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And why the heck would a kid in band go to Harvard? He should be getting in a van and going on tour. And why would a kid in the chess club go to Yale? He sho

And why the heck would a kid in band go to Harvard? He should be getting in a van and going on tour. And why would a kid in the chess club go to Yale? He should be playing chess. And why would a kid on the baseball team... The typical over-achieving student is going to be in dozens of activities, none of which necessarily correlate with their future career. Agriculture might seem really weird or foreign to you, but for much of America being in FFA/4H/Eagle Scouts/whatever is just as normal as band, chess or sports.

william42 16y ago
Actually, I seriously doubt a good baseball player is going to be going to an Ivy League school, for a simple two-word reason. Athletic scholarships. Ivy League schools have none.
codva 16y ago
If the kid in band wants to be a touring rock musician, then he absolutely should get in the van and go on tour. Or maybe get a degree as a back up and then go on tour - but I probably wouldn't recommend spending Harvard money on that degree. My daughter is an officer in 4H - a horse club. I'm quite familiar with the organization. My point was that for those kids that fit the stereotype that the authors were picking on, high achievers with interests that don't fit the "elite" school stereotype, the admissions folks may have a point. The Harvards of the worlds may not be the best school for those kids. It's not necessarily evidence of bigotry.