Did those students simply not have any initiative? It's sad to see such a reliance on others. I'm also from the rural South from a high school where most of my classmates stayed within the same small town, but I took initiative and got accepted to MIT and other top universities.
This is a cute argument, but I don't think you can successfully counter "No one in the history of my high school attended an Ivy League school" where California (and Massachusetts, and Connecticut) high schools routinely send 10%+ of their graduating classes to Ivy League institutions.
Your claim is cute that high schools "send" their graduates to Ivy League schools. It denigrates their efforts. They applied, and they earned admission.
The smartest people from my high school went to the flagship state school. The State school was essentially the ceiling of where our high school graduates went.
High school graduates from my school were simply not competitive (on paper) against the students applying to elite institutions.
One student had scored a 1600 out of a 1600 on their SAT, but was denied admissions to one of the ivies. They instead went to one of our state schools.
My high school is quite terrible and I don’t think any parent that has money would send their children to such places.
As mentioned, in the more well-funded schools, they regularly send their graduates to the most elite colleges including HYPS.
The ability level between the smartest person from high school and the students graduating from the well-funded high school isn’t anything huge. They’re probably of equal ability, yet one sends their graduates to elite places and the other doesn’t.
Couldn't one ask then, if the problem isn't (only) with schools (American schools, unlike its colleges, are generally unimpressive, including California ones, really) but with elite colleges as well? It's no secret already that they are choosing students for "culture fit" (e.g. see the Harvard lawsuit), so could it be possible that they just don't want "them hicks" regardless of how well-prepared they might have been?
In my city, there’s one Ivy League “feeder” school, it’s a private school that’s $20,000 a year or so for tuition. I went to a public school and also knew a guy who got a 1600 on his SAT, but couldn’t get accepted to Ivy League.
In 2017, only 5 kids got accepted to Ivy League schools in the best private school where I live, out of 100 or so in the graduating class? I’m not sure what that means, but maybe it’ll be of interest to someone.
Right, I have no idea, I’m simply saying that in terms of opportunities in a midwestern metropolitan with 1-2 million people, even what’s considered the best schooling option at any price has very few Ivy League bound students.
Well, one of SV's founders (and YC graduate at that) said that Middle America is a shithole full of stupid people. With the donations from, and revolving door between Ivies and SV elite (I guess Wall Street as well, but people there tend to be a bit more practical), why would either want to admit those stupid people from those shithole places into their rarefied circles?
It's more or less no opportunity for initiative. If most of the time you see others going into the state university system and think that the top universities are out of your range you most likely never gain that initiative. At least until later in life or at all even. The reliance comes from people who would usually give you advice are out of their element.
I grew up in a very rural area and we had a similar ceiling. State schools for the top 5% of students, community college for the next 20%, and farming for the rest. I did well in high school and I applied to a few high caliber schools and was not accepted. I think you have it right, I had no perception of what the bar for entry at elite schools was or how to get there because not a single person within 100 miles had ever attended one.
I don't think you're blaming them for not getting into any, but I still want to say that i think one can't expect such an initiaitive from (essentially) childen. Taking initiaitve is also very character-dependend, I know some very smart and able, but shy people. They wouldn't really try something like this, they just don't have the courage.
It's a remarkable archievement to get into top universities on your own, but I don't think the skill (i don't mean your archievements in high-school, but doing this on your own) correlates too well the academic ability.
I think a realiance on others/your enviroment is just not something that you can change, especially during your young years.
