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by csa 1894 days ago
> There is a trend for top tier universities to pick Black students mostly from prep & private schools for some reason.

My guess is that this “tiny fraction of low income black American teenagers” are mostly, if not entirely, recruited athletes doing a 13th year to fix grades, SAT scores, and (maybe) study skills.

While folks (of any race) from low income areas can theoretically succeed at elite schools via their own initiative, the education at these low income schools does little or nothing to prepare them for an elite education. This is a very significant handicap that many people underestimate the importance of.
1 comments
amznthrowaway5 1894 days ago
Why is it a handicap? I've seen poor Asians who go to the same types of schools tend to do just fine.
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csa 1894 days ago
First, I am discussing low-SES schools in the US. It can be very different in other countries, especially Asian countries (first hand experience seeing this).

That said, in the US, many people (Asians included) can go to shitty schools and still succeed. Their success is despite the formal education they got at a low SES school, not because of it.

Generally when you see elite school success from students from low-SES areas, it is due to substantial intervention at home and/or extracurricular education/tutoring.

You ask why it is a handicap. If they could get quality education during school hours, their extracurricular hours could be used for deeper study or more interesting endeavors (e.g., research projects).

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amznthrowaway5 1894 days ago
There are lots of Asians that grow up poor in the US and excel at far higher rates than poor African-Americans. There isn't really much evidence that SES has a large impact on things like SAT scores, I doubt it would affect being able to do well at Harvard (which I've heard is actually very easy once you get in).
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whimsicalism 1894 days ago
> There are lots of Asians that grow up poor in the US and excel at far higher rates than poor African-Americans.

What do you think explains the difference?

> which I've heard is actually very easy once you get in

Very dependent on what classes you take.

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amznthrowaway5 1894 days ago
> What do you think explains the difference?

The Asians, at least the ones who come to the US, being a far more elite group in terms of genes for academic success.

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whimsicalism 1894 days ago
LOL and you got mad at me for saying that you were "dogwhistling" earlier.

I call it as I see it, and I'm generally not wrong.

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