For clarification, are you comparing the public schools WITHIN HISD or comparing one district (HISD) versus another district?
Again, are you suggesting that funding and all that goes into it gets dispersed evenly WITHIN a school district or across all districts within a city? "City wide", to me, means you're looking at an even distribution across ALL districts within that city and I don't know if that's a sound request/suggestion.
That’s a good question. Would have to be within a district. The thing is the tax rates is disproportionate right? If I pay a higher percentage to HISD if I live in River Oaks or Bellaire or West U, I expect something for my money. Right? So could it just be flat across the board and distributed evenly? This system doesn’t work this way. Wealthy people get to send their kids to better schools to funnel them to better colleges. I didn’t come from a bad background, I did come from immigrants but went to high school in Cypress and U of H for undergrad. I’ve done well for myself and am now trying my damndest to send my younger brother (16 years my junior) to Wisconsin or Michigan. He has the luxury of having a connection that knows “the game” and is able to communicate with the powers that be at Universities in a manner I could not when I was younger. He’s not quite a trust fund baby or anything like that, but he’s having some things figured out for him due to the things I went through when I did it. I do firmly believe in going to a good college. The connections you make there and the pull it has later in life is big. I regret going to U of H and wish I had done more to get into NYU or Stanford.
Your reget of going to UH and assumption that the school you graduated from somehow prevented you from succeeding moreso than if you went to, say, NYU or Stanford is a bit perplexing. You said it yourself that you're doing well so if you had to go back in time and had went to NYU or Stanford more success would have came out of it? Or are you implying that the level of success you have right now would have came easier and/or faster bying being an NYU or Stanford grad versus being a UH grad? Like all things in life, the better a person networks and the harder he works, the better the outcome will be. If your brother gets accepted to Wisconsin or Michigan and (just a hypohetical here) didn't work as hard as you did during your days at UH, do you think he will embark on a path of success just because of the school he went to? Just basing only on what you posted above, I don't think the issue is that you didn't have access to resources and, therefore, weren't "able to commmunicate with the powers that be at Universities"--it's more that you're older and wiser now and have a better understanding of how the system works. Passing along THAT knowledge to your sibling is more important than trying to put him into a school and not giving him that type of life lesson.
In short, I believe my path would’ve been easier with those networks. I will give the disclaimer that’s it’s specific to ME. I’ve always felt the need to own my own business, get licensed, network, live in the city, etc. Had I gone to a better school, the connections I’d have would definitely be more powerful than the ones I’ve had access too. I’m getting to a point where it doesn’t really matter, but it took me longer to realize it and most people would’ve in my same situation would’ve likely quit a long time ago. As far as the question of “will he be as successful as I” I’m not sure. I believe he’ll have a higher initial ceiling and will open doors easier. At the end of the day I want to make sure he has access to things I didn’t. Whether or not he takes advantage of them is entirely up to him but I do reinforce its importance every day. That’s where rich kids have a distinct advantage. They are unknowingly thrust on a path to success and they don’t even fully realize it. Then they end up being 35 years old, successful, and total ignorant assholes because they genuinely think they worked harder than everyone else. They deserve credit, yes, but they couldn’t begin to understand the doors that were already opened for them by going to Strake Jesuit and then UT School of Business afterwards, just as examples.
Just my opinion but the true value that you can bestow on your sibling are the life lessons you've obtained thus far and not necessarily trying to help him to get into a better school. You can help him immensely by helping him understand and comprehend your realizations now so that his learning curve won't be as steep as the one you went through. That lesson, regardless of what school he goes to, carries far more value in the long run. Kids (and I have a 16 year old) don't know about the long play and the hard work that comes with it. It's more problematic that everything is available at the touch of their fingertips and instant gratification is all they know. I hope your brother gets into a better school but going to UH or a lesser program won't be the end of the world as long as the work ethic stays high.
He should do both. There’s a reason successful people generally send their kids to good schools. Also why whiz kids that start billionaire tech companies do so from Stanford or Harvard. I won’t downplay the importance of a degree or say that if it isn’t from a good school that it’s a waste. Far from it. I’m appreciative of what I have. It’ll never stop me, however, from thinking how I could’ve done things better. That’s an area I feel I could’ve improved.
LL's case may be more serious since it appears to have been done to boost her daughter(s) 'influencer' status -- Olivia is apparently making a fortune through Instagram/ etc.
Also, I think the smarter the people you surround yourself with, the smarter you become. This applies to family as well. But I find this true at every level of college. If your parents can squeeze you into Harvard, then you have a natural advantage others don't. The odds are greater that you will naturally learn from your social group (or study group) than if you go to UH for example, where you need to not only find, but vibe with a smaller faction of possible intellects. Hard work gets you halfway there, but being around smart people, I think, gets you the other half. When you run with ivy leaguers, I think you know it, and conversation is just different. You learn faster. Your eyes are opened faster. Plus you have their networks. Ironically, this applies to cheaters as well. For example, if you get into the right group of people in college, you will have access to old exams and materials that give you a big leg up on those who don't have that stuff. It's a form of cheating. And that cheating can often help you learn faster. It gives you focus and sight you might not otherwise have on what's important.
I’m surprised this wasn’t caught earlier as I assume it happens all the time but instead of bribes it’s called a donation.
The second part is important. Once i had access to exams, college was a breeze. It also made me realize how pointless all of it was. The education did not mean much outside of the basics. You learn everything in training.
What is worse is all of thise kids busting their ass for 3.8 gpas and higher who cannot compete with people being given 4.0 gpas and breaking the chance of a fair curve by making 100s. Want the emails? I have hundreds of emails and exams in my inbox. Once youre in the group you get every exam you need. College is a scam. They do not care about how smart one is. They are a business and they will serve whoever pays them more best.
How about i just post the final exams that were handed to me as well? Not everything was digital. Also, are you denying that there are groups who cheat in universities and work collectively to cheat? Because if youre denying this then whats the point.
Meh, i dont care to engage in conversation with the guy who averages 15 posts per day and continues to insult me. Go outside.
