I guess some parents really DO want their kids to go to college

[user4]

Sorry DrJay but items 1-4 and 3$ should get him a cup of coffee and no more. Just my opinion on admissions.

[tandfman]

Sorry DrJay but items 1-4 and 3$ should get him a cup of coffee and no more. Just my opinion on admissions.

Those points were raised only because the interviewer asked how he knew what it's like to be a doctor. It seems to me that those were perfectly legitimate answers and should have allayed any concerns that the interviewer had about the applicant on that point.

[jazzcyclist]

Those points were raised only because the interviewer asked how he knew what it's like to be a doctor. It seems to me that those were perfectly legitimate answers and should have allayed any concerns that the interviewer had about the applicant on that point.

Don't you go to medical school to learn how to be a doctor? Why would anyone expect a med school applicant to already know how to be doctor?

[DrJay]

Those points were raised only because the interviewer asked how he knew what it's like to be a doctor. It seems to me that those were perfectly legitimate answers and should have allayed any concerns that the interviewer had about the applicant on that point.

Exactly. And the point being, doing those volunteer things tells one little about what it's like to be a doctor, but is practically a requirement to apply. And, worse, this: My daughter is interested in medicine. Last summer, at age 16, she applied our local hospital's "junior medical school", three full days of exposure to different departments and processes in the hospital. Perfect for a 16 y.o. to begin to see if medicine might be a career for them. She did not get accepted ("It's pretty competitive" we were told) in large part "because you haven't done anything yet that shows that you have an interest in medicine." My lord in heaven.

And now, back to our regularly scheduled scandal....

[jazzcyclist]

So in order to get experience in the medical profession, first you need experience in the medical profession.

[guru]

Stanford students sue over lost opportunity to get into UCLA and USC

Wait, WHAT??!!

https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/...EGpzDEH76bsNkA

[DrJay]

My son got rejected by Stanford a year ago. Maybe we'll join the lawsuit. :-)

[TN1965]

Those points were raised only because the interviewer asked how he knew what it's like to be a doctor. It seems to me that those were perfectly legitimate answers and should have allayed any concerns that the interviewer had about the applicant on that point.

So he didn't need to volunteer at a hospital, because he already knew what it's like to be a doctor (thanks to his family background). Instead he was able to use his time and energy on other activities to beep up his resume. Good for him. In the meantime, other students have to work from scratch.

[TN1965]

Exactly. And the point being, doing those volunteer things tells one little about what it's like to be a doctor, but is practically a requirement to apply. And, worse, this: My daughter is interested in medicine. Last summer, at age 16, she applied our local hospital's "junior medical school", three full days of exposure to different departments and processes in the hospital. Perfect for a 16 y.o. to begin to see if medicine might be a career for them. She did not get accepted ("It's pretty competitive" we were told) in large part "because you haven't done anything yet that shows that you have an interest in medicine." My lord in heaven.

And now, back to our regularly scheduled scandal....

Well, what has she done to show she has an interest in medicine other than being a daughter of a doctor?

[user4]

Those points were raised only because the interviewer asked how he knew what it's like to be a doctor. It seems to me that those were perfectly legitimate answers and should have allayed any concerns that the interviewer had about the applicant on that point.

The right answer is that "I have spent countless hours studying the mores and disciplines of my family members in an effort to understand the mindset and passion of those that dedicate their lives to the betterment of the health and well being of others". Furthermore I am writing an article on this same topic that will appear online on my "medical prodigy blog" , all advertising gains from the blog are donated to solve childhood hunger and cleft lip surgery needs in Madagascar.

[DrJay]

Well, what has she done to show she has an interest in medicine other than being a daughter of a doctor?

Uh, tried to do Junior Medical School, a program designed to give some exposure to 16 year-olds who might be interested in medicine. The point was about how it was a Catch-22 for her. You can't get experience without first having experience. I guess that brings it full circle. So now not only do college students have to volunteer at hospitals to prove they have enough interest in medicine to be worthy of med school admittance, now 16 year-olds have to volunteer at hospitals to prove they have enough interest in medicine to be worthy of "junior medical school" admittance. Maybe I'll ring up Lori Loughlin for some help!

[polevaultpower]

One of the things that irritates me about this... at least when wealthy families donate to Universities to help their kids get in, the money actually goes to a good cause.

In this case, the money mostly went to enrich bad people. A few checks seem to have been made to the athletic department at USC, but the rest went to paying off the people involved.

[jeremyp]

I'm pretty sure I got into my Ivy League College back in '59 primarily because I had an advantage over others. I had been educated in England. My SAT was O.K. I had no grades, the school didn't have grades, and only 3 "O" (Ordinary) levels and one "A" (Advanced) level-tests given in English schools at 16 and 18. Whether my Track and Swimming talents helped is unknown. I'm sure Colleges look for what they consider to be "extras" in picking out hundreds from thousands. I had to work hard to stay through 4 years and graduate and had only fair grades. I have no doubt that I took the place of a much brighter student.

[jeremyp]

One of the things that irritates me about this... at least when wealthy families donate to Universities to help their kids get in, the money actually goes to a good cause.

In this case, the money mostly went to enrich bad people. A few checks seem to have been made to the athletic department at USC, but the rest went to paying off the people involved.

Yup. Corruption and cheating.

[jazzcyclist]

One of the things that irritates me about this... at least when wealthy families donate to Universities to help their kids get in, the money actually goes to a good cause.

In this case, the money mostly went to enrich bad people. A few checks seem to have been made to the athletic department at USC, but the rest went to paying off the people involved.

The dilemma for these celebrities is they weren't rich enough to fund a new building or athletic facility, and since they had failed at parenting, cheating and lying was their only option to get their kids into elite schools.