At what age did your parents first start talking with you about college? 16 years old.
At what age did you start thinking about college? 16 years old. I didn’t start thinking about it before my parents brought it up. What college are you attending? NYU
Where did the pressure to get into a top university come from? Parental and social pressure
Do you think that you still would have gotten into NYU without this pressure? Yes Do you think you could have gotten into a better school if you had had more pressure on you in total. Yes
Do you think you could have gotten into a better school if you had had more pressure on you starting at a younger age? Yes
What role do you think gender plays in the age that children start feeling pressure to get into college? I think gender has a huge role in the college process. The current educational system is catered to girls so I believe the college process is easier for them than for boys.
What role do you think family culture plays in the age in which children start feeling the pressure to get into college? My dad was raised in a very poor family. Because he had immense pressure on him to attend a top university, when it was my time to apply, he hardly put pressure on me because he expected me to be like him and be self motivated. Where did your parents go to school? My dad started at UC Berkeley and then went to Harvard Law school. My mom went to Drew University (Im sure you have never heard of it)
How did where they went to college affect your decision? My mom and I don't have the best relationship so I really wanted to get into a better school than her to prove that I am better than her intellectually. My dads great success pushed me to try and be as great as him.
Why did you decide to take a gap year? One reason I decided to take a gap year was to break the normality of social pressures of seamlessly transitioning from high school to college. Many people need time to get the money to pay for college or just mature as a person so I dont understand why a social stigma has formed around the idea of taking a gap year. I have learned so much culturally from spending time abroad that I dont think you can get in a classroom in the middle of the city.
How do you think people stereotype different cultures in relation to the pressure and expectations they have for their children? Stereotypically, I think that many people associate strict parenting and a lot of pressure to do well in school and in extracurriculars such as sports and music with the asian culture. I think on the other end of that spectrum is generally latinos. I think that many people stereotype that they don’t receive a lot of pressure at home to do well in school and are generally not self motivated. Again, these are stereotypes that are obviously not true for everyone. I know asian families who don't put a lot of pressure on their kids to do well in school and I know some latino families that do.