Am I Just Being Irrational?

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puproyale

New member
So, today I get a letter from St. Joseph's University, in Philly. They tell me that I qualify for a scholarship, entitled the United Scholars Academic Achievement Award. No problem right? Wrong.

The follow sentence is and I quote, "These awards are offered each year to outstanding students of color." This made me cringe. As if my academic performance was outstanding......considering I'm black. Or "of color". Should this piss me off? Today in school, all I was thinking about was how much that following statement sucked all the enthusiasm out of me.

To me accepting the award would be like saying I'm only good enough to get a scholarship that is offered to minorities, because I'm not quite on the white people's level yet. I most definetly would just turn down the award, but the problem is I'm leaving home for good as soon as I graduate high school, (this may.)This shit would help out a lot because someone is paying for my college. I'd have to come out of pocket no more than 5Gs each year for college. Which is amazing for a degree from an accredited university.

Plus there is the whole I hate organized religion thing but I don't really give a fuck about that. I'm not one of those atheist who shit on other people's beliefs. I'd be willing to shut my mouth for 4 years to get a degree. However comprimising my integraty to say that I'm the best of the best........ when it comes to black people. I don't know if I can do that.

I'm I being stupid? Should I just say fuck it and take the scholarship?
 
Nobody can tell you what your integrity is. If anything this scholarship will drive you harder to out perform your other classmates in your school so you can be the best of the best among any color, if that really matters to you. Be happy you getting a free education and don't bit the hand that feeds you, I know many kids of many colors who would take that scholarship in a heart beat.
 
;819374']At least it didn't say "to students of outstanding color".

Dude, jump on it. Take it, man. There's hundreds of people that would kill for that.
 
I would take offense definitely.


Thats a horrible fucking way to address someone.


Did you mention you were of african heritage? Or did you have to do that with the college application.
 
You are not being irrational at all. It's sort of a backhanded compliment. The best thing to do is to accept the scholarship and then be the best student you can be, not just the best student of color. Put the non colored students to shame. Congratulations on your achievement. Good luck with whatever choice you make.
 
I honestly wouldn't care. I mean, it's offending, but if the grant is specifically geared towards minorities then I don't see how it's seen as 'taboo'. Not only that, but the prices per semester at any college worth going to are fucking outrageous. It's free money, and it's going to advance your career.
 
I was offered the same thing, just replace 'color' with 'disabled'.
I went 'what the fuck? I'm not disabled! I'm half deaf!' and turned it down. I turned down college and those 'disabled' scholarships because I knew that I could get a great job with the oil field down the line.

If you want to go to college and do something with your life, than you should use every resource available, whether it is the color of skin or the amount of brain cells God gave you. I don't quite agree with minorities getting a step up because their skin is darker (hell, it protects you better from sunburn!) but if I was going to college I would have taken that scholarship because it gave me a leg up on everyone else.

Use what you can, if an offer comes up than take it.
 
;819682']Think of it this way- if I got a college scholarship letter that said "We seek out a select few ugly, needledick, stupid motherfuckers every year just to educate your ass" I'd be all over it. Exploit that shit, dude. It's yours, take it and go.
 
That. Exactly.

It is almost an insult, but at the same time, take it and prove that you can be the best!

This is slightly unrelated, but one of my brothers and a friend went to college for heavy duty mechanics. Both of them had been homeschooled until then. Many people would've expected them to do poorly in a college environment, but they were both in the top three in their class all through the course (IIRC). My brother also went for a year of business administration, and passed that very well, also.

Just because you may be looked down in in some way, doesn't mean the ones looking down on you are right, or even have a valid reason for it; they just don't know any better.
 
Agreeing with MentorX, and adding....



Actually, there are more scholarships available for minorities than there are for "white" people. People die, they leave their money to their alma mater, with codicils that it must be used to benefit scholarship.

While their phrasing sucks, and the fact that there are these distinctions suck, it's not really the school's fault. 90% of pure scholarships are set up with some type of discrimination, be it gender, color, athleticism, disability, whatever.

When I went to school, I got an "Alumni Scholarship", among others, for all around academic & athletics. Another person from my high school (with an almost identical GPA) went to the same college, no scholarship for that, and had to pay more. His only fault? He didn't play sports. While the distinction is not nearly as insulting, the basic principle is the same.

Take the money. If you don't, then someone who may not deserve it as much as you will. Do you actually think they'll throw the money away? Nope, they get their little list out, "Okay, who's next up!" And that person gets it.

Congratulations, by the way. :)
 
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