SoylentNews is people
SoylentNews
Business Insider reports:
With a perfect ACT score and 13 Advanced Placement courses under his belt, Michael Wang applied to seven Ivy League universities and Stanford in 2013.
As an Asian-American, Wang suspected his race might work against him. But but he was still shocked when he was rejected by Stanford and every Ivy League school except for the University of Pennsylvania.
Wang says he worked incredibly hard and excelled in every area possible. But it still wasn't good enough.
"There was nothing humanly possible I could do," Wang told us, explaining that he felt utterly demoralized after his rejections.
After Wang was rejected from most of the Ivies, he says he filed a complaint with the US Department of Education alleging Yale, Stanford, and Princeton discriminated against him because he was Asian-American.
[...] Wang isn't alone in his belief that the Ivies discriminate against Asians. A coalition of Asian-American groups filed a lawsuit against Harvard University last month alleging the school and other Ivy League institutions use racial quotas to admit students to the detriment of more qualified Asian-American applicants. The more than 60 Asian groups are coming together to fight what they say are unfair admission practices.
[...] He also stressed that he was not just academically driven, but also a well-rounded applicant who maximized his extracurricular activities. He competed in national speech and debate competitions and math competitions. He also plays the piano and performed in the choir that sang at President Barack Obama's 2008 inauguration.
Original Submission
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Anal Pumpernickel on Wednesday June 03 2015, @04:51PM
social skills are arguably among the most important skills we can acquire.
Only because we live in a world filled with shallow idiots. While others try to focus on the argument at hand, or care whether or not someone can do the job and do it well, there are people who focus on what clothes you're wearing, the fact that you used a word they didn't like, or you said something in a way they didn't like. These are poisonous work environments.
(Score: 2) by Anal Pumpernickel on Wednesday June 03 2015, @04:53PM
And by "social skills", what they usually mean is "Mindlessly doing what they are told in a way that the authority figure likes." Critical thinking and creativity is not valued. Why aren't you making smalltalk with those fools over there? Why aren't you being more 'social'?
In the end, a lot of people submit and then delude themselves into believing that this sort of thing is actually good, ensuring that nothing will change.
(Score: 2) by Immerman on Thursday June 04 2015, @03:37AM
Not really. If part of the job is "actively collaborating with others", and it usually is, then your ability to interact with teammates, support staff, and superiors in a manner that avoids unnecessary drama, hard feelings, and general social discomfort, is directly relevant to your suitability for the position. If nobody is comfortable working with you, then your presence is actively damaging the morale and productivity of everyone who is required to do so.
If we want to reap the rewards of playing society's game, we have to learn play by their rules. Or at least close enough that they can deal with us without suffering undue social discomfort/cognitive dissonance. Just as those who want to deal with us on a personal level have to learn to play by our rules.
(Score: 2) by Anal Pumpernickel on Thursday June 04 2015, @04:27AM
Not really. If part of the job is "actively collaborating with others", and it usually is, then your ability to interact with teammates, support staff, and superiors in a manner that avoids unnecessary drama, hard feelings, and general social discomfort, is directly relevant to your suitability for the position.
That's the shallowness I speak of. People are easily offended and expect others to speak, act, and dress exactly as they would prefer, and this is not a good thing.
If we want to reap the rewards of playing society's game, we have to learn play by their rules.
Or change the rules that are illogical. Giving up accomplishes nothing.
(Score: 2) by Immerman on Thursday June 04 2015, @02:32PM
Nothing illogical about avoiding using a gear whose teeth are cut differently than every other gear in the machine - it's the most efficient way to avoid problems.
Basically there's two options - either you change to fit the machine, or the whole F-ing machine changes to fit you. So, what do you have to offer that is so vastly superior to what the conforming candidates offer to make it worth the effort of changing the machine?
Think of social skills as grease - not strictly necessary for the functioning of the machine, but it makes everything run smoother and reduces long-term problems.
(Score: 2) by Anal Pumpernickel on Friday June 05 2015, @03:49AM
Nothing illogical about avoiding using a gear whose teeth are cut differently than every other gear in the machine - it's the most efficient way to avoid problems.
Except that there are no problems. As I made clear, the hypothetical person is able to do the job well.
Basically there's two options - either you change to fit the machine, or the whole F-ing machine changes to fit you.
The latter is a better option when you're right and "the machine" is wrong.
So, what do you have to offer that is so vastly superior to what the conforming candidates offer to make it worth the effort of changing the machine?
Logical thinking. A very important skill, and one that most don't have enough of.
Think of social skills as grease - not strictly necessary for the functioning of the machine, but it makes everything run smoother and reduces long-term problems.
The problems are caused by others' oversensitivity and shallowness. I make a point to show up at every job interview dressed in rags because I don't want to work with shallow people; that led me to the job I have now. Though, I suppose it helps when you can make demands because they want the skills you offer, but I'm still not going to play their game.