For an Illegal...getting into UCLA was the easy part.....(when the bar is lowered)

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AgentDrazenPetrovic

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I assume b/c of affirmative action? I guess shit just works its way out. So its easier for illegal immigrants versus qualified out of staters to get in? She scored in the 3RD fucking percentile on part of her SAT (I'm assuming the verbal due to her language barrier)?



http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-freshman2-2009feb02,0,2186812.story?page=1&track=rss


De La Cruz faces fairy tale odds. She's an illegal immigrant, so she isn't eligible for most forms of state and federal financial aid. The University of California system, by policy, does not require applicants to disclose their citizenship status: Officials say their goal is to find the best students, not to enforce immigration law. UCLA officials say they aren't even sure how many undocumented students are on their campus.

The 18-year-old De La Cruz graduated barely in the top 20% of her San Pedro High class and is competing against students with much higher GPAs and test scores. She probably doesn't have enough money to finish her first year of classes.

She has almost no safety net: She doesn't know her father, and her mother, who lives across the street, didn't get up to wish her good luck. She met a few people during orientation but doesn't have anyone she would consider a friend.

UCLA officials acknowledge that some freshmen are admitted for reasons other than their grades and test scores, that some students come from dramatically different backgrounds than many of their peers but show academic promise. They say there are programs on campus to help these students But De La Cruz isn't aware of them.

The average UCLA freshman boasted a 4.22 GPA in 10th and 11th grades, according to the most recent data posted by the school, and De La Cruz had a 3.365 at San Pedro High when she applied. She got a 21 out of a possible 36 on the ACT college admissions exam, ranking her in the 48th percentile in California. She scored 380 out of a possible 800 on an SAT subject test, putting her in the third percentile nationwide.

But on March 8, De La Cruz opened an e-mail from UCLA, and a congratulatory banner popped up. She screamed and asked a friend to look.
 
Re: For an Illegal...getting into UCLA was the easy part.....(when the bar is lowered

I assume b/c of affirmative action? I guess shit just works its way out. So its easier for illegal immigrants versus qualified out of staters to get in? She scored in the 3RD fucking percentile on part of her SAT (I'm assuming the verbal due to her language barrier)?

It says on a subject test. SAT subject tests are tests about specific subjects, e.g. history, rather than the general aptitude tests.

It also doesn't say that her admission was based in any way on that test. The school might not even have known the score.

How does the average freshman have a 4.22 GPA? Do more schools now use 5.0 as the top instead of 4.0?

barfo
 
Re: For an Illegal...getting into UCLA was the easy part.....(when the bar is lowered

It says on a subject test. SAT subject tests are tests about specific subjects, e.g. history, rather than the general aptitude tests.

It also doesn't say that her admission was based in any way on that test. The school might not even have known the score.

How does the average freshman have a 4.22 GPA? Do more schools now use 5.0 as the top instead of 4.0?

barfo
where i went to high school(in texas), 4.0 was the top in regular classes however if you were taking preAP or AP classes it went up to 5.0 instead. so the more difficult classes counted more than the easier classes. of course it wasn't possible to actually end up with a 5.0 gpa because of classes like PE, speech, art, etc.
 
Re: For an Illegal...getting into UCLA was the easy part.....(when the bar is lowered

where i went to high school(in texas), 4.0 was the top in regular classes however if you were taking preAP or AP classes it went up to 5.0 instead. so the more difficult classes counted more than the easier classes. of course it wasn't possible to actually end up with a 5.0 gpa because of classes like PE, speech, art, etc.

Yeah, it's basically that way in California too (where I went to high school). There weren't "pre-AP classes" but AP classes counted for an extra point of GPA (and also counted for college freshman first semester courses...like if you took English AP, you could skip the first English course in the UC system).
 
Re: For an Illegal...getting into UCLA was the easy part.....(when the bar is lowered

Yeah, it's basically that way in California too (where I went to high school). There weren't "pre-AP classes" but AP classes counted for an extra point of GPA (and also counted for college freshman first semester courses...like if you took English AP, you could skip the first English course in the UC system).
preAP was just what they called it for freshman and sophomore classes, while the junior and senior classes were called AP. i was still required to take an AP test before being able to claim credit for college classes though.
 
Re: For an Illegal...getting into UCLA was the easy part.....(when the bar is lowered

Yeah, it's basically that way in California too (where I went to high school). There weren't "pre-AP classes" but AP classes counted for an extra point of GPA.

Seems like a pretty sensible system. When and where I went to school, the valedictorian took only home ec and crafts and that sort of stuff, those counted the same as anything else. I remember the college-bound kid who was next in line, who got only 1 B in 4 years, was pretty bitter about that. Wonder what happened to the two of them...

barfo
 
Re: For an Illegal...getting into UCLA was the easy part.....(when the bar is lowered

preAP was just what they called it for freshman and sophomore classes, while the junior and senior classes were called AP. i was still required to take an AP test before being able to claim credit for college classes though.

Ah right, I forgot the AP exams. I only took two AP classes and only bothered to take the AP exam for one of them. I passed it, but skipping one course really didn't amount to a hill of beans.
 
Re: For an Illegal...getting into UCLA was the easy part.....(when the bar is lowered

dude, taking those classes again in college = easy A.
 
Re: For an Illegal...getting into UCLA was the easy part.....(when the bar is lowered

to me, its kind of weak to take people outside of numbers and qualifications for the sake of "diversity" or whatver they want to do to make everyone feel good about themselves. this is why america is getting fucked over, we're a feel good society.

"pass to the girl before you score a basket...that's the rule".

yeah, how many of you had that rule playing basketball in elementary PE. weak sauce.
 
Re: For an Illegal...getting into UCLA was the easy part.....(when the bar is lowered

dude, taking those classes again in college = easy A.

But an easy A in college means just as much as an easy A in high school: nothing at all.

barfo
 
Re: For an Illegal...getting into UCLA was the easy part.....(when the bar is lowered

"pass to the girl before you score a basket...that's the rule".

yeah, how many of you had that rule playing basketball in elementary PE. weak sauce.

I remember the rule that you weren't supposed to pants the girls. definitely weak sauce.

barfo
 
Re: For an Illegal...getting into UCLA was the easy part.....(when the bar is lowered

i hope she gets deported.

land of opportunity my ass.
 
Re: For an Illegal...getting into UCLA was the easy part.....(when the bar is lowered

I wonder why I worked so hard. Straight A's in middle and high school, with no financial incentive from the parents. And at my school they didn't give extra GPA points for the AP-level classes. It was frustrating to see other people I knew with a 4.3...when that wasn't even feasible for me despite taking classes at WOU when I was 16.

But I shouldn't be bitter, I was the valedictorian.
 
Re: For an Illegal...getting into UCLA was the easy part.....(when the bar is lowered

So what the story fails to mention is how De La Cruz had a part time job to help her family pay the bills and how she babysat her siblings and cleaned the house every night while dad works graveyard and mom needed help after working 10 hour days cleaning house.

Stories like this leave out how De La Cruz had more responsiblities than most of her classmates could possibly fathom and she did all that while maintaining a 3.34 GPA and taking tests in her second language.

How she has over come many obsticles and deserves as much of a chance as someone who gets a 4.0 and does well on their standardized tests.

Thank god the admissions process understands and implements the idea that student potential is not all about grades and tests and there is more to a person drive and potential than that. De La Cruz has convinced an admissions process system that she has the potential and commitment that it takes to go to UCLA.

I hope she kicks ass.
 
Re: For an Illegal...getting into UCLA was the easy part.....(when the bar is lowered

So what the story fails to mention is how De La Cruz had a part time job to help her family pay the bills and how she babysat her siblings and cleaned the house every night while dad works graveyard and mom needed help after working 10 hour days cleaning house.

Stories like this leave out how De La Cruz had more responsiblities than most of her classmates could possibly fathom and she did all that while maintaining a 3.34 GPA and taking tests in her second language.

How she has over come many obsticles and deserves as much of a chance as someone who gets a 4.0 and does well on their standardized tests.

Thank god the admissions process understands and implements the idea that student potential is not all about grades and tests and there is more to a person drive and potential than that. De La Cruz has convinced an admissions process system that she has the potential and commitment that it takes to go to UCLA.

I hope she kicks ass.

The story begins and ends with "she's an illegal immigrant". She should be deported so she can attend college in her native country.
 
Re: For an Illegal...getting into UCLA was the easy part.....(when the bar is lowered

The story begins and ends with "she's an illegal immigrant". She should be deported so she can attend college in her native country.

She came to the US when she was four years old. I doubt it was her decision.

barfo
 
Re: For an Illegal...getting into UCLA was the easy part.....(when the bar is lowered

She came to the US when she was four years old. I doubt it was her decision.

barfo

It doesn't matter. She's illegal.
 
Re: For an Illegal...getting into UCLA was the easy part.....(when the bar is lowered

It doesn't matter. She's illegal.

Might not matter to you. Matters to me. I don't think it is right to punish the child for the sins of the parents.

barfo
 
Re: For an Illegal...getting into UCLA was the easy part.....(when the bar is lowered

It doesn't matter. She's illegal.
so what happens when the kid and parents come to the country legally, but when the kid turns a certain age(i'm not sure what that age is, 21 maybe?) and their parents forget to file the proper paperwork to have the kid legally become a citizen?

that should be taken out on the kid, right?
 
Re: For an Illegal...getting into UCLA was the easy part.....(when the bar is lowered

So what the story fails to mention is how De La Cruz had a part time job to help her family pay the bills and how she babysat her siblings and cleaned the house every night while dad works graveyard and mom needed help after working 10 hour days cleaning house.

Stories like this leave out how De La Cruz had more responsiblities than most of her classmates could possibly fathom and she did all that while maintaining a 3.34 GPA and taking tests in her second language.

How she has over come many obsticles and deserves as much of a chance as someone who gets a 4.0 and does well on their standardized tests.

Thank god the admissions process understands and implements the idea that student potential is not all about grades and tests and there is more to a person drive and potential than that. De La Cruz has convinced an admissions process system that she has the potential and commitment that it takes to go to UCLA.

I hope she kicks ass.

I paid for my own schooling by working and I am finally down to $600 in additional loans 12 years after graduating with a BS. I had an ACT score that would make this girl cry, yet I didn't go to a Pac-10 school until my post-graduate studies. I'm all about opportunity, but when it is solely based on race, I can't feel pity for this young woman who is getting her sob story told to the masses by the media.

I officially don't have a job a week from now because of the corruption in this nation by our "leaders", and I have kids, so I say boo-freaking-hoo.
 
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Re: For an Illegal...getting into UCLA was the easy part.....(when the bar is lowered

I paid for my own schooling by working and I am finally down to $600 in additional loans 12 years after graduating with a BS.

Borrowing=working?

I'm all about opportunity, but when it is solely based on race, I can't feel pity for this young woman who is getting her sob story told to the masses by the media.

There is no evidence provided that her admission was based on race. It could be that she wrote a hell of an essay, or that the dean of admissions thought she was hot for him, or any number of things.

I officially don't have a job a week from now because of the corruption in this nation by our "leaders", and I have kids, so I say boo-freaking-hoo.

Sorry to hear that. What's the link between your job loss and corruption, if you don't mind my asking?

barfo
 
Re: For an Illegal...getting into UCLA was the easy part.....(when the bar is lowered

So what the story fails to mention is how De La Cruz had a part time job to help her family pay the bills and how she babysat her siblings and cleaned the house every night while dad works graveyard and mom needed help after working 10 hour days cleaning house.

that would make her a great mom. student? Not everyone is cut out for the working world. She obviously is not handling her shit, she took someone's place that could excel at that fine institution. for what...because some admissions officer thought she was qualified for some weird, abstract reason?

probably not even that. likely saw her race on her application and let her in. don't see anything in the article to suggest otherwise.
 
Re: For an Illegal...getting into UCLA was the easy part.....(when the bar is lowered

Might not matter to you. Matters to me. I don't think it is right to punish the child for the sins of the parents.

barfo

She's a native of another country. How is it a "punishment" to send her home?
 
Re: For an Illegal...getting into UCLA was the easy part.....(when the bar is lowered

so what happens when the kid and parents come to the country legally, but when the kid turns a certain age(i'm not sure what that age is, 21 maybe?) and their parents forget to file the proper paperwork to have the kid legally become a citizen?

that should be taken out on the kid, right?

There's a difference between being legal and illegal.
 
Re: For an Illegal...getting into UCLA was the easy part.....(when the bar is lowered

that would make her a great mom. student? Not everyone is cut out for the working world. She obviously is not handling her shit, she took someone's place that could excel at that fine institution. for what...because some admissions officer thought she was qualified for some weird, abstract reason?

probably not even that. likely saw her race on her application and let her in. don't see anything in the article to suggest otherwise.

You lose me here. If this girl managed to do school while having multiple outside responsibilties, I would argue she is more cut for the working world then someone who could fully concentrate on school and got better grades. I think you have made hiring decisions, how much do grades mean to you when hiring?

What is funny is the different way we read the article. You read:

"UCLA officials acknowledge that some freshmen are admitted for reasons other than their grades and test scores, that some students come from dramatically different backgrounds than many of their peers but show academic promise."

As meaning she was accepted because of her race. I read that as she was accepted becuase of the struggles she had to deal with while attending school and the factshe still made it through school shows she has determination and acedemic promise.

Doesn't matter, the fact is UCLA is a fine institution and they have decided they are not going to have a cookie cutter acceptance progaram that breaks everyone down by grades and test scores. I think that is great . . . and that is real life.
 
Re: For an Illegal...getting into UCLA was the easy part.....(when the bar is lowered

You lose me here. If this girl managed to do school while having multiple outside responsibilties, I would argue she is more cut for the working world then someone who could fully concentrate on school and got better grades. I think you have made hiring decisions, how much do grades mean to you when hiring?

What is funny is the different way we read the article. You read:

"UCLA officials acknowledge that some freshmen are admitted for reasons other than their grades and test scores, that some students come from dramatically different backgrounds than many of their peers but show academic promise."

As meaning she was accepted because of her race. I read that as she was accepted becuase of the struggles she had to deal with while attending school and the factshe still made it through school shows she has determination and acedemic promise.

Doesn't matter, the fact is UCLA is a fine institution and they have decided they are not going to have a cookie cutter acceptance progaram that breaks everyone down by grades and test scores. I think that is great . . . and that is real life.

Whether or not she's capable of doing the work doesn't matter. She's an illegal alien. I'm certain if she gained entrance into UCLA, she could do the same in one of her home country's finest universities.

And most people who apply to a college can do the work, it's just that in the interest of "diversity" they've lowered the bar for some. As a result, there's some asian teenager ready to blow his or her brains out because a 4.3 and a 99th+ percentile on the SAT's wasn't good enough to become a Bruin because they have enough people that look like that.
 
Re: For an Illegal...getting into UCLA was the easy part.....(when the bar is lowered

More cut for the working world? No, more cut out for being a stay-at-home mom. She seems great at balancing the nuances for being a stay at home mom. However, she seems to struggle at school, she can't figure out how to activate her campus email account, and she spends most of her day on a bus.

Lifka became exasperated when told De La Cruz hadn't heard of the programs, possibly because she didn't hook up her UCLA e-mail account until well into the school year.

When she got back to Westwood, De La Cruz stopped at an apartment of seniors she'd recently met who agreed to let her sleep on their couch so she wouldn't have to take the bus home. De La Cruz promised to be back from her study group by 11:30 p.m.

"No," student Rosemary Garcia said. "You stay until midnight if you have to. Study."

De La Cruz stayed until 2 a.m., then got lost and wandered the streets of Westwood until almost 3 before finding the apartment. When she went to take her test the next morning, she wore the same clothes from the day before.

She got her results a week later, crowding around a teaching assistant until her name was called and then grabbing her test -- a solid C, based on the curve.

Weeks of riding the bus and struggling through classes had taken its toll. As she rattled north toward campus, De La Cruz realized that her chances of getting a job as a psychologist were tiny even if she were to graduate with a B average because she probably can't afford graduate school and most companies won't hire illegal immigrants.

"I guess I'm going to have to put my diploma up on the wall and that'll be all," she said.
 
Re: For an Illegal...getting into UCLA was the easy part.....(when the bar is lowered

Whether or not she's capable of doing the work doesn't matter. She's an illegal alien. I'm certain if she gained entrance into UCLA, she could do the same in one of her home country's finest universities.

And most people who apply to a college can do the work, it's just that in the interest of "diversity" they've lowered the bar for some. As a result, there's some asian teenager ready to blow his or her brains out because a 4.3 and a 99th+ percentile on the SAT's wasn't good enough to become a Bruin because they have enough people that look like that.

Schools should be cut-throat, not feel good. Emphasis needs to be on "success" rather than "sunshine". Especially at one of the top public institutions in the country. To me, it seems like this girl was decidedly AVERAGE as an applicant. Who knows what kind of student could have taken her place and actually thrived instead of blaming her failures on her Wienerschnitzel job or 80 mile bus commute.
 
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Re: For an Illegal...getting into UCLA was the easy part.....(when the bar is lowered

I found the campus email part amazing, as well.
 
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