Category: College Admissions

Can you see the real me? Inquired Roger Daltrey in 1975 on Quadrophenia. Teenage angst wasn’t new to muh muh my generation even half a century ago. Not seeing kids for who they are rather than for who their parents want them to be is a recurrent theme in rock

I have never been kidnapped by aliens. To my knowledge. Although there was a weekend my senior year of college about which I remember very little. Those who do mention having been kidnapped by aliens report remarkably similar narratives. Invariably the alien is described as looking similar to the (second)

When I started touring college campuses 30-something years ago, there was a strong relationship between how hungry the college was and the quality of the meals provided. My colleagues and I—“hordes” is such an unpleasant word—would descend from our chartered buses famished after a two-hour excursion from College A to

My recent column about the randomness of admissions decisions garnered more than the usual number of “attaboys” and “tell-me-mores.” One of my old running buddies shared 40 years of frustration regarding alumni interviews. One of my colleagues described an exemplary student with some disappointment results. Another colleague shared a brilliant

As college admissions decisions continue to descend upon hapless seniors and their well-intentioned parents this week, all involved revert to the cognitive capability of a three-year-old. “Why?” asks a toddler in response to any and every statement. “Let’s brush your teeth,” “it’s time for bed”—are all followed by the ubiquitous

“Her life had been as exciting and varied as our was monotonous” is Willa Cather’s delicate phrase from 1926. Petula Clark sang, “when you’re alone and life is making you lonely…” 38 years later. Another subsequent 56 years, downtown is no longer the venue where the worst thing that could

None of us can sing worth a darn, but we are a highly enthusiastic bunch caterwauling in the woods each summer. One of our chorus is a federal prosecutor. As the mental health professionals sit around the campfire discussing substance use disorder late into the evening, Ben remains thoughtful. Recent

            One of our running buddies is an administrative assistant. Her skill set and her previous experience encompass managing every aspect of an office. In these Covid-permeated times, her responsibilities have been curtailed to endless scheduling, which is fine, a job is a job. Her new responsibilities are limited to

It would be hard to overstate the combined intellectual capacity of my running buddies this morning. Sam has a Ph.D.; Robin was top of the class in law school; Jordan is a gifted physician. Accomplished, professional, bright, (sweaty) folks that they are, not one of them could pass a seventh-grade

“Twenty-seven lawyers in the room, anybody know ‘post hoc ergo propter hoc?’” asks Martin Sheen as President Josh Bartlett in the second episode of The West Wing. “After it therefore because of it,” his chief of staff responds. “It means one thing follows the other therefore it was caused by