fandomsecrets | [ SECRET POST #2099 ]

[ SECRET POST #2099 ]

⌈ Secret Post #2099 ⌋

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So, I've been looking into going back to school, but I keep being reminded of why I left. Some of the requirements are just arbitrary as fuck- like I can never apply to Carnagie-Mellon's arts program because I took three years of maths in high school instead of four. And I'm barred from other schools because my high school didn't offer enough AP courses. Or because I got a 4 instead of a 5 when some examiners in my state would never give anyone a 5 because they have to maintain a false pretense of difficulty.

And it pisses me off because generally I'm applying to programs for the arts or history, in which case I feel like, unless I had some kind of terrible attendance/detention record in my previous schooling, why don't you just read my damn entrance papers/watch my damn audition and see if I qualify? Why does it matter if I took unrelated subjects for x amount of time or got a certain score on a specific exam? And why are my goddamn Regents scores so irrelevant outside of New York State?

because the educational system needs to maintain artificially high entrance standards in order to maintain a false rarity and retain its institutional prestige and role as an arbiter of authority

I think schooling and academia are great and education is great and necessary, but a lot of things about the system that we have now are pretty skeevy and terrible.

Yeah, I didn't even get into all the messes with financial aid and mental health ): Most colleges don't really want the brightest and the best, they want the best of a very specific type of student who fits into their pre-engineered mold.

I hope you realize that this sounds exactly like the whine of losers everywhere--that they're being prevented from succeeding because the game is rigged against people with talent and originality.

Uh AP tests are graded against everyone else who takes the test. It's not that they don't give out 5s - they're *required* to give out a certain percentage of 5s. It just means you're not in the top nth percentile as compared to everyone else.

In the entire country or entire zone or state or what? I'm honestly asking, because I don't know.

Re: Rant about education systems

(Anonymous) - 2012-10-01 23:03 (UTC) - Expand

Re: Rant about education systems

murderershair.livejournal.com - 2012-10-01 23:06 (UTC) - Expand

Re: Rant about education systems

(Anonymous) - 2012-10-01 23:11 (UTC) - Expand

Re: Rant about education systems

murderershair.livejournal.com - 2012-10-02 00:13 (UTC) - Expand

Re: Rant about education systems

(Anonymous) - 2012-10-02 00:19 (UTC) - Expand

The sick thing about it all is that college is becoming increasingly worthless for anything but getting a little piece of paper so employers will hire you.

NA

And sometimes it's worthless for even that...

and increasingly expensive, to boot. cant forget about that part.

The sad truth, this. And even acknowledging that, you have to have a very specific paper to be hired; a good three-quarters of the diplomas handed out are worth less than student loans.

Re: Rant about education systems

terabient - 2012-10-02 03:51 (UTC) - Expand

Yep. Some places won't even let you bring them coffee without a degree.

So you're looking for a 4 year undergraduate program? Have you looked into if they accept associate degrees?

I say this because 2 year degrees often erase the need for standardized testing or many of the highschool requirements. I was home schooled and never took those exams but instead went to community college for 2 years and received a degree, after that when I applied to schools any highschool requirements didn't matter to most schools.

Getting a 2 year degree at a cheap community college can also help get rid of some arbitrary college requirements. When I transfered I didn't have to worry about math anymore because it was covered under my 2 year degree.

Community college is also cheaper then going to university for the 4 full years, if your local community has even halfway decent schooling I'd really look into it.

I have to admit that getting into college is SUPER easy if you live in a wealthy community and your parents are wealthy.

I was shitty at math, so my parents hired a math tutor for me so I could pass the class. My parents wanted me to do well on the SAT, so they got me a tutor who helped me boost my score to a 2000. They hired college counselors that helped me write entrance essays. When I decided on an expensive private liberal arts college, my parents shelled out the money.

If you don't have money, you're at a severe disadvantage. It really isn't fair. :/

This.

It's your own fault for not taking 4 years of math. You should have checked the college requirements. A lot of them require four.

NA

Some people get told incorrect information by the adult authority figures in their lives and because they think they can trust those adults they don't realize they should double check the information they're given until it's too late.

Re: Rant about education systems

(Anonymous) - 2012-10-02 00:57 (UTC) - Expand

I think you're overestimating how the highschool educational system is run, it's very common for schools to only be concerned about their own requirements and end up screwing over students who ever want to transfer or go to college.

When I was in highschool my schooling system tried to introduce new math, which was all well and good unless you needed to change schools or get into college. I was already in advanced classes so I didn't have to take the new system, but my friends who either changed highschools or went to college ended up being very behind where they should have been and schools generally didn't know where to place them.

It was not the fault of my friends, they were forced by my school to go through this new math system, the school screwed them over.

I'm gonna call bullshit. A lot of places, especially with a liberal arts and humanities focus, DON'T require four. And the idea that you are supposed to have decided where to go to college, and checked their requirements (which could change), when you're signing up for classes freshman year is absurd.

Where are you finding all these obstacles? I go to a state university with a highly regarded program in my major (agronomy and entomology fwiw) and the undergraduate admissions specify 3 years of math, 2 years of science, 2 years of a foreign language; there are no requirements that you take a certain number of advanced placement courses; anyone from the state with a decent ACT score can attend. If you're a transfer student or non-traditional student the requirements are relaxed even more; if necessary, you can attend during a summer session on probation, and if you do well, you're in.

And why are my goddamn Regents scores so irrelevant outside of New York State?

Because every state's own internal state testing system is completely irrelevant outside that state's borders. No one outside of Texas cares about the STAAR exams, either. None of the state test scoring systems are comparable to each other, the tests themselves are all based solely on that state's set curriculum, and it's unlikely that anyone outside of that state even knows what the scoring scale is. People at state (as opposed to private) schools may not even recognize the name; for example, I had no idea what the Keystone Exams were until I looked it up just now, and that's a pretty big state.

Also, that's a very serious accusation against your AP scorers. If you have any evidence for that, take it to the College Board; maintaining the integrity of the program is really important to them.

Have you really looked everywhere? I mean, honestly, every state university in my state (North Dakota) has math as low as Pre Algebra 1 all the way up to the highest math classes you can take anywhere. I know because my ex boyfriend had really low math skills due to how his small town school system in Pennsylvania handled his math classes and when he moved states for school he had to start all over.

Have you considered going to a community college first? I have known several people who have gotten cheap two year degrees and then have been accepted into good universities after they got all their prereqs taken care of at the community college.

I mean, honestly, this is going to sound harsh, but have you considered that you're just looking at the wrong schools to suit your needs? I mean, sometimes the school you think you want really isn't the school you need, you know? It sounds like what you need is a decent, cheap liberal arts college with a high acceptance rate and what you're looking for is an expensive, prestigious, extremely selective school.

Also consider that at a smaller state university/liberal arts college (vs a larger private one) you'll get more personal attention. I wanted to go to the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis for my bachelor's degree, which is enormous, but I'm so glad I went to North Dakota State University. It's also a good school and I get a lot of one on one attention here, and there's a lot of opportunities available for me; I'm a sophomore and I'm already working directly with a professor in a lab and I'm promised an internship next summer. I know other people in lots of other fields that have had wonderful research opportunities.

I mean, honestly, this is going to sound harsh, but have you considered that you're just looking at the wrong schools to suit your needs?

I agree. I get the frustration (admissions often are pretty arbitrary, says the daughter of a professor who has worked in graduate admissions) but I definitely still agree.

Neither of the schools I attended - for my undergrad and master's degree - were places I expected to wind up, and I chose them partially because they accepted me and offered me funding, but they turned out to be very good places for me to be.

Also, it's important to consider how much where you go to school matters in the kinds of jobs you're likely to be applying for after graduation. In my field, going to a prestigious school really doesn't buy you much, so unless you are such a hot-shot that the school is going to waive a big chunk of your tuition, it makes more sense to look at state schools and other less-expensive options.

Aw, maybe try SUNY Potsdam's Crane school of music? I graduated from SUNY Potsdam proper. But the Crane school is renowned, and some absolutely phenomenal artists came out of there. A world class opera singer named Stephanie Blythe, for one.

And Potsdam's a very very chill place. Rural and easy going, but full of great people.

I can second Potsdam being cool. The area is tiny but it is really nice. My aunt works there at the college :)

Re: Rant about education systems

khronos_keeper - 2012-10-02 13:03 (UTC) - Expand

Are you looking at the right requirements? If you're going back (either you've already done some college or worked for a few years after HS) you might qualify in a different way from kids coming right out of high school.

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