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I Ghostwrite Chinese Students' Ivy League Admissions Essays

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Re: I Ghostwrite Chinese Students' Ivy League Admissions Essays

#111

Post by bjourne »

WoodenChair wrote: post #38
w1ntermute wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The top universities (such as those in the Ivy League) typically give full financial aid to any admitted student who comes from a middle or lower class socioeconomic background. The "tuition problem" primarily exists at mediocre private universities (as well as those public universities that have significantly hiked tuition in recent years) which depend on squeezing every last penny from their students.

This is absolutely true and often shocks applicants that I meet in alumni interviews (although some know it well). Most of the Ivy League offers a full ride (as an official policy) for students who come from families with <$100k/year in income. This is not merit-based, it's need-based. It's a nasty misconception of "anti-elitists" that the Ivy League is only for the rich (although as others have pointed out there are…

But then the students are still partitioned among those that needs to have elite grades to get in and those that can pay their way. Either it is a fair system or it is not -- there is no middle ground.

80% of American households earn less than $100k and if 80% of the students got their education for free that wouldn't work out well for the universities.

Re: I Ghostwrite Chinese Students' Ivy League Admissions Essays

#112

Post by w1ntermute »

ploxiln wrote: post #66
WoodenChair wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is absolutely true and often shocks applicants that I meet in alumni interviews (although some know it well). Most of the Ivy League offers a full ride (as an official policy) for students who come from families with <$100k/year in income. This is not merit-based, it's need-based. It's a nasty misconception of "anti-elitists" that the Ivy League is only for the rich (although as others have pointed out there are…

Not necessarily true. My family made about that amount, but went without some luxuries and saved for my (and my sister's) high school ($25k/yr) and college ($45k/yr). There were a few years where tuition+room+board for my sister and I was more than their after-tax income. And no, we don't have a large amount of wealth from a previous generation, my parents started near zero just a couple years before I was born. But…

> There were a few years where tuition+room+board for my sister and I was more than their after-tax income

I don't know anything about CMU's financial aid system, but in the Ivies, this situation certainly would not have occurred.

Re: I Ghostwrite Chinese Students' Ivy League Admissions Essays

#113

Post by w1ntermute »

bjourne wrote: post #111
WoodenChair wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is absolutely true and often shocks applicants that I meet in alumni interviews (although some know it well). Most of the Ivy League offers a full ride (as an official policy) for students who come from families with <$100k/year in income. This is not merit-based, it's need-based. It's a nasty misconception of "anti-elitists" that the Ivy League is only for the rich (although as others have pointed out there are…

But then the students are still partitioned among those that needs to have elite grades to get in and those that can pay their way. Either it is a fair system or it is not -- there is no middle ground. 80% of American households earn less than $100k and if 80% of the students got their education for free that wouldn't work out well for the universities.

> 80% of American households earn less than $100k and if 80% of the students got their education for free that wouldn't work out well for the universities.

Actually, it would work out just fine (for top-tier universities). They can easily survive on the investment returns from their endowments, along with donations from wealthy alumni.

Re: I Ghostwrite Chinese Students' Ivy League Admissions Essays

#115

Post by lutusp »

dools wrote: post #110

She only charges $400?! That's crazy. What Ivy leagure candidate COULDN'T afford that? At those prices I'm surprised anyone writes their own letters.

> She only charges $400?! That's crazy.

That's ¥2,500.00. The current median Chinese income is ¥63,875 ($10,220). So one essay produces 4% of a typical annual income, for what might only be a few hours' work.

Twenty essays, and you're approaching the median income of your harder-working neighbors.

Re: I Ghostwrite Chinese Students' Ivy League Admissions Essays

#116

Post by heterogenic »

It's interesting that one of the only Ivy programs which is essentially immune to this gaming of the system is Harvard Business School, which allows only one semi-optional free-form essay ("What else would you like us to know?":(http://www.hbs.edu/mba/admissions/application-process/Pages/...) and requires a follow-up letter to every in-person interview.

The irony of course is that the scions of empires and children of privilege who are being groomed for leadership essentially get a free pass at admissions. (Which has a sort of logic when you consider that they form the backbone of the class power network almost immediately upon graduation).

(As an HBS graduate I have mixed feelings about the overall privilege distribution, but admit to having no plausible suggestions of how to address it.)

Re: I Ghostwrite Chinese Students' Ivy League Admissions Essays

#117

Post by saalweachter »

waterlesscloud wrote: post #101
metacorrector wrote: post #82

YCombinator is all tied up with VCs and incubators and such, right? In other contexts such as applying for various types of placements, are people's comment histories reviewed (including whatever amount of doxing is possible via server logs etc) to weed out "bad eggs"? Cuz, I sure wouldn't hire anybody on here who is condoning or defending in any way cheating in school, even in the most oblique way.

I wonder if there are "HN Posting Consultants" that help you get into YC? I also wonder how much I'm kidding when I say that.

Better yet, is there a sharing economy startup for essay writing yet?

Re: I Ghostwrite Chinese Students' Ivy League Admissions Essays

#118

Post by lutusp »

saalweachter wrote: post #117
waterlesscloud wrote: post #101

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I wonder if there are "HN Posting Consultants" that help you get into YC? I also wonder how much I'm kidding when I say that.

Better yet, is there a sharing economy startup for essay writing yet?

I can see the startup's pitch already: "Sell your soul, contribute to the systematic erosion of civilized values, undermine everyone's idea of fair play -- all this without having to become a lawyer!"

Re: I Ghostwrite Chinese Students' Ivy League Admissions Essays

#119

Post by WoodenChair »

ploxiln wrote: post #66
WoodenChair wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is absolutely true and often shocks applicants that I meet in alumni interviews (although some know it well). Most of the Ivy League offers a full ride (as an official policy) for students who come from families with <$100k/year in income. This is not merit-based, it's need-based. It's a nasty misconception of "anti-elitists" that the Ivy League is only for the rich (although as others have pointed out there are…

Not necessarily true. My family made about that amount, but went without some luxuries and saved for my (and my sister's) high school ($25k/yr) and college ($45k/yr). There were a few years where tuition+room+board for my sister and I was more than their after-tax income. And no, we don't have a large amount of wealth from a previous generation, my parents started near zero just a couple years before I was born. But…

I was speaking about a very specific financial aid situation present at several of the Ivy League universities - I don't understand why you would construe my comment to be applicable generally? Did you go to a school that specifically has a tuition is free for families with <100k/year policy?

Re: I Ghostwrite Chinese Students' Ivy League Admissions Essays

#120

Post by [deleted] »

ploxiln wrote: post #66
WoodenChair wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is absolutely true and often shocks applicants that I meet in alumni interviews (although some know it well). Most of the Ivy League offers a full ride (as an official policy) for students who come from families with <$100k/year in income. This is not merit-based, it's need-based. It's a nasty misconception of "anti-elitists" that the Ivy League is only for the rich (although as others have pointed out there are…

Not necessarily true. My family made about that amount, but went without some luxuries and saved for my (and my sister's) high school ($25k/yr) and college ($45k/yr). There were a few years where tuition+room+board for my sister and I was more than their after-tax income. And no, we don't have a large amount of wealth from a previous generation, my parents started near zero just a couple years before I was born. But…

[deleted]
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