Well she did tell the truth, but she is also whiny self-entitled narcissistic brat.

Yeah, for a 17 year you do seem very bright and intelligent.

But guess what honey, basically everyone who applies to the schools you got rejected from are the same as you, bright and intelligent. Also, as a white Jewish girl, its harder for you to get into these schools since as East Asians can attest, Jews and East Asians are over achievers to begin with and Ivies do ‘check’ their diversity block whether you like it or not.

Now I agree with Little Suzy on one thing. All that resume paddling is crap, and most students do it because they have to do it, to make the admissions happy. And yeah, if you had two Moms, I’m sure you would have gotten in. This what academy ‘stands’ for these days. It’s very eugenic, disgusting, I know, but it is what it is.

This is perfect. I’ve had this conversation too many times. To say that the college admissions process has left me disillusioned and bitter is an understatement. I do think high schools, parents, television, puts out this notion that anyone with enough pluck and effort can get into (and go to) any school they want. No one tells you that working hard is a poor substitute for living next door to Joe Biden, or living an authentically Dickensian childhood. There are certain things that go into admissions that are so beyond the control of the student, and yet no one’s telling you that when they scam you into applying (Harvard gets 75 bucks out of my bright middle-class suburban optimism, which I’m sure is being put to good use funding the Harvard Admissions office fancy-pen fund). College admissions in the United States is presented as this American dream, apex of individual achievement thing that probably hasn’t existed for over thirty years. And don’t get me started on paying for the darned thing! I couldn’t be happier with the (state) University I attend now, but I wish the process was presented more honestly. Otherwise, I would have been able to save myself a lot of time, money, and emotional energy. Kudos for Suzy Weiss doing something productive with her rage. I think the article is funny and honest, and hope that she keeps writing.

Suzy’s obviously academically intelligent and she’s qualified for an Ivy on the numbers aspect (her GPA), but that’s not all the counts. She has no emotional intelligence, depth or compassion. I have a feeling that her essay and the way she filled out her app (a hidden personality test), is what threw her out of the game. By far, whites are the majority at all Ivy Leagues; There’s only a small # of Hispanics, Native Americans, Pac Islanders, Blacks, etc. The fact is, Suzy is really competing w/ other white kids, who, frankly, did a better job than she did and she’s blaming the 15 people of color who got in. She’s very Type-A and blatantly cold and insincere, so I know it showed in her essay. Admissions counselors are trained to read between the lines and pick the cream of the crop, which Suzy is not. It’s not all about grades. You’ve got to have grades and be dynamic. Her world view is sour and filled with negativity and cynicism (believes people who volunteer or want to help people only want to do it for their personal benefit) – Who would want her on their campus (eew)? This whole idea of blaming “diversity” applicants because you suck is pathetic.

Everyone should read this piece from Commentary on Suzy Weiss problem. I think it cuts right to chase.

http://www.commentarymagazine.com/2013/04/04/its-not-only-the-colleges-that-werent-honest-with-suzy-weiss/

Oh btw, Adam, instead of blog roll bottom feeder and sewer diving mondoweiss, why don’t you blog roll Commentary Magazine instead? Unlike the former, the latter actually has insightful commentary and critical thinking.

Yet perhaps the biggest irony in Weiss’ case is that although she may have failed to have landed a slot with an ivy league institution her gumption to do something that most candidates would never have thought to do (the very same qualities that ivy league institutions make a point of looking for) helped her gain entry into Pennsylvania State, Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin—not Ivy Leagues but still prestigious. That plus
receiving job and internship offers.

Nevertheless her letter is a disquieting reflection on the state of affairs of what it actually takes to get ahead in America these days…

http://scallywagandvagabond.com/2013/04/suzy-lee-weiss-ivy-league-letter-causes-america-to-reflect-on-the-misery-of-getting-ahead/

Pro-tip: Don’t write racist sounding public letters.

How is a 4.5 GPA possible? It’s a 4.0 scale…and the SAT is out of 1600…how did she get a 2125? Maybe she didn’t get in because she lied about her scores.

I applaud this more heavily than I can describe in writing. I’m really happy with my choice of schools, especially after meeting some folks from my first choice (I now go to their main rival, their loss). I don’t think college applications should be judged on anything but brains. If your life is so perfect, you have time for volunteering and sports and expensive SAT prep, then you’re clearly abnormal. Us socially awkward, hormonal nightmare, watches anime and spends too much time on the net people (we are speaking of high school kids here, which I used to be) are just as bloody smart as everyone else. We just aren’t sporty and would prefer to be left to our books in peace, rather than deal with others’ bullshit

My heart goes out to the trials and tribulations faced by this straight white young woman in the 21st century. Sadly, being straight and white and having good grades no longer entitles you to an ivy-league education. What an unfortunate commentary on our society when college admissions officers consider diversity, initiative and entrepreneurship in evaluating candidates instead of just numerical qualifications. [Note to Suzy: This is what satire actually looks like].

Suzy feels “like in this day and age we’re getting judged on things we cannot control as opposed to things we can.” She says this as if in the past when women and ethnic minorities were applying to colleges, they weren’t being denied based on their immutable characteristics. Suzy, there has never been a time in history where “things we cannot control” have not been factored into the admissions calculus.

But honestly, based on the content of her article, Suzy’s sense of entitlement and complacency is what makes her a non-diverse candidate, not the color of her skin. Perhaps if, instead of watching The Real Housewives, she had elected to engage herself in her community, she would be a more dynamic candidate for admissions officers. In the meantime, I hope that someday she will confront hardships akin to those experienced by minority and LGBT youth so she won’t be so cavalier about the “benefits” of their status.

Suzy: HUJI (Hebrew University of Jerusalem) or TAU (Tel Aviv University)… or if Mom & Dad can afford it – IDC Herzliya…

What if it’s actually worse than all of this?
I suggest that the true value of a college degree lies in who gets it, and from where; NOT in what was accomplished or learned during the college years. In other words, it’s still a game, and mostly always has been.
I further suggest that college is NOT for everyone, and should never have been; many of us would have done better with trade schools or apprenticeships.
But that’s not a terribly “Jewish” approach, or even a “cool” one these days.
No matter.
Mostly for bragging rights, and to simply finished what I started (since I can’t afford grad school and see no practical reason to go), I finished my B. A. twenty years after I graduated from high school. During that time I worked as a mechanic to help pay the bills.
I did not sell my mechanic’s tools when I graduated. In the decade since I finished college my job prospects have not grealy improved, nor has my income level.

I know I will need my tools — and the skills that go with them — to help pay the bills for a long time to come.
My degree changes NOTHING in that regard.
If I had children today I would tell them that unless they’re going to be a doctor, lawyer or other successful white-collar professional, college is probably a waste of time.
I am glad I don’t have to shepherd teenagers through the B. S. process of college applications today.

Funny no one (including herself) has considered Hebrew University in Jerusalem or Tel Aviv University (or any of the other universities in Israel) All high level places, and as an olah, inexpensive. Come on lil Suzy. Consider it.

I have a GPA of 4.5 and a 2120 on the SATs (quite a coincidence, but I’m going to retake it later). Being honest with myself, 2120 is a shitty score if you’re looking at Ivy League schools. My parents and most of my friends have said that 2250 is the minimum for them to even take you seriously unless you’re a non-Asian minority. Her extracurriculars are also nothing spectacular so she shouldn’t have been surprised she got rejected. One last thing, her school, Taylor Allderdice, is not that good (coming from a Pittsburgh native).

She might be a bit bitter, but that sometimes fuels the best satire. I haven’t read her op-ed, but suspect she could be a successful writer. She even shakes off the criticism well.

So blatant racism is OK if you claim afterwards it was satire?

I have to say it is about time programs like affirmative action be done away with. Racism is a minority view it is 2013 in America such things are no longer necessary. I’m not saying that is why she was rejected I’m just speaking in general college admission officials are not very likely to be racists. You know if we want equality everyone should be treated equally no discrimination of a group no benefiting a group because of one characteristic.

Work experience as a U.S. Senate page? I would have guessed Eric Cantor but he’s a congressman.

She could always join the Mormons and move to Utah. They let a woman pray in Confernce today. Women can wear pantsuits to church now and less of them are moving to Afghanistan for more equal rights.

BTW, Marie Osmond held a book signing at the downtown church owned book store. She had 8 kids, one died from an OD and another is gay.

Dear Suzy,

I have read your open letter to the
colleges that rejected you. I have analyzed the responses, both the
positive and the negative. After mulling over my own opinion on your
stance its clear to me that satire or not your words stem from a deep
bitterness. A bitterness that plagues many high school students who
have not only failed to get into the college of their dreams, but
have also failed to learn humbleness, humility, and the often
disappointing fact that life is not a test you can simply study hard
for and expect to pass. It takes guts, it takes grit, it takes a do
WHATEVER it takes mentality.

The truth is you were never lied to.
The best thing you can do is “be yourself”. The problem for you
is that at this point in your life “Suzy Lee Weiss” simply isn’t
Ivy League material. I commend you on your 4.5 GPA and your 2120 SAT
scores. Those accomplishments stand as concrete proof to your
academic prowess and ability to learn at a higher level. For most
colleges, those credentials would make you an ideal candidate for
acceptance. But Ivy League schools are not most colleges. You are
competing against a pool of thousands of prospective students who all
have those same credentials. So yes you do need something to make you
unique so you aren’t just another “saltine cracker” (to steal
your witty phrasing). To some degree I have to agree with you, being
a minority or spending your vacations helping African orphans is
enough to be awarded acceptance. Is it fair? Probably not, because
not all of us are born with two moms, or the the resources necessary
to attend prestigious private schools and participate in application
padding programs. So what can you do? Easy, you play the system. Like
it or not Suzy being a nice girl and doing your homework doesn’t
guarantee you anything in life. You have to be creative and you have
to be a survivor. How do I know? Because I am just like you in that
on the surface I am just another saltine–white and plain. So then,
how did I get accepted into Cornell University with a lower GPA
(4.33) and SAT scores (2040) then you? I followed the necessary
“business model” as best I could to get into college, but I did
it way more efficiently then you did.

I haven’t asked my parents for help
with my homework since third grade. I learned independence at an
early age. So don’t blame your parents for your lack of ability. I
didn’t take high school seriously at all because it shouldn’t be. I
was the kid who did his homework five minutes before it was due.
Never studied for tests and got A’s on every one. Sometimes I
cheated, sometimes I just knew the answers. I never did any volunteer
work. And I only seriously involved myself in extra-curricular
activities my senior year for the sole purpose of bolstering my
applications. I wrote my supplemental application essays the night
they were due. I finished my Cornell essay 3 minutes before the
electronic deadline on the common app website. How could all this add
up to an acceptance when it appears like a recipe for disaster?
Because in the end, admissions officers only see what’s right in
front of them. Your application and your essays, maybe an interview.
The fact is, I put in less work then you did and yet I still came out
on top. Somehow I choose the right words in my essays, said the right
things in my interview, and still had enough accolades to get the job
done. And I did it all well spending my entire senior addicted to
prescription painkillers. No help needed, no mommy and daddy
proofreading, no professional tutors just me and my own devices. My
talent, my character, my special taste that was different from the
average applicant.

I know it’s probably tough to swallow
but its just another lesson to be learned in life. A win is a win. I
know that I am Ivy league material though and I can prove it with my
real world experiences. I am not talking about competitive
internships or some selfless charity I created in my free time. I am
talking about the challenge I was faced with this year during my
winter break from college. At a time when my families financial
struggles were so great that when the refrigerator got barren I was
told by my mother that “we didn’t have enough money for groceries”.
A time when I spent my fall semester resorting to stealing groceries
just so I would have something to eat. I found out my mother had
started a private bank account, and she was hoarding her pay checks
for herself. Naturally, I confronted her about this unbelievable
behavior and in return I received a barrage of fists to my face. I
stood there and took punch after punch from my own mother for trying
to bring justice and order to my family. My mom was arrested that
night and hasn’t spoken to me or returned home since. I was left to
take care of my family. My three younger siblings and my father, a
retired police officer who worked for 35 years and has two knee
replacements an impending hip replacement and the inability to take
care of his kids by himself to show for it.

So I quit school and here I am.
Raising 3 kids, working 50 hours a week, and putting all of my
ambitions and dreams on the back burner to help my loved ones. If
that isn’t character I don’t know what is. I ask for no reward, no
recognition, not even appreciation. I do this all day in and day
out–battling against phone threats from my mom’s side of the family,
my younger brother’s multiple suicide scares and attempts to run away
from home amidst all the chaos because if I won’t do it nobody else
will. So think about the fact that your crying to your mom because
you didn’t get into your precious little schools and maybe you’ll see
where you fell short. Ivy league schools are for exceptional people
in mind and merit and those who are accepted all exhibit those
qualities. You need to break out of the sheltered world you live and
realize the darkness that this world contains. A darkness you will
likely t face one day. Because if your not ready for it, like you
weren’t ready to hear that you weren’t Ivy league quality then it
will eat you alive.

In what used to be America, bright and funny girls like Suzy Lee were celebrated. But now that the US is a Balkan misery, undeserving minorities take seriously any satire that pokes fun at the absolute fact that most of them are not qualified to do much of anything. Suzy Lee has the type of spirit and sense of humor that the old America – the great America – admired

Hey Suzy, I’m a white, middle class girl, and I’m going to Harvard next year. I feel very insulted that you would even dare disregard the dedication and efforts of those accepted into the Ivy League schools. Pretty sure you were rejected for a reason, and if your applications reflect your entitled attitude, I think that reason is obvious.

She got her licks in, like a good Harrad. Well done on the letter, but why not just talk about “relatives who were in the Holoca$t”. That always helps and there is no business like shoah business!

“In this day and age we are being judged on things we cannot control.” Hello, white girl, welcome to the world of well… everyone. Everyday my black a**, has to deal with “things I can’t control.” Oh my GAWD!!

I HATE people like you. You believe the sole reason you did not recieve admission to a college is due to diversity. No, the reason is beacuse you wrote yourself, a stuck up, whiney, teenage bitch. Not only did you banter against same-sex marriage, you also attacked the fact that people go to Africa as a way to earn some sort of “credit” towards colleges. That is the most obnoxious, disrespectful behaviour i have ever witnessed. You applied to college for a name, not for academics.