25 years old and deep in debt

[DGuller]

I know. I lived in Nassau County and in Hoboken and even there I would imagine it hard to live off $600 gross ~ $450 net. Must be worse if you live closer to the city itself.

  Those places aren't exactly the cheapest options either in the area.  They are a red caviar to Manhattan's black caviar, but all of them are caviar.  If you want to leave on a budget in NYC, look for a place in some areas of Brooklyn, Queens, or Bronx.

[Admiral Yi]

Then you go on strike and demand more money. Which happens to be what these people did.

Then they all get fired and replaced with people who are willing to work for less.  Presumably because they don't have to maintain an independent household.

[garbon]

I know. I lived in Nassau County and in Hoboken and even there I would imagine it hard to live off $600 gross ~ $450 net. Must be worse if you live closer to the city itself.

  Those places aren't exactly the cheapest options either in the area.  They are a red caviar to Manhattan's black caviar, but all of them are caviar.  If you want to leave on a budget in NYC, look for a place in some areas of Brooklyn, Queens, or Bronx.

Maybe - but pretty far out - meaning that you'll be hit hard by the constant MTA fair increases.  I mean my sister had like 6 roommates in a converted warehouse and that was like $450.

[DGuller]

Maybe - but pretty far out - meaning that you'll be hit hard by the constant MTA fair increases.  I mean my sister had like 6 roommates in a converted warehouse and that was like $450.

Maybe, but the rent saved is a big multiple of the ~$100 cost of monthly MetroCard.  As ridiculous as MTA fare hikes are, subways are still a great deal in NYC compared to other options.

[garbon]

Maybe - but pretty far out - meaning that you'll be hit hard by the constant MTA fair increases.  I mean my sister had like 6 roommates in a converted warehouse and that was like $450.

Maybe, but the rent saved is a big multiple of the ~$100 cost of monthly MetroCard.  As ridiculous as MTA fare hikes are, subways are still a great deal in NYC compared to other options.

Sure though it's a lot of time on the train. Also, the point was really just that the MTA increases hurt those poorer individuals more than those here in Manhattan who can really just walk about. What at the end of 2010, monthly was $89 and now as of march it's 112? Minimum wage hasn't really increase in the same way in that period.

[garbon]

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324000704578390340064578654.html

To (All) the Colleges That Rejected Me

Like me, millions of high-school seniors with sour grapes are asking themselves this week how they failed to get into the colleges of their dreams. It's simple: For years, they—we—were lied to.

Colleges tell you, "Just be yourself." That is great advice, as long as yourself has nine extracurriculars, six leadership positions, three varsity sports, killer SAT scores and two moms. Then by all means, be yourself! If you work at a local pizza shop and are the slowest person on the cross-country team, consider taking your business elsewhere.

What could I have done differently over the past years?

For starters, had I known two years ago what I know now, I would have gladly worn a headdress to school. Show me to any closet, and I would've happily come out of it. "Diversity!" I offer about as much diversity as a saltine cracker. If it were up to me, I would've been any of the diversities: Navajo, Pacific Islander, anything. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, I salute you and your 1/32 Cherokee heritage.

I also probably should have started a fake charity. Providing veterinary services for homeless people's pets. Collecting donations for the underprivileged chimpanzees of the Congo. Raising awareness for Chapped-Lips-in-the-Winter Syndrome. Fun-runs, dance-a-thons, bake sales—as long as you're using someone else's misfortunes to try to propel yourself into the Ivy League, you're golden.

Having a tiger mom helps, too. As the youngest of four daughters, I noticed long ago that my parents gave up on parenting me. It has been great in certain ways: Instead of "Be home by 11," it's "Don't wake us up when you come through the door, we're trying to sleep." But my parents also left me with a dearth of hobbies that make admissions committees salivate. I've never sat down at a piano, never plucked a violin. Karate lasted about a week and the swim team didn't last past the first lap. Why couldn't Amy Chua have adopted me as one of her cubs?

Then there was summer camp. I should've done what I knew was best—go to Africa, scoop up some suffering child, take a few pictures, and write my essays about how spending that afternoon with Kinto changed my life. Because everyone knows that if you don't have anything difficult going on in your own life, you should just hop on a plane so you're able to talk about what other people have to deal with.

Or at least hop to an internship. Get a precocious-sounding title to put on your resume. "Assistant Director of Mail Services." "Chairwoman of Coffee Logistics." I could have been a gopher in the office of someone I was related to. Work experience!

To those kids who by age 14 got their doctorate, cured a disease, or discovered a guilt-free brownie recipe: My parents make me watch your "60 Minutes" segments, and they've clipped your newspaper articles for me to read before bed. You make us mere mortals look bad. (Also, I am desperately jealous and willing to pay a lot to learn your secrets.)

To those claiming that I am bitter—you bet I am! An underachieving selfish teenager making excuses for her own failures? That too! To those of you disgusted by this, shocked that I take for granted the wonderful gifts I have been afforded, I say shhhh—"The Real Housewives" is on.

http://www.today.com/video/today/51426965#51426965

In the interview she says she was attracted to the sexy Ivy League name.

[garbon]

Also could soundbite - "In this day and age, we are being judged on things we can't control as opposed to things that we can."

[merithyn]

Also could soundbite - "In this day and age, we are being judged on things we can't control as opposed to things that we can."

I actually like that, though I'd make it "as well as" instead of "as opposed to"

[garbon]

Also could soundbite - "In this day and age, we are being judged on things we can't control as opposed to things that we can."

I actually like that, though I'd make it "as well as" instead of "as opposed to"

Oh like how in the past "diverse" students were judged only on things they could control?

[garbon]

My point being that I don't think her ignorant statement or your harsh one are particularly good.

[merithyn]

My point being that I don't think her ignorant statement or your harsh one are particularly good.

You misunderstand, g. In general, I don't think anyone should be judged on things they have no control over.

That being said, since society as a whole is still mostly slanted toward the Saltines, the graham crackers and Ritz crackers should have a bit of a leg up in the admissions office. Basically, until educations are at least on par across the board, there has to be some way to mitigate the lack of opportunity for the more exotic crackers in the world.

[garbon]

My point being that I don't think her ignorant statement or your harsh one are particularly good.

You misunderstand, g. In general, I don't think anyone should be judged on things they have no control over.

That being said, since society as a whole is still mostly slanted toward the Saltines, the graham crackers and Ritz crackers should have a bit of a leg up in the admissions office. Basically, until educations are at least on par across the board, there has to be some way to mitigate the lack of opportunity for the more exotic crackers in the world.

Yeah but I'm unconvinced on that. I'm unconvinced that to make a more equitable situation/society that we have to just keep shifting discrimination back and forth.

[Valmy]

You misunderstand, g. In general, I don't think anyone should be judged on things they have no control over.

That being said, since society as a whole is still mostly slanted toward the Saltines, the graham crackers and Ritz crackers should have a bit of a leg up in the admissions office. Basically, until educations are at least on par across the board, there has to be some way to mitigate the lack of opportunity for the more exotic crackers in the world.

I don't know if getting a small advantage at college admissions offices really is going to change that situation much.  The kids who are getting the advantages based on crackerness are already getting good enough educations to be college material so are not the ones who need help.

[merithyn]

Yeah but I'm unconvinced on that. I'm unconvinced that to make a more equitable situation/society that we have to just keep shifting discrimination back and forth.

I dunno. I live in a town that up until 10 years ago had a policy that all black kids be tested for learning disabilities. Given that kind of crap only stopped due to a court sanction, I have a hard time saying that those kids should be held to the same standard as a kid who was assumed to be bright because he grew up in the right Chicago suburb and went to the right high school.

[Jacob]

Why is this chick's rant in WSJ? It sounds like something you'd read in a student paper somewhere... except I guess not, since she didn't get accepted.