#118 I have hidden behind library bookcases to listen to my classmates talk about how they started studying for the SAT in eighth grade, the GRE and getting career counseling the summer prior to starting to college, and how they were all set to get into the top job/graduate school after graduation. Some kids at my high school started researching about colleges and starting filling the Common App during Winter Break of their senior year. Some kids at my high school have no idea what they want to do with their lives - no one tells them about their choices in life or what they should do. Some smart students attend college for Engineering or Medicine because it is easy to get a job in those fields, but most of my friends have already dropped out because the rigor was too great and they didnt know about other suitable majors/careers so they just gave up, thinking that they couldnt become middle-class without an Engineering or Nursing Degree. For some of my friends who did attend this high school and who did think that they had it figured out, college was too much of a financial strain so instead of aspiring to become a lawyer or doctor or engineer or public policy leader, they dropped out and lowered their standards. Honestly, I went to a New York private school that required those fancy placement exams, had relatively high tuition costs, and did not provide any free or reduced lunch. I went to the type of private school that promised to educate poor kids, but instead left them hungry because there was no free or reduced lunch. Instead left them confused and not sure of what to do, because our guidance counselors did not know how to advise low-income and economically disadvantages kids about college and their career options. Hell, my guidance counselors let my friends apply to the some of the same colleges that I did (Im a rich white male from Manhattan) - private schools that did not provide 100 percent demonstrated need. Instead left them thinking that they couldnt fulfill their dreams, because my high school was smart enough to have a large group of kids score 2300s on their SATs, but was stupid enough to not tell low-income kids that they should work very hard, get a high GPA and ace the SAT, and aim to attend a school like where I attend now (Pomona). Something does not feel right, because despite the opportunities that the Claremont Colleges provides for low-income students, I feel that there is not enough support. I feel that the Claremont Colleges do represent my high school. I did not have to change my major and reconsider what I was truly interested in, because my parents paid for me to do enrichment programs and find out what I truly loved. I am not pressured to major in Engineering or STEM but can major in a major where it is harder to find a job (Im a History major) because my parents tell me that theyve got it figured out for me. My low-income friends both from high school and Pomona have either failed their classes or had to reconsider their major, because the pressure of being a STEM major was too great. Too many times, I have overheard professors and administrators discourage low-income students. So if you didnt attend a private school that offered hard courses or take AP in some subject area, youre not as fit to have a certain profession (not only in STEM)? Thats ridiculous. Ive had great internships in the last three years because no, not because I worked at my fathers firm, but my parents helped me research great programs that I could get into. I also have the privilege of living in New York City where there are a plethora of opportunities. I know friends at Pomona who have parents who dont speak English and/or arent educated and live in the middle of nowhere. Its hard for them to find internships and summer opportunities even if they go to Pomonas Career Development Office and seek help. Something just doesnt feel right. How can someone like me, a rich white boy, help?
Posted on: Tue, 30 Dec 2014 02:36:02 +0000
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