Michelle's helps with college admission

[ruby59]

Why, why not use that person for a rec if the person knows you well and you have worked closely and the famous person knows your commitment and intelligence? IF you read the pointers I posted above you will have read that famous people recs don't work unless the famous person and student have a true working relationship. Which this girl did.

How many other boys and girls volunteered with that organization. How many could have gotten close enough to the first lady to form that relationship.

Believe me, a jo shmo would have had a body guard between you and her if they even tried to approach her.

 

[ruby59]

I was unaware the only kids getting into colleges these days were those with rich daddies or celebrity connections. Man, have things changed.

This isn't just about the letter, and since that's where it's veering, I'll bow out now. Rage on!

Why is a discussion a rage? It is what you do on a message board until April has her baby or the next big topic comes up.

 

[Tekate]

Then what gets you to an interview besides being a legacy or name dropping.

Glad you asked!!

http://money.cnn.com/interactive/pf/college/ivy-league-schools/
http://www.wikihow.com/Get-Into-an-Ivy-League-School
http://thetab.com/us/2016/11/22/ivy-league-schools-55826
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamesm...y-tips-for-ivy-league-admission/#6ced7b58799c

Basically you have to be 'more than' a smart kid..

 

[Tekate]

How many other boys and girls volunteered with that organization. How many could have gotten close enough to the first lady to form that relationship.

Believe me, a jo shmo would have had a body guard between you and her if they even tried to approach her.

We don't know, maybe they are all going to Ivy. It's off topic anyway.

Why Michelle Obama wrote college recommendation for Yara Shahidi

http://www.today.com/popculture/mic...mendation-black-ish-star-yara-shahidi-t109151

 

[ruby59]

Glad you asked!!

http://money.cnn.com/interactive/pf/college/ivy-league-schools/
http://www.wikihow.com/Get-Into-an-Ivy-League-School
http://thetab.com/us/2016/11/22/ivy-league-schools-55826
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamesm...y-tips-for-ivy-league-admission/#6ced7b58799c

Basically you have to be 'more than' a smart kid..

Read her Wiki . She is an actress. Do not see anything else that would qualify for her up and above all the others who also volunteer in their communities.

 

[Tekate]

Read her Wiki . She is an actress. Do not see anything else that would qualify for her up and above all the others who also volunteer in their communities.

4.96 GPA at 16
http://www.freep.com/story/news/loc...black-ish-talks-career-life-service/86531620/

https://www.facebook.com/yarashahidi/posts/10152510549269948
Final grades for this year: all A's

She isn't up and above all others, she is a harder worker, she is an actress, she is a volunteer, she is a student.. She works her derriere off.. We should be saluting her as a role model for young women.

 

[ruby59]

4.96 GPA at 16
http://www.freep.com/story/news/loc...black-ish-talks-career-life-service/86531620/

https://www.facebook.com/yarashahidi/posts/10152510549269948
Final grades for this year: all A's

She isn't up and above all others, she is a harder worker, she is an actress, she is a volunteer, she is a student.. She works her derriere off.. We should be saluting her as a role model for young women.

And there are many others who could say the same thing and more who will not get in.

Again imo Mrs. Obama should have stayed out of it because how does a college turn Mrs. Obama down?

I have clicked everywhere you said and a little number pops up then hides back down again.

 

[ksinger]

I am not hating on anyone.

Letters should come from previous teachers or employers only.

Not everyone gets an interview where obviously you will see the candidate in person.

So keep it blind until then.

Why? Do you perceive some issue of unfairness here that needs to be rectified? There is no law in place that says a college has to admit someone just because their (required I'm sure) reference letter was by an influential person. (Michelle Obama is not just famous BTW, she's much more than that.)

The girl is clearly very impressive in her own right. I bet she would have gotten what she wanted without Michelle Obama's letter, and with some lesser mortal's letter. But why not? Nothing succeeds like excess these days, gild the lily and all.

And seriously, who told you the world was fair? Some kid who isn't your kid, had access to more and better things than your kids did, and got to work with a first lady. Sounds like life to me, because remember, as a conservative you adhere to the idea that there are winners and losers and that's OK, it's part of the natural order of things. Some win, some lose, and who "deserves" what, is not yours to rectify. Social darwinism rules. Of course that's not so great when you and yours are not top 'o the heap, is it?

The world has always worked to great extent, on who you know. Heck, the arguably #1 reason (not spoken in polite company of course) that you send your kid to private school is not because the actual education is that much better, but for the contact list. It ensures knowing the right people in the right circles, and it's often how jobs are obtained later.

Sounds to me like like you're just indulging in adolescent "it's not FAIR!" sour grapes.

 

[ruby59]

Why? Do you perceive some issue of unfairness here that needs to be rectified? There is no law in place that says a college has to admit someone just because their (required I'm sure) reference letter was by an influential person. (Michelle Obama is not just famous BTW, she's much more than that.)

The girl is clearly very impressive in her own right. I bet she would have gotten what she wanted without Michelle Obama's letter, and with some lesser mortal's letter. But why not? Nothing succeeds like excess these days, gild the lily and all.

And seriously, who told you the world was fair? Some kid who isn't your kid, had access to more and better things than your kids did, and got to work with a first lady. Sounds like life to me, because remember, as a conservative you adhere to the idea that there are winners and losers and that's OK, it's part of the natural order of things. Some win, some lose, and who "deserves" what, is not yours to rectify. Social darwinism rules. Of course that's not so great when you and yours are not top 'o the heap, is it?

The world has always worked to great extent, on who you know. Heck, the arguably #1 reason (not spoken in polite company of course) that you send your kid to private school is not because the actual education is that much better, but for the contact list. It ensures knowing the right people in the right circles, and it's often how jobs are obtained later.

Sounds to me like like you're just indulging in adolescent "it's not FAIR!" sour grapes.

The highlighted part - I completely agree.

And why are you bringing my children into this? But since you asked, they all got into their favorite schools ( Bentley University and Providence College) with 3/4 merit scholarships all on their own.

However, I am speaking as a person who was secretary to the Principal in 3 different high schools and saw first hand how unfair it was.

 

[redwood66]

Letters of recommendation are very important to college applicants. Many applicants to military academies request letters of nomination from their congressional representatives and senators. This goes far in their acceptance probability.

It is not likely someone well known will write a letter for a piece of crap student. It is up to the student to be exemplary as well.

Edit - This is just the way the world works. Not a big deal to me. Of all things wrong with colleges this is not one to be worried about.

 

[monarch64]

What if you are an employer who also has volunteers who also attend college and are also trying to get into a program at a different school for the summer/internship and you write them a letter and you are not necessarily a "big name" but you know if you knocked on the recipient's door they would be like WHOA? because maybe you're not Michelle O. but you have a similar presence/aka you're badass? THEN WHAT.

Sorry, forgot this:

 

[ruby59]

What if you are an employer who also has volunteers who also attend college and are also trying to get into a program at a different school for the summer/internship and you write them a letter and you are not necessarily a "big name" but you know if you knocked on the recipient's door they would be like WHOA? because maybe you're not Michelle O. but you have a similar presence/aka you're badass? THEN WHAT.

Is that person a big name to these colleges, so big that given the publicity and the fact that most IVY colleges are so liberal it would be embarrassing if they turned her down?

 

[azstonie]

No, no to blind admission. Over the years I've served on USC's admissions committees and one of the goals is to achieve a class varied in many ways. It serves no one to have a class or an entire university without diversity.

 

[azstonie]

Good Lord, woman, the Ivy's are typically Republican and legacy driven.

 

[azstonie]

As Steve Martin says, " Criticize things you don't know about."

 

[OreoRosies86]

Good Lord, woman, the Ivy's are typically Republican and legacy driven.

Yeah but easier to slam the liberal Ivy's and bask in the warm glow of a safety school.

 

[azstonie]

Or no school...

 

[ruby59]

I looked up each one on College Confidential as well as various lists of the most liberal vs conservative schools.

Brown, Columbia, Yale, Cornell, Harvard, Penn, Princeton, Dartmouth

Brown, Columbia, Yale and Cornell are as liberal as you can get according to students who attended.

Harvard - My son asked the student giving us a tour if a conservative could survive there, and the tour guide said you can't voice any conservative opinion without facing nasty verbal attacks.

Penn State and Princeton are more moderate. "Based on my experience, I would say The general student body is extremely socially liberal but moderately fiscally conservative. With the faculty, it's varied."

Dartmouth is conservative.

 

[OreoRosies86]

I'm totally 1000% sure that Harvard conversation happened.

 

[monarch64]

Is that person a big name to these colleges, so big that given the publicity and the fact that most IVY colleges are so liberal it would be embarrassing if they turned her down?

LOL! I was referring to myself in my post (it's called satire.) I've worked with paid employees and interns and volunteers and written them all letters of recommendation that have gotten several into their programs of choice on the East coast. Maybe not Harvard, or other Ivys, but certainly NYU, etc. I, and these young women, feel like we've forged some wonderful relationships and also furthered the cause of women's equality, among many other causes we support.

 

[ruby59]

LOL! I was referring to myself in my post (it's called satire.) I've worked with paid employees and interns and volunteers and written them all letters of recommendation that have gotten several into their programs of choice on the East coast. Maybe not Harvard, or other Ivys, but certainly NYU, etc. I, and these young women, feel like we've forged some wonderful relationships and also furthered the cause of women's equality, among many other causes we support.

But don't you see how different your letter of recommendation is as compared to the first lady's.

Yours compliments the student's ability. But it would hold no more weight then any other employer.

But Mrs. Obama. Can you imagine a University turning her down, the backlash it would cause.

 

[Tekate]

And there are many others who could say the same thing and more who will not get in.

Again imo Mrs. Obama should have stayed out of it because how does a college turn Mrs. Obama down?

I have clicked everywhere you said and a little number pops up then hides back down again.

Well Obama went to Princeton undergrad and Harvard for law school, so I don't know if SHE was turned down for any school she applied to but it DOES tell me she was a smartie pants.

You IGNORE the fact that the 17 year old is STELLAR.. she has more and better creds than your regular smart kid (this is not Calc 4 btw)..

here's a list of hollywood celebs who went to Ivy schools.
http://www.glamour.com/gallery/celebrities-who-went-to-ivy-league-colleges

Brooke Shields and Emma Watson were both stars when they applied to their respective schools (Princeton and Brown)..

Here's another one:
http://stylecaster.com/ivy-league-schools-celebrities/

It seems Ivanka Trump went to Penn and she wasn't a star! she was rich though and had a name!
Eric went to Georgetown (not IVY), Donnie Jr went to Wharton at Penn.. 2 outta 3 went IVY! and they weren't movie starts or TV stars just your average billionaire kids.

So for some OBSCURE reason you think that this girl got into IVY schools and schools like Stanford or Berkerly because Michelle Obama and she worked together and Mrs Obama wrote a letter saying she was talented and whatever else and you think this kid got in not on HER OWN merits but because Mrs Obama wrote a letter. Seriously, there is no basis in fact that it is the reason WHY she got into every college she applied to. there were other kids this year who got into every school they applied to also.
http://fortune.com/2017/04/06/ivy-league-school-acceptance/
http://edition.cnn.com/2017/04/05/us/nd-teen-ivy-league-trnd/
http://money.cnn.com/2016/04/07/pf/college/kelly-hyles-college/
http://www.ktvb.com/news/local/boise-teen-accepted-to-all-8-ivy-league-schools/428970104

kids get in with LESS pedigree than this young girl.

 

[Tekate]

But don't you see how different your letter of recommendation is as compared to the first lady's.

Yours compliments the student's ability. But it would hold no more weight then any other employer.

But Mrs. Obama. Can you imagine a University turning her down, the backlash it would cause.

What backlash? the kid applied to many schools, she was bound to get in.. She WOULDN'T have applied if she didn't think she would get into ONE of them..

Do you think she is not a qualified student? Do you want to pass a law that students aren't allowed to get letters of rec from Michelle Obama?? Seriously your inability to give the kid credit for her hard work is troublesome.

 

[Tekate]

I looked up each one on College Confidential as well as various lists of the most liberal vs conservative schools.

Brown, Columbia, Yale, Cornell, Harvard, Penn, Princeton, Dartmouth

Brown, Columbia, Yale and Cornell are as liberal as you can get according to students who attended.

Harvard - My son asked the student giving us a tour if a conservative could survive there, and the tour guide said you can't voice any conservative opinion without facing nasty verbal attacks.

Penn State and Princeton are more moderate. "Based on my experience, I would say The general student body is extremely socially liberal but moderately fiscally conservative. With the faculty, it's varied."

Dartmouth is conservative.

Who cares what they are.. if your kid or my kid (who did quite well in high school but he never even considered going Ivy since he refused to do volunteer work ha!) wants to go to a highly competitive college then they will have to be more than just a scholar.. they have to be unique to what the college is looking for.

If my kid could have gotten into Dartmouth and he wanted to go I would have been thrilled my kid isn't dumb enough to turn down a good thing. (of course he's 25 now and a programmer)

 

[OreoRosies86]

Some kids get into schools with 5% acceptance rates, and some kids get into schools with oh say, 60% acceptance rates. Its only "unfair" when your kid isn't in that elite group.

 

[Tekate]

Some kids get into schools with 5% acceptance rates, and some kids get into schools with oh say, 60% acceptance rates. Its only "unfair" when your kid isn't in that elite group.

My kid had a 4.2 GPA, went to an 'elite' high school in Austin, had SATs over 1400, was an A/P scholar and you know what? his class rank was 58th percentile Elliot, 58th... there were over 500 kids in his graduating class.. you know what? he didn't get into UT, the vaulted UT... he's was and is fairly smart, but so are a LOT of kids...it takes more than what my boy did to get into State IVY.. (UT, UVA etc).. not only did he not get in, he wasn't even on wait.. he went to a lower tier college in Texas. Being above average doesn't get you into even UT.. on the SATs my son averaged almost 300 points per category (except writing, he's NOT a writer)... he was in the Honors college... my kid is exceptional to me, but in the scheme of kids back in 2010 he was a above average but well below what it takes to go state ivy, or IVY. I'm not mad I wasn't mad then, I told him in 9th grade, it's your life, you want to go to a good college do very well, you want to go to an okay college, goof off.. to my mind he goofed off, he took some very high level math courses (AP etc).. but his studying was varied, he tended to blow things off and did not want to be FORCED to do any community service (ah kids).. he's done very well, he's got a good career started, he saves, he should get his MS in comp sci, but again, it's up to him.. I can't live thru my kid.

 

[OreoRosies86]

Tekate, my comment was not directed towards you, not sure if you think it was? I actually didn't even read your comment about your son until just now.

I'm saying that in general, parents slamming kids who get into competitive schools comes across as sour grapes.

Different schools want different things. Find the school where your kid will thrive, don't begrudge another kid their success at a "better" school.

 

[plad25]

Is that person a big name to these colleges, so big that given the publicity and the fact that most IVY colleges are so liberal it would be embarrassing if they turned her down?

I’m a lurker, but I’m sorry, I could not resist poking my head up and saying this is just ridiculous. I don’t understand why anybody feels like they need to put down a deserving young woman because you disagree with the political leanings of the author of their recommendation letter. Her achievements stand on their own and do not lessen anybody else’s- and obviously got into these schools because of her accomplishments.

There are enough men de-valuing women these days, why put down an accomplished 17 yr old female?!?

 

[SMC]

I’m a lurker, but I’m sorry, I could not resist poking my head up and saying this is just ridiculous. I don’t understand why anybody feels like they need to put down a deserving young woman because you disagree with the political leanings of the author of their recommendation letter. Her achievements stand on their own and do not lessen anybody else’s- and obviously got into these schools because of her accomplishments.

There are enough men de-valuing women these days, why put down an accomplished 17 yr old female?!?

I don't understand it either. Yes, there are people who get where they are because of who they know (*cough*, Ivanka and Jared, *cough*) BUT THIS IS NOT ONE OF THEM. If anything, I'd think that the OP would value the hard work that this girl put in - she works 9.5 hour days 5 days a week AND takes advanced classes AND volunteers, instead of demeaning her for a 4.6 GPA.

And, the OP repeatedly ignores the fact that Michelle Obama or, really, any other logical person (famous or not), would not write a glowing recommendation for anyone undeserving. If Michelle Obama can be criticized for showing her bare arms and wearing shorts, can you imagine the flack she'd get for writing a college recommendation for a doofus?

 

[ruby59]

Well Obama went to Princeton undergrad and Harvard for law school, so I don't know if SHE was turned down for any school she applied to but it DOES tell me she was a smartie pants.

You IGNORE the fact that the 17 year old is STELLAR.. she has more and better creds than your regular smart kid (this is not Calc 4 btw)..

here's a list of hollywood celebs who went to Ivy schools.
http://www.glamour.com/gallery/celebrities-who-went-to-ivy-league-colleges

Brooke Shields and Emma Watson were both stars when they applied to their respective schools (Princeton and Brown)..

Here's another one:
http://stylecaster.com/ivy-league-schools-celebrities/

It seems Ivanka Trump went to Penn and she wasn't a star! she was rich though and had a name!
Eric went to Georgetown (not IVY), Donnie Jr went to Wharton at Penn.. 2 outta 3 went IVY! and they weren't movie starts or TV stars just your average billionaire kids.

So for some OBSCURE reason you think that this girl got into IVY schools and schools like Stanford or Berkerly because Michelle Obama and she worked together and Mrs Obama wrote a letter saying she was talented and whatever else and you think this kid got in not on HER OWN merits but because Mrs Obama wrote a letter. Seriously, there is no basis in fact that it is the reason WHY she got into every college she applied to. there were other kids this year who got into every school they applied to also.
http://fortune.com/2017/04/06/ivy-league-school-acceptance/
http://edition.cnn.com/2017/04/05/us/nd-teen-ivy-league-trnd/
http://money.cnn.com/2016/04/07/pf/college/kelly-hyles-college/
http://www.ktvb.com/news/local/boise-teen-accepted-to-all-8-ivy-league-schools/428970104

kids get in with LESS pedigree than this young girl.

Yes, I know Emma Watson went to Brown and then dropped out and then went back.

Ivanka and Eric, their father got them in on a legacy as many parents do with their children. Yara took advantage of an opportunity when she was on stage with the First Lady that other kids who are just as accomplished or even more so cannot.

You keep mentioning Calculus 4. My kids all took the advanced class and got A's in it as do many many other kids.

Two of the schools I know Yara applied to are Harvard and Brown. Look them up, in their respective states they are two of the hardest schools to get into. I have seen children in the various school systems I have worked in with a perfect 5.0 and 1600 on the Sat's get wait listed or not admitted at all.

Read College Confidential for each school and you will get a better understanding of this.

Do you seriously think that with all the publicity of Michelle Obama writtng a letter to two very very liberal schools like Brown and Harvard (look them up, Brown is in my home state) and they would turn her down, then you are not living in the real world.