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Las Vegas HS senior accepted into 59 colleges with millions in scholarships....why? (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter eoMMan
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TLEF316
Footballguy
I mean....congrats?
Obviously COVID limits your options (in terms of going out and doing things) but I'm pretty sure he's gonna look back at some point and realize he wasted countless hours doing all this. He's obviously an incredibly bright kid, so I have to think he knew he had a great chance of getting in pretty much anywhere. Why not just pick 5-8 schools and be done with it? Your top 3-4 "realistic" choices, 1 or 2 reaches and a safety.
Some people are just weird I guess
edit: guessing available scholarship money played a part in it, but as a kid with a GPA over 5 from a tough background (per the article, I guess the family wasn't especially well off) I'm sure he was looking at a full ride pretty much anywhere.
Obviously COVID limits your options (in terms of going out and doing things) but I'm pretty sure he's gonna look back at some point and realize he wasted countless hours doing all this. He's obviously an incredibly bright kid, so I have to think he knew he had a great chance of getting in pretty much anywhere. Why not just pick 5-8 schools and be done with it? Your top 3-4 "realistic" choices, 1 or 2 reaches and a safety.
Some people are just weird I guess
edit: guessing available scholarship money played a part in it, but as a kid with a GPA over 5 from a tough background (per the article, I guess the family wasn't especially well off) I'm sure he was looking at a full ride pretty much anywhere.
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Gawain
Footballguy
The family's financial status likely means that he got application fee waivers from every university he applied to. For most families, 59 acceptances is a 5K sunk cost.I mean....congrats?
Obviously COVID limits your options (in terms of going out and doing things) but I'm pretty sure he's gonna look back at some point and realize he wasted countless hours doing all this. He's obviously an incredibly bright kid, so I have to think he knew he had a great chance of getting in pretty much anywhere. Why not just pick 5-8 schools and be done with it? Your top 3-4 "realistic" choices, 1 or 2 reaches and a safety.
Some people are just weird I guess
edit: guessing available scholarship money played a part in it, but as a kid with a GPA over 5 from a tough background (per the article, I guess the family wasn't especially well off) I'm sure he was looking at a full ride pretty much anywhere.
More than 900 colleges use the common app, so he could have dashed off an application with very little effort to every school that gave him a waiver and used the common application.
As a URM, schools are falling over themselves to get African American males on campus. He has strong stats and little family wealth, so schools are more than willing to throw scholarship dollars at him.
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bostonfred
Footballguy
He has a chance to not only go to a great school but set a record
He has his name out there and some day someone may hire him because they remember the kid who every college wanted
He's a smart kid who's excited about his prospects and he's doing weird smart kid stuff
He's doing this to make people who are important to him proud of him
There's a million reasons he might want to do this. I don't get the impulse to criticize it.
He has his name out there and some day someone may hire him because they remember the kid who every college wanted
He's a smart kid who's excited about his prospects and he's doing weird smart kid stuff
He's doing this to make people who are important to him proud of him
There's a million reasons he might want to do this. I don't get the impulse to criticize it.
You don't see how he could be wasting a ton of people's time/energy from schools he has no intention of going to? From reading essays, reviewing applications, etc...
And do we know that maybe if he gets accepted, is that one more kid that got rejected?
chet
Footballguy
I agree for the most part, but I can't help thinking that he put some of his classmates at a disadvantage by applying to schools where he had no interest in attending. My daughter withdrew her application to UCLA because she had classmates who really wanted to attend and she had already been accepted to other schools she preferred. By the same token, a classmate of hers didn't apply to Stanford because he'd already been accepted to Harvard which is where he wanted to go and Stanford was my daughter's top choice.
All in all, it seems a little selfish IMO.
bostonfred
Footballguy
Your daughter has had a pretty privileged life and it's awesome that she wanted to help other people. Your daughter has probably had a lot of opportunities that disadvantaged kids didn't, and that's something that she could do to help other people that didn't impact her at all. I applaud her for that.
I am not outraged that someone who didn't have the same opportunities didn't do the same thing your daughter did.
This isn't awesome - not cool if he was wasting money of these non-profit organizations that could have been used to help other low-income kids
bostonfred
Footballguy
Yeah, i get it, but this seems like you're looking to argue a hypothetical instead of debating something that actually bothers you.
Neither of us know how much money was "wasted" by doing this, because we don't know whether it actually costs the non profits any money to submit the common app. Maybe they cover the fee for the student, or maybe they have a deal with the schools as a non profit to pay a flat fee or fixed cost.
We know that the schools spent some time reviewing the applications, but in truth every selective school gets countless applications and we don't get up in arms about the time they wasted reviewing my dumb nephew's application to Harvard that was never, ever going to happen. We know that the non profit covered the expenses, but maybe they supported this or even encouraged him. They certainly didn't cap how many applications he was allowed to submit. Maybe they will in the future to keep kids from taking advantage of it but I haven't seen them complaining about it. Maybe they are excited to get the "free" word of mouth about their services, because one of the challenges those non profits have is getting the word out about their services to the people who most need them. Maybe more people contribute to these good causes because they hear about the story.
You can make a bunch of hypothetical pearl clutching arguments about the wasted resources but the kid did something impressive after working his way up from a tough start.
If you're really mad about this though then please show me the posts where you get mad when rich kids get athletic scholarships or people get discounts at Dennys just for looking old.
Caveman33
Footballguy
I realize you are responding to the comparison that chet initiated, but I don't think the two situations are comparable, nor is there anything to gain by comparing them. Maybe some people are outraged by a story like this, I can't be sure. The news runs a similar story every year and I do find it unusual because it seems they are celebrating narcissism and highlighting the discrimination that occurs in higher education. I support this discrimination in education as a viable solution for leveling the playing field and hopefully avoiding the need for employers to discriminate in hiring. But stories like this seem to cast the whole thing in a bad light.
Fat Nick
Footballguy
Honestly, I agree with this100%. When I was in grad school, there was one guy - very qualified guy, later in his career than most other folks - who dropped his resume for basically every company who came to campus to interview for summer internships. Because his resume was more extensive than an MBA with 2 years work experience, he got a lot of interviews and several offers. If anyone knows how on-campus recruiting works, they usually only have a handful of interview slots, and one or two offers per school. He basically took opportunities away from others knowing full well probably 50% of the places he was applying weren't even jobs he was really considering. This seems like a similar analysis - Regardless of whether schools accept more students than they actually have, there is a number that they accept, and this guy took a spot from someone who just missed the cut - somebody who might have actually chosen to go to this school.
bigbottom
Footballguy
What discrimination? The kid had a 5.037 GPA and still got rejected from 21 schools. He’s going to the same college my son attends and has a more impressive HS transcript than my kid. Or are you suggesting that needs based scholarships is a form of discrimination in higher education?
Now I’m not suggesting that there isn’t discrimination in higher education. There certainly is (legacy admits, donor admits, athletic admits, URM admits, 1st generation college admits), but I don’t necessarily see that this story is a clear example of that.
bigbottom
Footballguy
In most cases, schools are going to fill their classes. The vacancy will go to someone on the waitlist.
Caveman33
Footballguy
The recent lawsuit against Harvard compiled the accepted SATs over a 15 year period and found the averages to be (from memory) Asian 1510, white 1475, black 1405. If they were to review applications without considering race and ethnicity, the school would have limited diversity. I am sure this situation is not unique to Harvard, but also occurring at all top level schools. GPA is a very flexible and subjective score (they go above 5 now?). Grade inflation is another interesting topic.
Whether of not this particular student benefited from discrimination on his applications, I cannot say conclusively but it does seem logical. And applying to 80 schools seems gluttonous no matter how you slice it.
bigbottom
Footballguy
Sure, and I expressly acknowledged this in the post you quoted. But I just don’t see how this particular story “highlights the discrimination” as you stated, or “casts the whole thing in a bad light.” From the story, the kid seems incredibly qualified. I don’t think it’s fair to assume that he got in to the schools he did because of his race. Moreover, he was rejected by more than 25% of the schools to which he applied. And it’s not like the article said he was admitted to every single Ivy or anything like that. He’s going to USC. A good school to be sure (and a great film program), but it’s not like he’s going to Princeton.
Also, did you actually read the article from start to finish? Whatever you think about his decision to apply to 80 schools, I don’t know how you come away from that article thinking that it “cast the whole thing in a bad light.” This is absolutely a feel good story. I am pulling for this kid.
I'm not upset about it, but I certainly wouldn't write up a news story on how awesome he is
bostonfred
Footballguy
No. You have to admit that you would write up a news story on how awesome he is because those are the rules of internet arguments. ADMIT IT
Seriously that's completely fair. I think the non profits may have benefited from the publicity and the kid almost certainly did and the impact of one person doing this is probably getting overblown but it's not a hill worth dieing on.
Caveman33
Footballguy
I only read this section: "Trelas Dyson IV goes by a few names. Some people just call him Trelas. His friends call him Tre, because, well, it’s shorter. His family calls him Q — short for quad — because he’s the fourth Trelas D" as the rest was blocked for me. I also did not know what URM stood for in your previous post, but if you are aware of the disparity in how schools are accepting students based on race then why are you surprised that I would assume this student benefited from discrimination? I have seen similar stories around a dozen times and the student is always a minority. That is why I said it highlights the discrimination in school's application/acceptance process. But maybe my perception is skewed by what the media reports and similar situations are occurring with white students. As far as the story casting race based acceptance in a bad light, it is my opinion that such excessive use of the free applications reflects poorly on the whole program. Resources and time are used throughout the process and I don't think there is a logical justification for 80 applications.
bigbottom
Footballguy
It’s sort of sad to me that knowing nothing more about the student than the fact that he is a minority that people assume he got in because of his race. In any event, I think you might enjoy reading the whole article, notwithstanding your opinion on his decision to apply to 80 schools (which I agree is excessive). I’d be willing to bet that his personal statement was powerful.
Trelas Dyson IV goes by a few names. Some people just call him Trelas. His friends call him Tre, because, well, it’s shorter. His family calls him Q — short for quad — because he’s the fourth Trelas Dyson.
Now, he’s known across the Las Vegas Valley as the high school student with a 5.037 GPA who got accepted into 59 colleges and earned over $2.5 million in scholarship offers. Dyson, 17, from Shadow Ridge High School, will attend the University of Southern California in the fall.
“I feel like there’s so much to achieve, and so much to go out and do,” he said. “And I love everything that’s been happening recently. And I’m very grateful. I always tell my mom, though, that there’s so much that’s going to happen in the future and so much to look forward to, and you’re going to be extremely proud. And so I’m trying to take it one step at a time.”
Dyson received a $68,897 University Grant to attend USC, and it’s renewable after each year. He also received a $1,500 scholarship through the Ronald McDonald House of Greater Las Vegas.
He estimated he filled out about 80 college applications, but the application fees were almost all covered or waived. He submitted them through QuestBridge, a nonprofit that connects the nation’s most exceptional, low-income youth with leading colleges; the Common App, also a nonprofit; and the Common Black College Application. The only school for which he paid an application fee was New York University.
His guidance counselor, Lisa Hebb, has worked at the school for 10 years but never had a student fill out that many applications or receive that many acceptances.
“It was definitely a shock to me, having this stuff coming in,” Dyson said. “And having it come in over such a short period of time. I didn’t know what to expect. And so to have it actually happen? I wouldn’t have dreamed or thought of it.”
From the moment she met him when he was a ninth-grader, Hebb said she was impressed by Dyson. When he briefly considered leaving Shadow Ridge for a magnet school, she not-so-secretly hoped he would stay. And when he did, she was the one who helped coordinate all of his college applications and make sure everything was in place.
“He’s not the kind of kid that just takes classes because he thinks he’s supposed to,” she said. “He truly loves learning and is very interested in so many different topics. For me, I’m just really proud that he has accomplished so much. I am incredibly proud of him.”
Dyson eventually chose USC because of its film program. He wants to learn all kinds of things — content creation, music, filmmaking, you name it. He said USC is a great place to hone those skills, even though his only foray into the Los Angeles area was a trip to Disneyland when he was little.
Oh, and his favorite film is “Once Upon a Time … In Hollywood.”
The road to get here wasn’t always smooth. A few years ago, Dyson’s family moved outside the Shadow Ridge district. While he was able to get an exemption to continue attending the school, he was no longer near the bus stop, and his family didn’t have a car.
So for about a month, Dyson and his younger sister would wake up at 3 a.m., take a public bus in the school’s direction and then walk the rest of the way.
And now, as Dyson readies for his move to Los Angeles, he’s more excited about the future than he’s ever been. So is his mom, Nikia Dyson.
“I know he’s going to make a difference in the world,” she said. “I believe he’s going to make a major contribution. With his positivity, I believe that’s something that’s going to go a long way and that he will be able to share with others.”
Caveman33
Footballguy
I appreciate you posting the whole article. I read it and it was more or less the story I expected. But I am a cynical, skeptical person, traits that I dislike but can't shake. I do make unfair assumptions about the achievements of minorities and women. I also make assumptions about the achievements of white men (nepotism/networking). I think you and I are likely assessing the situation similarly but choosing to focus on different possibilities and yours is the better mindset for a positive, happy life.
bigbottom
Footballguy
I think you are spot on about how we see and assess things. Thank you for the thoughtful response.
wikkidpissah
Footballguy
Fifty or so years ago, snob emeritus Gore Vidal nailed our society with "Envy is the central fact of American life". Though it isn't all that much of a change, I hereby switch out the initial word to "Attention".
Fat Nick
Footballguy
I get that - but being put on a wait-list vs. actually being accepted can change people's outcomes. I was waitlisted at a grad school that I really wanted to go to. I accepted at another school before I heard back from my wait-list school simply because I couldn't wait that long for a variety of reasons. If there was a guy in this case, and I was #1 on the wait list, I might have ended up somewhere differently. I know it's a tough direct comparison - but somebody, somewhere, at each school this guy applied to was effected by people that do this.
bigbottom
Footballguy
Sure. And the person who ended up getting in off the waitlist was positively affected. I think the end result nets out even though specific individual outcomes may be affected. Take Chet’s post for example. If his daughter had pursued her application at UCLA, it may have negatively impacted her classmate’s ability to be accepted there. But if the classmate doesn’t get accepted, that means some other kid somewhere would ultimately be accepted into that slot. So the only difference is that Chet’s daughter’s decision to withdraw her UCLA application may have helped someone she knew, but if it ultimately did, it did so to the detriment of someone else she didn’t know.
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