The TRUTH About Being Poor at an Ivy League School | Yale Questbridge Finalist Shares All...

[@XxhimynameiscynxX]

Imposter syndrome is real. Something that never goes away when you grow up in the lower class. One conversation that always sticks out is the " so what countries have you been to?" HA! Like my family had extra 5k every year to go to Europe. Some of these rich kids are super out of touch. Now as an adult in corporate America as a Latina girl I make sure I do not drastically change my lifestyle. I am much happier with less and prefer career accomplishments than materialistic items.

[@MikuHatsune159]

Definitely, there were these siblings at my elementary back then, who were like professionally trained in badminton(?) and also enrolled in French immersion. Meanwhile the rest of us learned through just playing for fun. Just something about the air around them already felt almighty which LMAO, something interesting but is reality honestly. Not that I want to categorize them as out of touch but the privilege they have is something they take for granted sometimes.

[@Woodsaras]

Yall so funny. Extra 5k? Wow, poor you. Thats almost the amount of money my parents make in half a year. Poo you

[@nickyimp8409]

@@MikuHatsune159 any idea how they ended up? Did what they do help them or are they struggling just like the rest of us are?

[@MikuHatsune159]

@@nickyimp8409 I don't know what they are up to now as I wasn't friends with them or knew them beyond this rumour.

[@IvyLeagueAppalacianAspie]

🙌🏼

[@johnyoung1968]

Thanks Kevin for your honesty and candor. I am an independent, volunteer college admissions advisor in NYC and work exclusively with low-income Black, Brown, and Asian high school students. This clip is so inspiring that I forwarded it to one of my students whose dream is to attend Wharton at Penn. Although he's Afro-Caribbean and doesn't share your culture, a lot of what you said he can use. Had to take this time to write and say how much I appreciate you.

[@elevatedschool]

Hey John - your comment right here is why I do this. Thanks so much for sharing the video! If you want to collab, I'd be happy to do some free sessions and chat with your kids! Feel free to email me at: [e-mail]. Cheers!

[@maggoteater2290]

what about low income white high school students ?

[@aarushkandukoori]

@@maggoteater2290 it really is not fair

[@aarushkandukoori]

Also seeing as he is non white or asian he'll probably still get in

[@fromnytomd]

John - so awesome that you do independent college counseling in NYC. I'm looking to do the same in NYC.

[@wsl3119]

Props to your parents, you went to the best private high school too. Asian parents would do anything to support their kids through life. You’re lucky not because you got into Yale, but you had parents that genuinely cared.

[@yashicagupta1273]

@@RobertMJohnson I highly doubt that is what the previous commenter was trying to say. I'm Asian, first-gen, and my parents are the same way. Throughout my life, my parents gave thousands and thousands of dollars for my education. Tutoring, SAT prep, college essay help, and even extracurriculars I was randomly interested in. And all with a single income. It seems like a culture thing, where most Asians parents are like this (Type-A people who emphasize education and career above all else). It's not exclusive to Asian parents, but in my experience it is more prevalent in immigrant parents who know how hard it can be to succeed here without any kind of help.

[@ehyzen]

pretty sure any parents would do that, idk why bring race into this

[@elsid9656]

@@RobertMJohnson chill out m8

[@ArtIsDrawing]

@@ehyzen No. Americans kick kids at 18 years old!

[@devine5902]

@@ehyzen exactly.

[@hesterprynne5965]

I graduated from Columbia twenty years ago and I was too poor to even own a laptop. I went four years without one, having to use the computer lab to write my essays. I hustled constantly with multiple jobs and had to support myself. It was HARD, but I am a stronger person today as a result of that. But I agree: in some ways that feeling of being poor sticks with you, but I've made a lot of progress with that. Thanks for sharing your story.

[@Itssantiagodiaz]

At least you’re prestige

[@batbebebe]

laptops were way more of a feat to have 20 years ago though lol.

[@katherinekim4303]

I knew a kid who went to Columbia, I visited him at his dorms when I visited NYC and he showed me around enviously. Mostly he complained about how broke he was. His friends had dorms that were twice the size of his single, or rich fathers who gave them a thick allowance, he even told me he STOLE a laptop. But the police just gave him a warning? This kid is now a doctor. LOL. He was incredibly lazy, spoiled, his mom supported him with her small business and he didn't think to get a job. I think a lot of pampered out of touch middle class kids go to big name colleges and start thinking they're poor. Obviously haven't experienced any real poverty or seen the other side personally in any way. Doctors scare me pretty much because they're bots. Theyre human bots.

[@hesterprynne5965]

@@batbebebe Everyone at Columbia had a computer. I was the exception.

[@hesterprynne5965]

@@katherinekim4303 He doesn't sound broke to me lol. My parents actually cut me off financially after my first year (not out of spite, but just because they didn't have any funds). Everything I did I had to do with loans and side hustles.

[@rosebelsheikh6726]

Never be embarassed of where you come from. In the contrary I think that it makes you look strong because of how far youve come, not everybody has the strength to build themselves and get out of a difficult financial situation.

[@elevatedschool]

Thank you Rose!!

[@KennethKetchum]

agreed. well said.

[@ghostbravo7127]

I can't second this more. When you work your way up it shows, and when you do it while maintaining your integrity despite struggling due to circumstances, that speaks to your true character.

[@erpollock]

Kevin, you sound like a great guy. The Yale experience was just the beginning of your life. You will not remain poor as you were at Yale. You will expand your business, and several decades down the road, you will be very successful. As long as you don't give up your principles. I started off out of college as poor. I retired wealthy. Best of luck, and stay on the right path.

[@elevatedschool]

Thank you for your kind words of encouragement Ms. Pollock, that really means a lot 😇

[@erpollock]

@Laura Hackstein I worked for a living as a legal secretary, saved in the 401(k), and kept improving my living standards. I had good investment advice from my boss. I lived within my means. No get rich quick. I worked from 17 to retirement in Manhattan at fine law firms.

[@kal386]

My jaw dropped when i found out that your channel only had 1.9k subscribers. This video is extremely high quality and I was able to watch the whole thing without pausing. You deserve all the good things in your life. Thank you for making this video.

[@ParisShenae]

Same! ❤️

[@juanagallo7497]

Same!

[@fatimaelmahdy3289]

same

[@j10001]

True. Much better than a lot of college experience videos. You’re quite thoughtful and observant, and I appreciate that you don’t spend the video whining. Huge props to you for your hard work and making the best of it!

[@MellieIRL]

My first semester freshman year Iceland's economy tanked and a bunch of my classmates decided to fly there for the weekend to go shopping. That was my first time coming face-to-face with how different my Yale experience was going to be from my classmates. Im pretty sure I had a total of 4 campus jobs at my peak lol.

[@elevatedschool]

Wow

[@harrisn3693]

You have some leeches

[@yennefer559]

wtf....

[@clau-9529]

I find it generally strange to have to pay to be educated. The concept is just so messed up, and also so short sighted for the actual developement of the country. Insane

[@justthinking526]

That's Capitalist Amerika for you

[@WayneLynch69]

WHO'S PAYING?! They're $1.6 trillion in arrears on their GOVERNMENT loans...and half of those are considered in full default. 40% did not graduate. Of course it's a scam intended to benefit the schools. To equal the U.S. public school system which closes schools 3 months in the summer to allow students to paticipate in the summer farm harvest; illegal for 75 years. And they don't do it because the parents don't want three months MORE of free day-care....it's the teachers/adminstrators.

[@the-strange-daze]

@@WayneLynch69 if you don't want your tax dollars spent on educating the future of your country why don't you just leave

[@cristinamaiorescu9010]

Agree. I studied in Europe (Scandinavia and other EU countries) where education is absolutely free. In Finland you even get paid to study (student allowance). Plus, I was always a topper and got scholarships, so being in school got me money not put me in debt.

[@HalfGermany100]

Move to Germany, my College education is totally free here

[@IvyLeagueAppalacianAspie]

I am a low-income Ivy student. It blows my mind that there is little to no access to financial help. I will never understand why the best and brightest have no help. It is truly depressing!

[@Realist839]

i thought Ivy Leagues ensure that low income students were provided the financial aid if they were able to get admission to them. what am i missing?

[@drperkins6668]

I think it's important to realize that most middle class children are in the same boat with poorer children.

[@elevatedschool]

it's true -- it's even harder for middle class students since they often graduate with more loans

[@shells500tutubo]

Nope. The poor students when I was in college (late 1960s) got most of the grants, and many scholarships were for poor students. The on-campus jobs and work-study jobs that paid really well were reserved for the low income students (minimum wage was $1.68/hr and work-study was $3.50/hr). Granted, the poor students really didn't get any financial help from their parents, but very few back then need to take out loans, because that was when our country still thought its populace deserved higher education, and money was in abundance.

[@erpollock]

Or worse, because you don't qualify for all the financial aid that poor children can get. Make sure you choose a major that will lead to a job, or at least have job skills. The most successful woman I know and went to school with came from utter poverty. She did not go to college; she married a plumber. A successful in demand plumber with a good business. She didn't need college and neither did he! They both value work. A great work ethic.

[@gummy5862]

@@shells500tutubo Eh you really can’t base modern college on the 1960s. Back then most colleges were literally begging for just anyone to enroll.

[@reneec.venegas6560]

Yes! I'm a middle class parent and my daughter suffered because of it. Our Thanksgivings were spent with our daughter on speaker phone at Yale alone because we had to pay half her tuition, personal expenses, airline tickets etc and couldn't afford a ticket for her to fly home to California. We had property tax, a mortgage payment, and tuition all due in November and four months prior we had to pay her fall tuition. It's grossly unfair. We didn't want our daughter to have tuition debt because she wants to go to med school. She may have to get in debt for that. She is working extra hard to get into a MD-PhD program so she will have her next set of education paid for.

[@jenniferrader9395]

Thanks for the info… my daughter was accepted to Yale through Questbridge…. I tell her to be proud of her accomplishments! She earned her way into an Ivy through hard work not nepotism! She earned her place versus someone buying their way into a school.

[@glennjammin]

for someone who is considered to be in the top 1% financially for your age, you are so down to earth, feet on the ground. the amount of effort you put in and habits you developed during college clearly transitioned into your life afterwards, and it seems to have paid off. definitely a big motivator for me to work harder, i hope you succeed in all of your future endeavors

[@quickfingers7062]

American heritage is also like Yale where you have two huge disparities of rich students and poor scholarship students (I’m the latter). There’s very few in between, and most of my friends are low income kids with scholarships. You can glance at the students walking around and you can tell 90% of the time who’s rich and who’s broke.

[@elevatedschool]

the reality is most "elite" high schools and universities are like this :/

[@kaitlynchen6113]

i heard a lot of heritage absolutely being like that. I can't imagine going to school with kids whose parents shell out 30k a year for high school, props to you. How much of a barrier would you say it is to your social life? like do any scholarship kids make friends with the full-paying kids or nah?

[@elevatedschool]

They definitely do! But I guess you could say it’s just not as natural

[@quickfingers7062]

@@kaitlynchen6113 since it’s high school with multiple programs and clubs it’s not the biggest barrier, but there is an obvious difference that can be observed. I do have friends that are rich, but my closest friends are scholarship kids.

[@yamchayaku]

Yup, that's how it is. Ivy Leagues are pretty much for prominent families to network with each other. Not much else.

[@ayaz9304]

Thank you for you honesty. I'm a high schooler from Syria living in a war zone for almost 11 years now, I've always been a valedictorian at school so with the support from everyone around me, I'll start applying for scholarships in universities around the world soon to hopefully get the good education that I deserve. But to be honest I have always been scared because I'm going to live in a place that I know nothing about and I really needed to know what is the reality that I'll have to face in the upcoming years, I really appreciate your efforts, god bless you.

[@elevatedschool]

contact me via email Aya! [e-mail]

[@SN-vn6wb]

As an American high schooler, I wish you all the best in your academic future! ❤

[@hassanali-ys7qn]

how did it go

[@elevatedschool]

Wow guys - it looks like this video is kind of blowing up. If you found it helpful at all please consider liking and subscribing! And if you have any questions, feel free to comment below. I try to heart and respond to every single one!

[@TriciaRP]

Congratulations for graduating. Put GOD first in your life and don't think this life is about working and a prestigious school. It is not. I hope you learn the truth about life. Expensive schools are NOT a guarantee you will get a good job. Most don't but end up with debt and find IT WAS NOT WORTH IT.

[@Biggdoom344]

Congratulations. I’m sure the economic disparity is felt larger at an Ivy League school. Probably the patriot league as well( Colgate, Georgetown, Lehigh, Bucknell, and so on). However it’s temporary. My nephew is dealing w that right now at your favorite Ivy League school I won’t name that begins with an H. It’s definitely a culture shock for some when you know somebody that comes back from Xmas break with a fully loaded Escalade and gets a 2000 a month spending allowance and access to an Amex black card. Different world. Hell, I went to a public ivy and was happy if my checking account had some $10 in it lol. That was enough for the Saturday night dollar moves and enough ramen noodles to last a week, a box of captain crunch and milk . 🤩

[@AwkwardHandshaking]

120k in 9 months?????? How tf... Meanwhile I just doubled my money through AMD and I feel like a Final Boss. That's the real driving force of not being good enough: a lot of life can feel competitive, regardless of whether or not it is. How much you and I make investing is pretty irrelevant to the rest of life, yet I felt a fervent pang of self doubt when I heard that.

[@elevatedschool]

@@AwkwardHandshaking hey man, there's always someone who's doing better and someone who's doing worse - we're all on our own journeys

[@raghshrestha7097]

Really really ....appreciate the human(ness) with which shared your struggle & humbleness with which you shared your success.🤩

[@blueyyy5961]

this should have a million likes. i'm a junior, applying for qb cps and looking into colleges- and I'm always concerned abt the money aspect. and it seems that no one EVER talks abt getting jobs, how to pay off the leftover money that didn't get covered by fin aid, rent, living off campus, living w/ the rich, etc. thank you for this amazing and genuine and important video

[@elevatedschool]

thanks so much for your kind comment blueyyy! so happy you found this helpful!!

[@journeyintothelight7118]

"We become what we think most of time." You have the potential to become billionaire, if you learn what other billionaires thought to have become billionaire. The biggest obstacle that our upbringing pose to us is not we start with nothing, but the limitation on our mind and our imagination. It is important to overcome that limitation, since you will become what you think most of time.

[@elevatedschool]

that's a true fact

[@TheMrmoc7]

I'm a 1st generation Nigerian Immigrant. Back in Nigeria there were times we went to bed without food because we simply didn't have enough, so even by Nigerian standards we were poor. We came to America in 2003, I was around 14 at that time. There were moments when I was concerned about my parents not having enough but I also was the kid that really never wanted/needed much so I never really asked my parents for much. I was blessed with a natural "I don't give a fuck" attitude so it really didn't matter to me if some kid made fun of my clothes or shoes, in the back of my mind I always knew one day those motherfuckers would be working for me. I always saw myself as being smart and disciplined enough to make a good future for myself in America so it never really mattered to me where I was starting from. There were a lot of things I was insecure about, but being poor wasn't really one of them. Today I make close to $300k/yr but it doesn't feel like I achieved any "milestone" because I never really cared about not being rich to begin with, if that makes sense.

[@12inter88]

As someone who is also from Miami, glad you’re shedding light in immigrant and low income stories. You have had a privilege that not everyone gets (the cool tutoring jobs) and are humble about it! Wishing you all the best!

[@elevatedschool]

Thank you friend!

[@sebastianwilliam7081]

You are so lucky your parents supported you. You are a good person for understanding their sacrifice.

[@LibraP93]

As a poor student at Columbia (one of the cheaper Ivies) , this video is so relatable. I’ve always wondered what it’s like at other Ivy campuses and this video was informative.

[@MrBjorn6]

Sorry Colombia isn't a poor ivy? It's in NYC?

[@LibraP93]

@@MrBjorn6 Do you attend? I do and as a student, I can say it’s a poor Ivy compared to the rest.

[@fatwp6345]

@@LibraP93 why is it a poor Ivy?

[@the-strange-daze]

I just graduated college with an honors degree in genetics. First gen, poverty level income and chaotic family too boot. And started at 25. Some of the best and brightest people I met in college were people who were coming from rough lives. It's sad how inaccessible education is in our country but I am proud for the lucky ones of us who make it out.

[@RobertMJohnson]

thank the democratic party for keeping the poor poor in the United States. they keep selling dreams to the poor in exchange for votes.

[@RobertMJohnson]

and if you think elite universities around the world are open to poor kids, you're one naive child.

[@the-strange-daze]

@@RobertMJohnson I never said that? I know education is inaccessible to many, many people. Being from the US makes me incredibly privileged even coming from poverty, yes, I understand that. But it doesn’t take away from the pride first-gen graduates who made it. They deserve to be proud of such an accomplishment.

[@colonelnoob3269]

12:42 Based on certain things you said in the video, I'm assuming you're just like me: growing up as a "restaurant kid" and parents are likely Chinese immigrants that are born in rural China that grew up REALLY destitute. That said, it is highly unlikely that our generation will be able to get over "feeling poor"; it has simply been ingrained into us because of our parents' lifestyles. Also, I just got matched to Princeton through QuestBridge as well a few days ago. Fellow QB Scholar

[@elevatedschool]

awesome man! congratulations!

[@monicamoore2078]

Thank You 🙏🏻 for your open candor. My son is applying to 3 ivies, Stanford and U Chicago as a low-income, Hispanic, single parent household student. As a mother I worry and your honesty was appreciated how we will afford incidentals. I am interested as to how you got started independent of crimson. Thank You 🙏🏻

[@elevatedschool]

you're so welcome Monica!

[@happycook6737]

I suggest community college + state school and living at home. Avoid student loan debt. Also if the kid isn't going for an in demand, high paying job no reason to go to college. College is NO guarantee.

[@rozbickad]

Thank you for your thoughts. That feeling of being poor will go away. You just started your post-college life and you have achieved so much. The feeling will change once you will realize that the money or wealth that you have is here to stay, once you realize that if anything happens and you loose everything, you know what to do to get up on your feet and you can make it again, you are free. one thing is to be poor - and do nothing to change it, other to have low cash flow, that means your status is just temporary and you have hopes and dreams to help you change your status. Good luck.

[@elevatedschool]

Thanks for your comment Angela. I really resonate with what you said 😇

[@lizzybusy7937]

You are so damn humble and grounded and has this essence of empathy ... 💯 Kudos and wish you luck for the future ....

[@elevatedschool]

aww thank you Lizzy!!

[@CiaoRooster]

I’ve never been poor. But Yale was the first time I met RICH people. (Not Saudi princes. Just the noblesse oblige of Connecticut.) The biggest luxury, 23 years out, is that the rich don’t care about wealth, they seem to care about prospects and opportunity. They could move to San Francisco and explore, while I had to go to med school. Fast forward. I have an MD. I don’t practice medicine. I never have. I have presumably, a really nice house, a husband, and an IVF daughter ($$$). I will still never feel financially comfortable. I don’t know where you learned about “investments” at 22. But I’m sure it wasn’t Yale Career Services. But I really appreciate your frank and frankly unbiased portrayal of modern Yale. (The amount of KZbin content that insists that the Ivy League is a capitalist trap, etc, is a bit … overwrought)

[@ienjoyfoods]

I live in a country in Northern Europe and here, there are no university tuition fees. I am able to get a student loan and benefit from an authority. The loan part has an interest rate of 0.05%. I am just going to my local university. The technical faculty is really good in a Swedish context and there are plenty of companies that work within the technical sector close to the university. It's easy to land an engineering job that pays well after graduation. With a few years work experience, my salary will be above average salary in Sweden. Scandinavia has some of the highest living costs in the world, so even an average Swedish salary is high from an international point of view. I am pretty satisfied with going to a local university and earn more money than 95% of the world's population.

[@lowkeyconvert8971]

you're a down to earth guy though who is a lot more relatable and likeable and i think that that's not often a trait one comes across with rich people. they probably take a lot of things for granted and have an entitled attitude. you actually know and appreciate the value of your parents' hard work, etc.

[@jakemoseley1811]

I went to Yale in the sixties, from a similar economic background. Back then I had trouble telling rich from poor, generally. One guy did bring a “tutor” in his thirties who ran errands mostly but his real value was that he could type extremely fast. And one well organized classmate paid me to type his papers. He wasn’t that smart but his organizational skills I think later won him the Pulitzer Prize. I just looked him up on Wikipedia which says he has written all his books long hand. My side job was working in the library microfilm and newspaper room Friday nights and Saturday which raised my grades, nothing to do 80% of the time but study, in hours normally not productive. It shot my grades to top five percent. Thank you for revving up my nostalgia. Good luck.

[@riasharma6648]

The part I loved the most is that you now help your parents financially now, it’s actually very nice!! Also the fact that you so humbly talked about your past experience and how it helped you reach where you have reached today. 😊

[@benmontgomerybkk]

Much appreciated your honesty. I’m your fan now. Keep it coming! Thanks Kevin.

[@elevatedschool]

You're welcome Ben!!

[@heidifehr4140]

The divide is very real and does affect the student's experience. Thank you for your posting, I hope this encourages people to talk about the issue seriously when in the decision process after acceptance letters are received. Also, I appreciate your comment about this ridiculous climb to make more than your neighbor. Let's discuss what is truly enough, and what work brings joy to your life and contributes to a better world. - proud mom of a daughter who received aid and worked throughout college in order to attend and graduate from one of the 'Little Ivies'.

[@ariellenguyen2586]

I used to scrub dishes in college for $7/hr and split an egg with my roommate. Poverty was painful, but a great motivator at the same time. You are doing great, keep it up!

[@elevatedschool]

That's inspiring, Arielle! Thanks so much for the kind comment!

[@dulceaidavp9716]

I have a friend who is about to finish Law School and is currently at Berkeley. She went to Yale for her master’s and say’s that she had a terrible experience. She is currently 150k in debt. We are both 28!

[@johnjacobson2010]

This was lethally honest and brutally candid - thanks to the american system ( a lot of us point out the cons of this system, but here is where is shines - it is truly the land of opportunity) we have people whose lives are changed - of-course they were focused enough to change it, but the fact that this opportunity is afforded to them is in itself a win.

[@amadiobinna8387]

Everything about this video is perfect. You might not have spent too much to make it or practiced a lot but trust me, your originality is top-notch. 💗

[@yamchayaku]

Going to an Ivy league will benefit you most if you already came from a family of influence and power. If you're poor, the only thing you're going to get out of the College is the name. If you don't really come from such a family, other students of influence won't pay much attention to you since you don't have much to offer. Ivy Leagues are usually places where rich kids meet each other, develop relations and strike business deals between family businesses. Ivy Leagues don't provide much more than that other than the name itself.

[@emmadoner7286]

as a low income rising senior whos dream school is yale, this video is beyond helpful. im worried that the socio-economic barrier would have an effect on my college experience at a top/ivy school, and this video was very insighful. thank you so much!

[@TasaneeCogliandro]

Omg, same - exact same. Am a QB CPS, but worried about applying to QB National Match b/c my dream college is Yale and I have low SATs (for Yale).

[@PinkNintendoDuo87]

As far as the "rich vs poor" and "Imposter Syndrome" are concerned, I can somewhat relate to those issues. With my complicated identity and middle-class background, I never felt like I could totally fit into any circle. I may be more financially/materially 'privileged' than many low-income students at my school, yet I don't have the same income bracket as the wealthier ones. Also, there are some 'middle-class' values I don't fully agree with (even in a social context). Nevertheless, I'm glad that there isn't much of a rigid/stratified socioeconomic divide among the student population at my school.

[@sweepthelegjohnny]

The direct lessons of life are important; but, the indirect lessons of life can be even more powerful. Case in point: being comfortable and accepting of who you are as a person can be just as important as many of the more tangible, concrete skills, credentials, etc. that flow from any esteemed institution or even the actual content of this post. You probably had a pretty good sense of who you were and were comfortable being that person before you went on to university, and it has certainly carried over into your post-graduate life. Thanks for sharing your insights, opinions, and experiences.

[@theshinythings123]

I'm honestly glad I did not get into a more expensive school because my parents were paying. I live in California so getting into a good school would be one of the UCs. I didn't get into any so I just went to the state university near my house. Now that I graduated I realize the university doesn't matter nearly as much as choosing the right major and internships.

[@elevatedschool]

yes 1000%!!

[@ds-rv9qu]

What major did you choose? And I'm assuming it's a Cal State, so if I may ask, which one? - current hs senior trying to figure out what career i want or at least, can manage

[@hogwarts2356]

Hey! An international student over here applying to USA with financial aid. I just wanted thank you for your insightful videos!! They are absolutely amazing and so are you!!

[@elevatedschool]

You're so welcome!! Thanks for watching my videos! Please share with friends

[@ayomade7496]

I'm in the same boat :)

[@hogwarts2356]

@@ayomade7496 I hope you get into an amazing institute!

[@ayomade7496]

@@hogwarts2356 you too :)

[@Nosoyyo7]

It is likely just the viewpoint of a few here and there, but this is the most relatable video of Kevin I've seen. . . . Ahh I wanna cry. Both of feeling better because there exist people that can understand, but also because of thinking about how challenges make you suffer, even after time has passed.

[@Music4EverKanekavi]

“Cloud of insecurity” - I felt that at a instate “affordable” university. I left after a year.

[@周寶齡-t1q]

Wow! This is the most down-to-earth attitude toward life. Thanks for sharing the course of your growing up with distinguished achievements. I have uploaded your video to my teaching classes at NTHU, Taiwan, plus many other big groups, too. Very inspiring! My deepest admiration and respect to you! Thank you.

[@elevatedschool]

Wow! Thank you so much for your comment! You made my day!!

[@ramyarajaram9560]

I'm going to be applying to colleges in less than a year as a middle class person from India and I already struggle with many things you mentioned. I loved this video. Thanks a ton :)

[@borntosmile7970]

Oh my god I just discovered you and you’re so underrated! I love how open u are, it really makes me feel like I’m just talking to a friend or a brother :)

[@elevatedschool]

awww thanks for the kind comment Amber!!

[@user-ro2ug1bv9r]

woah i cannot believe you only have 3k subscribers with such a high quality video. this video really gave me a good insight, thank you and great video!

[@elevatedschool]

Wow, thank you for the kind comment g :))

[@anna-mariedictson7381]

Thanks for the inspiring video! There is always someone who has less money/food/family than us and less opportunities; it's good to see that you are content with where your're at in life. You obviously worked hard to get there. My daughter is going to college next year, so I'm going to show her this video. She really wants to be a teacher, knowing that they don't make much money, so I am admiring that her only goals in life aren't to obtain more money or social status. My parents owned a gun shop when I was growing up, so I helped in there and remember the same kinds of things as you mentioned; fighting over money issues etc. Our home was physically connected to the shop, so it was basically our life and I remember thinking when I was in high school that only rich kids or kids who were really good at sports could go to college and I didn't really have anyone telling me otherwise, so I just didn't go. It's awesome that you came from a poor family and got to go to Yale! I love that! Thanks again for the vid!

[@elevatedschool]

You're welcome Anna! Glad you enjoyed the video and thank you for sharing your experience :))

[@TheBohodiva]

The good thing is that their life will change. At least this was my experience. I will prob be able to pay that high tuition for my kids in the future having been a scholarship kid. While I really enjoyed my college experience, it was simultaneously stressful. Being poor is effin tough. You would feel it juxtaposed next to wealthy kids but even more when you actually feel like you don’t want to call home for financial help. Kudos to every student out there getting through. Remember to always reach back! You got this!

[@toddanderson6568]

I don't know why this video popped up and started automatically, but I really enjoyed hearing about your experiences. I realized that unsolicited advice is generally dropped in the circular bin, but I thought that I would give a few insights that I've picked up over the years. Like yourself, I grew up in poverty. When applying for financial aid, our mid 1980's adjusted income was under $6,000. I went to one of the best public high schools in my state and graduate #1 of 435, and I was told that I could go to an Ivy League school for virtually free. While I could have, I wound up going to an honors college at a state school. Like yourself, I "worked" about 40 hours per week. One job was pretty laborious as it involved being a TA for a math class, but the other was being the night watchman at my dorm for 3 or 4 8 hour shifts a week. (Think paid study time without distraction and having to get up every hour to walk around the dorm for 5 minutes.) Pretty much everyone in the Honors College got into a top notch graduate school. I pretty much only applied to two schools in science (CalTech and MIT) and got into both and my top choice in English Lit. The point is that it doesn't matter where you went to undergraduate IF you are going to go to graduate school anyway. No one looks at a resume and says ...I see that you have a PhD from MIT, but I'm sorry we can't hire someone who went to an undergraduate state school. This point is for disadvantaged people watching the link and thinking that their world is over because they didn't get into an Ivy school. Here are some specific pieces of advice for you: 1. Any fool can make money in today's market. A market correction is coming shortly; it might be a good time to stop trading options. I have found that I've been best served by just looking for the lowest cost index funds, placing the money into the fund, and forgetting about it. Unless you want to do investing for a living, you are more likely than not to get crushed eventually. 2. My first (and only job) after school was as a strategic management consultant. During the first 10 years of my career, I traveled for about 200 to 300 days per year. I never really adjusted from my lifestyle in college. Having roommates is a good thing if you are only around 1 or 2 weekends a month. Also, if you have spent your time eating at high end restaurants for the past two weeks, a simple sandwich and fruit looks awfully appealing during the weekend. Bottom line: Try to not adjust immediately to a higher income. Spend the rest of your 20's growing a nest egg. By my early 30's (late 90's to early 00's), I was investing about $5-$10 K / month. Everything banked then, has multiplied 4x. 3. Worrying about money has never been an issue for me, and you shouldn't let it distract you. I don't compare myself to anyone else or am obsessed with material rewards. One great advantage of living well under your means is that you attract partners who also don't care much about money as well. Several women dropped me on a 3rd or 4th date when they saw how I "lived." Several asked why do you live in 1 room when you could live in a mansion? 4. Really draw boundaries around extended family. As you get wealthier, extended family will come out of the woodwork. You mention that you do help your parents and that is fine. What is not fine is loaning money to a deadbeat cousin. Great video.

[@elevatedschool]

thanks for the advice kind sir! I stopped trading options last year and have just been holding TSLA and some crypto.

[@noneofurbusiness5223]

I hope that feeling of being poor goes away, however, I hope you retain HUMILITY. Also, I came from working class (little different). My parents were totally unprepared to help me financially to send me (hmm? extinct, now) nursing school in hospital. I worked for everything and I appreciate that and myself.

[@TasaneeCogliandro]

Same. I come from low income, but with a catch - parents who are poor but dedicated to living simply. They don't care about ivy leagues, none of that "crap" - maybe a blessing, in some ways, but to me...I have to do all the work myself. All the research, all the planning, all the contacting, all the working. And they actively make it more difficult because they same I'm becoming a workaholic. I'm just a high school junior. I dream big and I won't stand for anyone telling me I can't make it because of my demographic.

[@Jesus-wh4sm]

i currently attend a private school filled with rich ppl with a scholarship. as a person from the lower class, i feel really embarrassed and inferior to my classmates. plus, theres more pressure on me to perform better in order to get out of poverty and i need to dress a certain way in order not to get bullied for having “low quality clothes”

[@staceyblock7240]

Hi there Kevin. I came across this video on You Tube because it was on my feed, but I did watch the whole thing. What you are describing is the American dream. Almost every wealthy person came from immigrant parents or grandparents who worked like your mom and dad, and you, who then got an opportunity to attend a university that very few get to attend. You did financially well working very few hours in college and now do very well, $100/hr, at your job. At your age, you have limitless opportunities to do even better which means when you have children who go to college, THEY will be the ones seen as the "rich" students. That's just how it goes. I suppose it felt sad for you to be what you perceived as the "Poor" kid, but it was only because you happened to be the first one in your family to start the process. From here on out, your children and their children will be the ones perceived as privileged. On another note, I am very impressed that you chose the high moral road of not accepting a job paying a lot of money to do something immoral. It's so sad that people of all ages these days seem to be so willing to push morality and principles aside for money and justify it by saying they "need" badly enough. That just starts the stone rolling downhill, and I don't believe they ever regain their moral ground. The concept of "poor" is a relative one. No matter how much money someone has, there will always be someone else who has more. The person with less will be the "poor" one. There aren't nearly as many people in the US who are poor by world standards. Those who would consider themselves poor here still have smart phones, internet, flat screen tvs and service for them. They live in homes that may not be much, but they're better than the lean-to shanties made of cardboard and tin that real poor people live in in other countries without running water. It's all relative and I hope you've learned that and understand that you weren't actually :"poor" when you were at Yale. Good luck with your endeavors.

[@elevatedschool]

You're so right Stacey. Thank you for this thoughtful, sincere and kind comment :)

[@swicheroo1]

I got into all the Ivy Leagues. I was seriously looking at Princeton and Columbia. Columbia was in a city that was too expensive. Princeton offered me a lot of money. And they aggressively recruited me. I actually chose UCLA. UCLA was able to almost match Princeton. Princeton said there was a lot of 'soft money' for research trips or funded stuff...but I was only looking at hard promises that were contractual. UCLA was finally the winner because it was a good-enough school and I wouldn't be too far from my parents. Also, why expose yourself to feeling uber-poor? You'll get far enough in life on your brains....

[@___Anakin.Skywalker]

Princeton is the better rep school though that your whole family can be proud of. Sad you chose a public school.

[@robinyuuu]

@@___Anakin.Skywalker bad take

[@___Anakin.Skywalker]

@@robinyuuu no, it's not. Alot of people don't realize that going to college, especially to prestigious Ivy colleges, is a family affair. Parents take pride in that because that's what parents hope to see their kids at, the best that life can offer. And to add to that, that very same family pride is remembered for the next generations to emulate and be inspired of. Nobody cares about UCLA. People don't even know what that is if you go to the east coast or abroad but they sure know what Princeton is because Einstein and Feynman went there. Who's the best mind that UCLA ever produced? I don't think they even have a Nobel prize winner. I can only think of Terrence Tao but I think he went to Berkeley or Princeton

[@al1665]

@@___Anakin.Skywalker LMAO. You can't take that Ivy League diploma with you when you die.

[@hypothalapotamus5293]

@@___Anakin.Skywalker UCLA: 8 nobel laureate Alumns, 22 faculty/postdocs who would eventually get nobel prizes. I have no association with UCLA, but this is not shameful by any standard. Princeton has prestige, but it also has a history of being myopic. Sure, they managed to hire Einstein, but they wouldn't hire Emmy Noether because she was a woman.

[@Kidpunk98]

Just wanted to drop by here and tell you that you come across as a super genuine and relatable guy. You'd make a good friend!

[@liamlee8422]

Although you're poor, having Yale on your resume gives you enormous privilege and advantage when it comes to hottest, high-paying jobs out there. For example, you see those from Yale or Harvard with a degree in history or English can easily land a job at one of the top investment banks or PE shops on Wall Street, whereas people from non-ivies need to have a degree in finance or accounting in order to be considered.

[@SawyerSuzuki]

Much love Kevin! Low income be tough sometimes

[@elevatedschool]

It’s ok Sawyer! We’re tougher 🏃🏽‍♂️

[@riiiii787]

I’ve seriously never been able to relate to someone more omg. I’m applying to college this year and I thought I was alone in this process of being low-income, especially compared to everyone around me. Thank you so much for sharing!!! ❤️❤️❤️

[@manumanu_]

Hi! I know this comment is not related to the video, but I've been studying english with your videos and I'm happy to say that I understood everything! (I think that the way you talk also helps a lot, but I'm proud of myself) That's it :)

[@Dorian-Grey]

It's not about how much is enough. It's when you realize that you are content. It's different for everyone I guess. For me I would be driving home or to the store and realizing I was happy. I had a smile on my face. I realized I was actually happy. I mean there are things that I wanted, but nothing I really needed. For me that's when I realized I had made my minimum threshold. I was making enough to pay my bills and also to save and to enjoy myself whenever I wanted. My advice to you is don't stop pursuing the concept of doing this or doing that to better your life. Always do things that will better your life, from making your life more comfortable to making things easier. Don't worry about how much is enough? That's the wrong question to ask yourself. Ask yourself, am I happy? And if not why not? What can I do or what needs to change to make myself happy? Money is important but it is only a means to an end. What's the point of making money if your miserable? I promise you if you do this it will change the way you look at every day things and change the way you think.

[@elevatedschool]

Thanks for the sage wisdom Fer5900!!

[@Dorian-Grey]

@@elevatedschool Thanx for sharing your experience and the story. Its nice to be able to see into that world. Not everybody gets to experience and live what it's like to attend Yale. Congratulations by the way! I'm sure you made your parents really proud.

[@storyplace3612]

Jesus said it's the love of money rather than goals involving money that is evil. Jesus himself was very happy because he lived a meaningful life. Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and everything else will be added to you in an abundant life.

[@leticiaalvfranco]

Thank you for this. As a student coming from a single parent household, I struggle to find videos regarding the FGLI experience at an Ivy. This video really boosted my confidence and was one of the main reasons I ended up applying.

[@redjustice3261]

Hi Kevin, I was a Questie at UPenn the first year they had the program (there were ~10 of us then I think). I also worked 3 part time jobs all the way through school, and that money had to go to healthcare and housing (i.e. being homeless over Christmas break when my dorm closed, etc). The rich/poor divide was enormous. I remember how alienated I felt listening to people having a conversation about how their parents gave them $1k a week in allowance, or how they were taking a family helicopter to NYC for the weekend. I had a friend argue with me for hours that he was typical middle class, even though both parents made over $200k a year, and he had gone to a boarding school in Europe and had 20k in random birthday money saved up in his bank account. It was wild. Even now that I make a lot of money and am very successful in my career, I've found there is a lifelong background anxiety that something could go wrong, knowing I don't have a safety net from family and friends. If you grow up in poverty you can never escape the mindset entirely. The feeling of being poor will always stick with you. That said, I'm really glad to see people like you making these types of videos now and helping build that sense of community for other FIGLI students. I am sure it would have really helped me prepare better if I had had something like this when I was first going to college. :)

[@imnotanalien7839]

The reason people go to Ivy League schools is for networking and immediately put on elite job loop. No one needs to feel sorry for the students at these schools. They will make a lot of money really fast. They are the privileged elite…for life.

[@brianatankersley6171]

Their feelings shouldn't be invalidated just because they'll automatically be on a better job loop, it's that the college experience for poor kids is so different than their rich ivy peers. The poor have a hard time asking for help because they've often had to do things on their own, they also don't have connections that their rich peers might have. Socially, their rich peers don't have to worry about paying for living expenses. The poor are constantly stressed / worried about whether they'll be able to afford their rent, dinner, etc. Their grades may take a hit because time spent studying may have to be spent working. The difference in privilege is very real!

[@erpollock]

@@brianatankersley6171 I don't think wealthy students are more fortunate than students who don't have family money. Wealthy students will never experience the sense of accomplishment that comes from lifting yourself out of poverty and into a better life, because you took opportunities and pulled yourself up. But you'll only know that sense of accomplishment - if you accomplish.

[@tristonmckay2382]

@@erpollock True, but worrying about living expenses and food in comparison to not being able to feel a sense of accomplishment are two very different things.

[@charde9739]

@@tristonmckay2382 also true but I would take the former over the latter any day because growing up just like that made me know I can survive anything. When you grow up poor you want to cherish everything that you have when you’re rich it’s just another thing and they continuously search for happiness in all the wrong places because they don’t know any better

[@lizasaakadze5411]

It’s not really a privilege of they worked their ass of to get it

[@LifeofLucy]

Great video! I love the blurred/low light background, very clear and easy to watch. 👌🏽 Also appreciate the honesty for this topic. I agree, it seems like coming from a middle/working class family is tougher in some ways, with less opportunity for financial aid. Growing up below the poverty line certainly provides a valuable perspective and instills a sense of gratitude - as you wrote about in your Common App essay! Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

[@elevatedschool]

You’re welcome Lucy! Thanks for watching 😇😇😇

[@abhiroopreddy8673]

@@elevatedschool kevin world domination?

[@lizziebarrera5875]

i love this video so much. it helps a lot with me try to get into princeton and i had a meeting with them (all we talked about was the transfer program and financial aid). this school has been my dream school for as long as i can remember but i come from a family that makes maybe at best 25,000-30,000 a year. but now i have a meeting with harvard this coming up thursday and it’s really about the same thing as princeton. but the thing is i have more support from my counselor at my high school then i do from my family…..

[@that_dam_baka]

My cousin used to tutor kids. Queen my aunt took tuitions, he took on some younger kids too. It went from parents asking for him by name, kids asking for him like “is big bro there?” to now, when people call and ask “Is professor X there?” His ability to simplify topics and teach developed well cz he been doing that since he was a teenager. He got hired to be a professor at a really prestigious university. Tutoring experience makes a huge difference. As does hustle.

[@Eli-gn3km]

Thank you, as always, for being so open and poignant. Tbh I'm really nervous about being a scholarship kid at Yale. And my parents...everyone in my life has always had a bad relationship and attitude towards wealth, and that's left me with a really bad relationship with money. Like I feel guilt for the money I have saved for college, knowing thst my dad is thousands of dollars in debt. Like I feel if I ever do make it--if I ever get out of this whole--I will somehow be betraying who I am. Like I feel like I'm not worth the scholarships I'm getting. Idk this is getting to rambly and personal for a KZbin comment. But thank you for being open and honest with how difficult all this can be.

[@elevatedschool]

You're welcome Lizzy!! And don't worry - if you find even 1 or 2 other low-income kids/friends at Yale, it makes the ride waaay smoother. I'm also here if you wanna chat!

[@Eli-gn3km]

@@elevatedschool Thank you :)

[@slee8601]

I am a parent with a high school junior. I’ve seen many smart kids who struggle because of their parents. Let me tell you this. You saving up for college is not betrayal. You might end up saving your whole family some day. Don’t feel guilty. I am close to 50. Young people don’t realize if a person is not in financially good standing at age 40 and above, that means that person has made quite a few risky bets in his/her life or has unhealthy financial habits. The children cannot educate their parents financially. Forget about your parents’ situation. It will just drag you down. Just think of yourself first. When you become financially independent, that’s when you can start helping your parents. If you start helping them too soon, you just create the financial dependency between you and your parents. If your parents are still young enough to work, that financial dependency will destroy both of you. They won’t work as hard making all sorts of excuses, and expect more money from you as their health deteriorates with age, and you will not have enough foundation to grow yourself both in career and in personal finance at all. In your situation, being selfish is the best way to save your family. No parents want to be a burden to their kids until they experience the comfort of free ride on the back of their children. Do not spoil them. It is up to you whether your family can make it to a comfortable life down the road. You just have to make smart decisions. I recommend you to read many personal finance books. You did not inherit the way rich people think but you can educate yourself from reading books. Rich Dad Poor Dad is a good starting point. Good luck to both of you. I have seen good handful of people who were self made. You guys can do it, too.

[@happycook6737]

Hey, you do you. Forget about your family's relationship with money. The best way you can help your family is to do well. Pick an in demand well paying major. Then you will do well and be able to pay off your dad's loans if you choose to. This is your time.

[@hahaok9972]

I have ADHD so my imposter syndrome is soooo strong 😭😭and I love that someone who is neurotypical is being honest and can relate in some way 🖤🖤🖤

[@JustAnotherLokiStan]

Me too 😭

[@hahaok9972]

@@JustAnotherLokiStan cool! What are ur current hyperfixations? 😂😂

[@JustAnotherLokiStan]

@@hahaok9972 Loki 😭😂

[@JustAnotherLokiStan]

@@hahaok9972 also space, to an extent. I'm just glad it's a good option to get a career in- two birds in one shot, amirite? But that's not until next year so now I gotta deal with all of these subjects that freak me out. Executive dysfunction sucks

[@JustAnotherLokiStan]

@@hahaok9972 wbu?

[@WhalesHaveLegs]

Thanks Kevin for validating my thoughts and feelings! I’m currently attending Wharton at Penn, and I definitely feel like a lot of the more wealthier people here are skating by with more options and resources to help them. However, I always keep myself grounded with the friends I have with similar backgrounds :)

[@elevatedschool]

You're not alone!

[@samuelwong6995]

Once you no longer need to worry about to make the ends meet, the only thing that troubles you is how to shake off the feeling of being poor. It will be harder after you experienced the difference between the rich and the poor in college. I experienced that the first hand and it still haunts me from time to time.

[@chonghunyi]

Kevin,. I am so proud of you.... God bless you!

[@jimgood1949]

Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you are probably right. Success depends to a huge extent upon your attitude.

[@elevatedschool]

mentality is everything

[@eklectiktoni]

First, I want to congratulate you for working so hard in college and graduating. Like you said, some of the other students were using money to their advantage to succeed. But because of that, they didn't gain any beneficial skills that can help them later on. On the other hand, you gained valuable experience that will serve you throughout your life. As a woman in her early 40s, I can tell you that part of what has helped me dismantle that lingering feeling of "being poor" was focusing on what **I** want out of life. So ask yourself what it is you want. Is it to have a successful company? Is it to travel? Is it to have a wife (or husband), kids, dog, and picket fence? Figure out what your ultimate goal in life is and work toward that. Don't compare yourself or your accomplishments to others. Don't worry about what society SAYS you should want or achieve. Just focus on your personal goals. When you actually start to achieve those, that's when you will feel content with life.

[@lexwaldez]

After a lifetime of never really having any disposable income, I was happy to finally be debt free and have the house paid off, but I think you're correct in that the goal line moves. Once I was debt free i looked at my savings and investments and it doesn't feel like enough. On the bright side, being grateful for what I do have and feeling blessed, knowing I am better off than most, makes me look at those moving goal posts and thinking it's a constant source of positive motivation. The key is to not let those goals become a negative and to not get down if you fail to meet a goal. Just keep working and enjoying it all. IMHO of course.

[@elevatedschool]

well said lexwaldez :)

[@lindasciaroni65]

I have wrote letters to get students into Quest Bridge. I am grateful that they have supported you. Thanks for sharing your perspective.

[@elevatedschool]

Thank YOU Linda!

[@aryakanade1258]

hey kevin! great video as always. just a suggestion- i would really like to see some videos where you talk about how you invested your money and made wise financial decisions because that is something schools across the world fail to teach

[@elevatedschool]

Sure! Honestly, my investment philosophy is to pick stocks that I think will minimum 2x. If you want to get a head start, I recommend watching alllll of Chicken Genius and Dave Lee on Investing's videos. They literally helped me make $50k during quarantine absolutely bonkers stuff!

[@shellybelly1071]

Imposter syndrome! Thank you!! When I transferred from state to private (for high school and better overall education) I realised that I discredited a lot of what I did simply because I am from a lower-working class background! Someone's mum even told me I was 'a trouble maker' simply because I was talking and laughing with my friends during a game of rounders. It definitely hits harder when you are a poc too! Thank you so much Kevin for sharing this

[@bryanzapata2138]

This is good. I think that most world class universities are made up of upper class and wealthy people. The average family income of the University of Virginia and Virginia Tech is 150k which is upper class. It is very easy to feel excluded when you can't say that your parents are xyz or abc. It's an issue all colleges face as they want to bring in more people with money as they pay full price.

[@davidpauker]

Hey Kevin...So big congratulations on graduating from YALE!!!! So guess what???I graduated a few years ago from YALE too!!!Man I felt like I just busted out of jail when I finally got my sheepskin!!!! I was a poor, mixed race kid when I got into Yale when I was just 17 years old and I can certainly relate to your thoughts about the class/ethnic/race divide on campus.I'll never forget this one undergrad I knew who used to drive around the Yale campus in a jaguar (car) with Saudi Arabian license plates!!!!!!Or I'll never forget the time when got a job working for a class reunion......Spread out on the lawn of one of the residential colleges were about 15 pastel colored,brightly painted Model T automobiles!!!!And finally someone told me what was happening.......Henry Ford the fourth was attending that class reunion!!!I think it was Infront of Morse or Timothy Dwight residential college.Yeah.,..so that class stuff really does exist at a school like Yale!!!!You were not hallucinating!!!!! Well here I am many years later and still poor!!!!So maybe you can tutor me on how to successfully trade options???Anyway...I enjoyed your video very much.It took me a lot of blood,sweat and tears to finally get that Yale degree!!!!!It certainly was not an easy time for me.So maybe we can get together and share war stories????Take care bro and again....you did it.,..so congratulations!!!

[@WizardTideTime908]

Recently transferred from a local community college to the biggest school in my state, I really resonate with a lot of what you said. My school isn’t nearly as prestigious as Yale, but it is greek life heavy. Seems to create a similar atmosphere in regards to the types of folks you interact with. That tutoring grind you did is crazy though! I’m sitting here giving serious consideration to near-minimum wage jobs, but man, I just don’t want to go back to retail. I still have a little money from financial aid for now, come a few months though and I’m going to have to work. If it’s something even just decently compensated I’d be happy, that’s where frugality pays off. I’ve always struggled to tutor because of confidence, but maybe this will be my year!

[@elevatedschool]

you can totally do it! just starts with one tutoring client/customer, then work your way up using referrals :)

[@_my_insomnia_blink562]

What do you mean "Greek life heavy"?

[@WizardTideTime908]

@@_my_insomnia_blink562 strong presence / many people who participate / many sororities

[@_my_insomnia_blink562]

@@WizardTideTime908 you live in Greece?

[@paulinastachnik4555]

Hi Kevin, I stumbled upon your channel, you are such a kind, thoughtful and considerate person. Thank you for sharing, you're making an immeasurable impact. Wishing you all the best.

[@reemie786]

I’m glad I live in modern day that I can go to a well know College and get a job that my family and Ancestors wouldn’t imagine that pays a butt load.

[@jaytouvelle2359]

I am 60 and doing well but you really made it fast. Investing at 22 is great. Be careful with those options, the market has been very good to everybody but you will learn a lot more when we have the next big drop that last for a long time. You probably will be on the right side of those options too. Good Luck

[@elevatedschool]

Thanks for the tips!

[@dontich]

I feel ya here fore sure. My wife and I came from middle / low income backgrounds and even though we make good money, it is super hard to not compare yourself to the people next-door that make 2X that amount. Keep grinding I guess.

[@saachikanchan6276]

he's such a chill, original and kind hearted dude, love him already lol

[@lucky-hd1yv]

College and University life is what you make it. You are very inspirational. Thanks for sharing your experiences 🤗😃🙏🏼.

[@elevatedschool]

Thank you lucky for watching!!

[@212ntruesdale]

Love your honesty and humility. Coming from a very smart person, it’s so refreshing!

[@ParisShenae]

Thank you for your truthful experience ❤️ you’re killing the game 🔥 keep going and watch where you end up

[@elevatedschool]

Thanks so much Paris!!!

[@jolynmcteigue8371]

Thanks for an honest discussion. Scripture talks about learning to be content in whatever state, whether abased abounding. Lord bless you for honoring your parents.

[@elevatedschool]

🎓 How to get into an Ivy-League College 2021 [playlist]: bit.ly/ivyzhensei ✏️ My Common App Essay: kzbin.info/www/bejne/maaUfH2fgaeUg68 ✍️ My Yale Supp Essays: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pKjHk4WoiLitg80 😱 My Yale Admissions File: kzbin.info/www/bejne/kKDRpompprWir5o 🙋 Interviewing Friends in College: bit.ly/collegewinterviews 🙏 SUBSCRIBE to my Microscopic channel so I can teach you everything about college, life and college life pls: bit.ly/kevinzhenytsub 😩 Buy me a coffee lmao: ko-fi.com/kingkev98 If you feel overwhelmed during the college apps process, check out go to collegeadvisor.com/kevin-zhensei to get a FREE Ivy League Strategy Session! This a great resource for helping you strategize your narrative, craft your essays, and boost your extracurriculars! 100% free people!!

[@yamarismorel3698]

Im currently in this position. my school is not even THAT popular but it is private, but sooo worth it and hands on in the industry i want to get into. I’m racking up debt and that’s just really. My advice is, be realistic, smart with money, have a plan! Good luck yall

[@ParisShenae]

There’s a million things I love about this video 🎉🎊🎉🎊 so inspiring

[@parisbear6062]

This is such a honest review of what it is like being poor amongst the wealthy. He has handled it so well, that, unlike others including myself (middle class but was struggling to fit in and always felt 2nd class due to needing to watch my financials), he will not be going through the rest of his life feeling like an imposter with an inferiority complex based on socio-economic circumstances, failing to at times appreciate how good life really is now. I wish him the best. Even now I get asked by individuals who want to put me down in the work place, where I am successful, ask in a full room of professionals, knowing I do not live in an exclusive suburb - "where do you live?" as a put down, or, to see if I am worthy of associating with. Still don't know how to handle that one.

[@nicdav78]

I am dumbfounded by this. Wow, smh. It’s as if some of us never left the grade/middle/high school playground.

[@talaverajr391]

Honestly college is overpriced. Imagine paying 40k to learn things that you could learn from the internet for really cheap or free. Now we haven't took into consideration that most of those things that you learn in 4 years you will not even use for your career.

[@genxx2724]

“Haven’t taken into consideration.”

[@alexhung7158]

These experiences are what makes the difference between you and someone that was just born into the right family. That work ethic can't be replaced and the relationships that you build on your climb to the summit are incredibly important, nothing that money can truly buy. Many times the wealth is squandered by the 3rd generation because they don't know how to continue growing the money and making their own. This is great work and I can say that I have been inspired by you. My family was the same way, I can definitely relate. I am looking at applying to Cornell and hoping for the best.

[@elevatedschool]

Good luck Alex!!

[@Enchanteralle]

I attended a UC which is a public college in CA. I never felt left out because it wasn’t a school full of super rich kids like some Ivy League. Although I remember transferring high school after my family relocated and a lot of kids come from middle to middle upper class families. My parents were immigrants, have language barrier, and in working class. I felt so isolated and could not relate to some of the students even though some were nice and never looked down on me. I was embarrassed to have to ask for discounted monthly bus pass while most of my classmates drove or had parents provide transportation for them. I had to take public transit and some days when I missed the bus, I just walk 15+ blocks home because I don’t want anyone to see me waiting at the bus stop. I was a good student and worked hard. Had decent grades. But I remember envying my classmates with parents who were doctors, lawyers, journalists, etc because they get extra help at home while my parents couldn’t help me academically. My friends had monthly allowances so they’d shop, watch movies, or eat out all the time. 90% of the time I turn down invitations to hang out because I don’t have allowance money and I don’t have reliable transportation to support me to work part time. Anyways, I don’t miss those times and to this day I still remember the feeling of not wanting others to find out about my socioeconomic background.

[@elevatedschool]

I feel you

[@ruthosornio7779]

Where did you attend? I'm from California too!

[@Enchanteralle]

@@ruthosornio7779 UC Davis!

[@sethupathys641]

I feel privileged right now, realising the degree to which students struggle. I am blessed that my parents can afford tuition. My dad's story is somewhat similar, I guess, but also different. He came to the States when he was 20 (he started college when he was 16) from India as a network engineer. He's told me a lot about how he used to send a huge chunk of his salary back home to pay off his parents' debts and how he refrained from calling back home often, because the telephone rates were high. We're in a much better place now. My dad underplays what he's done most of the time, but realising how far he has come from that little kid in a small, unheard village is really humbling. I realise I have digressed a bit, but keep making videos, Kevin. They really helped me out, as I struggled with my essays this year. I watch that video of your common app essay every single time I need to inspiration to "show" and not "tell". Keep it up!