diploma finals) and he also volunteered like crazy, offering to help at parties, old peoples homes etc... Also he was in peer-support and in a whole bunch of sports teams thoughout HS... But he never got a scholarship, he had to pay to get into a local university in alberta.
I see that going to an Ivy can be a good thing, but sometimes it's not worth it. I know this guy (he's actually a friends brother), he went to Harvard just for the hell of it. He went to Harvard just to come back to good old Canada to work after he's done, c'mon he's not going to make any money here... He's vietnamese so maybe he did go to get some face for the vietnamese community, but i don't know, maybe he came back because he missed his family... It is pretty expencive just to go for a stunt like that...
Go Doll
Friday, July 12, 2002 at 12:21:58 (PDT)
NEWEST COMMENTS |
EARLIER COMMENTS
|