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May 25, 2012
Mark Clayton: Is Hillary's State Dept. hacking Al Qaeda? Not quite
Erika Bolstad: Temple cancels Wasserman Schultz speech
The Kosher Gourmet by Ethel G. Hofman: The former president of the International Association of Culinary Professionals, whose members included the likes of Julia Child, is back with contemporary Shavous cuisine: Ruby Fruit Soup, Sweet Noodle Kugel with Cheese, Key Lime Curd, Calsone Casserole Frittata with Wild Mushrooms, Sun-dried tomatoes and Olives, Baked Tilapia with Pepper Cheese Cream and Brown Sugar Shortbread
May 24, 2012
Jeff Jacoby: The peace process battered Israel's reputation
Michael Muskal: 'Pro-choice' position hits record low, according to poll
Chris Farrell: Are We in a Tech Bubble?
The Kosher Gourmet by Penelope Wall: PHILLY CHEESE STEAKS --- hold the steak!
May 23, 2012
Tony Pugh: More private colleges offering tuition discounts
Mary Beth Franklin: How to Choose the Right Annuity for You
Tina Susman: The wig wasn't enough: Man gets 13 years for posing as his dead mom
The Kosher Gourmet by Emma Christensen:A simple way to do fish right
May 22, 2012
Warren Richey: Can US group challenge overseas surveillance act? Supreme Court to decide
Thomas M. Anderson: Walking Away From a Mortgage
The Kosher Gourmet by Megan Gordon: Enjoy a celebration of the most rich and layered flavors: Black bean, sweet potato and quinoa chili
May 21, 2012
Mark Clayton: Cybersecurity: How US utilities passed up chance to protect their networks
Howard LaFranchi: NATO summit: Who will foot the bill for long-term Afghanistan security?
Chris Farrell : Earn Dividends in Emerging Markets with This WisdomTree ETF
Stephen Whiteside, Ph.D. : Mayo Clinic Medical Edge: Social anxiety disorder --- or just shy?
Guy Jackson : Victim's father regrets death of Lockerbie bomber
The Kosher Gourmet by Mario Batali: Famed chef's veal shoulder farsumagru: A festive meat course for late spring
May 18, 2012
Rabbi Berel Wein: Striving: The People of the Book's Book for (All of) the People
Steven Goldberg: 5 Great Stock Picks and the Exchange-Traded Fund that Owns Them
Mary Pickett, M.D.: Ask the Harvard Experts: Don't be forced into gluten-free lifestyle based merely on a doctor's false-positive test
The Kosher Gourmet by Carolyn Malcoun: DIY healthy lunchbox treats: HOMEMADE FRUIT BARS for kids and brown-bagging adults alike
May 17, 2012
Warren Richey: Teacher fired for being unwed and pregnant can sue religious school, court rules
Josh Mitnick: Netanyahu's 'centrist' coalition is already proving it's anything but
Steven Goldberg: Earn Dividends in Emerging Markets with This WisdomTree ETF
Amina Khan: Research links coffee to lower death rates
The Kosher Gourmet by Faith Duran : Cheesy Potato Breakfast Casserole with Cheddar and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
May 16, 2012
Carmen Terzic, M.D., Ph.D. : Mayo Clinic Medical Edge: A variety of exercises can help improve balance
Melissa Healy: National strategy on Alzheimer's disease aims to halt it by 2025
The Kosher Gourmet by Joyce White : GOODNESS GRACIOUS: GREENS! 4 winning recipes that are no longer just for down-home folks (Includes expert tips & techniques)
May 15, 2012
Kristen Chick: Obama administration resumes arms sales to Bahrain despite serious unresolved human rights issues. Activists feel abandoned
Pat Mertz Esswein: Homes are now affordable again and mortgage rates are low. What you need to know before you buy
Kathy Kristof: Our Practical Investor Fights Inflation with These 6 Investments
Sue Hubbard, M.D.: The Kid's Doctor: Lactose intolerant young child? Check again
The Kosher Gourmet by Kathy Hunt: Spread a Little Excitement with EXOTIC CONDIMENTS (4 RECIPES)
May 14, 2012
Lisa Gerstner: How to Protect Your Identity, Finances If You Lose Your Phone
Harvard Health Letters: Heart disease and dementia
The Kosher Gourmet by Megan Gordon: MANGO COCONUT OAT MORNING MUFFINS are a bright but hearty delight
May 11, 2012
Jessica L. Anderson: Get the Best Deal on a Used Car
Jett Stone: Forget face-lifts and fake knees. Scientists have seen the fountain of youth --- and it's broccoli
The Kosher Gourmet by Chef Mario Batali: The famed chef's vegetable dish that tastes true to the season: FAVAS AND SUGAR SNAP PEAS WITH POTATOES AND TARRAGON
May 10, 2012
Sergei L. Loiko: Putin sends warning to U.S., NATO in Victory Day speech at Red Square
Mary Rourke: How being a 'mentch' got Vidal Sasoon his start and fighting in Israel's War of Independence provided him with confidence and a strong sense of his own identity
Jeff Bertolucci: Get Home Phone Service for Less Than $10 a Month
The Kosher Gourmet by Betty Rosbottom: Gleaming with its golden, crimson, and snowy white hues, this silken smooth and creamy STRAWBERRY ORANGE TRIFLE looks impressive, but is easy to prepare
May 9, 2012
Sharon Palmer, R.D. How you can reduce your risk -- or delay -- chronic diseases associated with aging
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Jewish World Review
March 27, 2011/ 21 Adar II, 5771
College daze: The insanity of the application process
By
George Will
http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
For many families, this is March madness the moment of high anxiety concerning higher education as many colleges announce their admittance decisions. It is the culmination of a protracted mating dance between selective institutions and anxious students. Part agony, part situation comedy, it has provoked Andrew Ferguson to write a laugh-until-your-ribs-squeak book "Crazy U: One Dad's Crash Course in Getting His Kid into College." He begins in Greenwich, Conn. a hedge fund habitat watching Katherine Cohen, an "independent college admissions counselor," market her $40,000 "platinum package" of strategies for bewitching Ivy League admissions officers. "Everyone in the room," writes Ferguson, "was on full alert, with that feral look of parental ambition. They swiveled their tail-gunning eyes toward Kat when she was introduced." Kat introduced them to terror: "There are 36,000 high schools in this country. That means there are at least 36,000 valedictorians. They can't all go to Brown. You could take the 'deny pile' of applications and make two more classes that were every bit as solid as the class that gets in." Your son's gazillion extracurricular activities? Kat sniffs: "He's a serial joiner .?.?. just running up the score." He was "invited" to participate in a "leadership" program in Washington? Kat's lip curls: "The invitation came in the mail, I guess. It said he was 'selected.' Do you know why he was selected? Your ZIP code. They knew you could pay." Ferguson becomes one of the Kitchen People parents who at parties cluster in kitchens where "in the reflected shimmer from the brushed-steel doors of the Sub-Zero, the subtle dance would begin." Squirming against the Viking oven, a mother is bursting or wanting to burst with pride over her child's SAT scores. "Her eyes plead, Ask me what they were, just please please ask
.?.?.
"'Oh?' I'd say. "'Her father was like, Oh, My, G0d.' And from the eyes, silently: Ask.
"'Mmm,' I'd say. "'Of course, she's always been a smart kid.' "'Mmm.' "'Of course, she tests well in general. But scores like these . .?.?.' Her pride bladder was terribly distended now, swelling in all directions, this painful unsatisfied need driving her nearly to the slate flooring. "'I mean when the e-mail with the scores arrived, I just had to peek! And then when I did, I'm thinking, My G0d this is my kid?' "At last she'd catch a sympathetic eye, and another parent would say, 'They must have been really ' "'Twenty-four hundred! I'm like, Wow!' "And then she'd sip the Zin with a humble smile."
Ferguson goes on campus tours conducted by backward-walking students armed with Harry Potter references the dining hall looks like Hogwarts, there are Quidditch matches, a sociology seminar explores "Voldemort and Differentiation in Imperialist Identities." Kat says that in his son's application essays he must "talk about his innermost thoughts," Ferguson shudders at this "compulsive self-exposure":"He's a 17-year-old boy! I wanted to tell her: Seventeen-year-old boys do not have innermost thoughts and if they did, neither you nor I would want to know what they are." This complicates writing the essays, which some people say should be liberally flecked with the word "diversity." Ferguson's son worries that his happy life is a handicap: "'Couldn't you guys get a divorce?' "'No,' I said. "'It would give me something to write about. You can get back together once I'm done with the essays.' "'Not going to happen.' "'I wish I'd grown up in the inner city.' "'No, you don't.' "'I wish I'd become a drug addict.'
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"'There's still time.'?"
Ferguson's whimsy is, however, finite. He becomes serious and seriously informative concerning the spiraling costs of college: It is, he says, nice to know there is $143 billion for student aid but worrisome that $143 billion is needed. His history of the SAT confirms the assessment that it is "impossible to find a measure of academic achievement that is unrelated to family income." It has been well-observed that America's least diverse classes are SAT prep classes. Still, the college admission process occasions too much angst. America is thickly planted with 1,400 four-year institutions. Motivated, selective students can get a fine education at any of them unmotivated, undiscerning students at none. Most students love the schools they attend. And the admissions quest can have splendid moments. Last year, Wake Forest, a wonderful university with a stimulating application form, asked applicants what they would title their autobiographies. One, obviously a golfer, answered: "Mulligan." Wouldn't we all?
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