Georgetown Prep vs. Sidwell

[Anonymous]

But the idea floated on here above that very high academic achievement is some sort of ticket to wealth and success is a faulty one. In Washington, DC there are lots of places where "credentials" are very important (Government, Law, Consulting, etc). But in the rest of the world, its performance that counts. It turns out that attributes like toughness and willingness to take risk and imagination and the ability to work with and through people are much more important. Very smart people are often put into jobs as experts (e/g. Insurance Actuary) while others not so gifted run the company.


You're suggesting that good students who end up in gov/law etc aren't hardworking, tough or willing to take risks?

[Anonymous]

I am not that poster, but I agree. Yes, if you are someone who goes in for being a law firm lifer or government surety profession you are hard working but are not a risk taker. Very few people on the blue blood path who have it pretty good or great are not getting off it. There is an excellent argument to be made for that route is right for some people, even smart and hard working people. The anxiety and stress of being a self starter entrepreneur or taking any high risk reward tack in a career is not for everyone. With Plank, he had no choice. If he didn't make it happen for himself it wasn't going to happen. Half the law firm partners in DC who went to all the right schools, well, the only barrier to the success they had was dying young or not showing up. Making partner at a law firm just takes some endurance over time and a large capacity to be bored a lot.

[Anonymous]

You have no idea what it takes to be successful in law.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
But the idea floated on here above that very high academic achievement is some sort of ticket to wealth and success is a faulty one. In Washington, DC there are lots of places where "credentials" are very important (Government, Law, Consulting, etc). But in the rest of the world, its performance that counts. It turns out that attributes like toughness and willingness to take risk and imagination and the ability to work with and through people are much more important. Very smart people are often put into jobs as experts (e/g. Insurance Actuary) while others not so gifted run the company.

You're suggesting that good students who end up in gov/law etc aren't hardworking, tough or willing to take risks?

I'll go beyond that.

It's a bunch of people making up rules and other people who help them to write these rules, who look for loopholes in these rules or defend those who violate the rules.

The whole exercise adds little to American wealth or economic well-being. And that's one of the reasons that both Government and Law professions are held in such low regard by the rest of the Nation. That's as opposed to people in manufacturing and engineering and architecture and construction and agriculture. You know, the people that actually do something.

At the end of the day, these jobs in the Government / Legal area have to be deeply dissatisfying.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You have no idea what it takes to be successful in law.

I don't. I'm an entrepreneur and wasn't a good student in college, I struggled with ADHD as a schoolboy and I am compulsive about being in control. I'd last less than a month at a sit, heal, stay law firm job. Yes, I know you guys read and write zillions of pages of documents and work a lot of hours but that isn't changing the world one motion to dismiss at a time. I could not even imagine being a lawyer 80-100 hours a week being treated like shit by their clients like me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Academics are a real meritocracy. I think you are much better off in a school filled with really smart kids with bright competitive futures in diverse intellectual pursuits over a school filled with people who peak athletically when they are 18. But hey the real estate industry isn't going away any time soon.

What misguided snobbery.

Two words for you: Kevin Plank

St John's High School Class of 1990

A famous bit of advice to new college professors. "Be nice to your "A" students as they will become your colleagues. Be nice to your "C" students because they will be donating buildings to the university".

And it seems to me that the real estate people were the only ones in DC to have the money to bring a baseball team to DC.

This is very true!

[Anonymous]

You're suggesting that Plank is contributing so much to society because what we really need is another overpriced trendy sportswear company. Yes his company provides jobs, but that is not his mission. He just wanted to get rich. His own kids go to St Paul's in Baltimore. Talk about blue blood. He has made it to the other side of the tracks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
But the idea floated on here above that very high academic achievement is some sort of ticket to wealth and success is a faulty one. In Washington, DC there are lots of places where "credentials" are very important (Government, Law, Consulting, etc). But in the rest of the world, its performance that counts. It turns out that attributes like toughness and willingness to take risk and imagination and the ability to work with and through people are much more important. Very smart people are often put into jobs as experts (e/g. Insurance Actuary) while others not so gifted run the company.

You're suggesting that good students who end up in gov/law etc aren't hardworking, tough or willing to take risks?

I'll go beyond that.

It's a bunch of people making up rules and other people who help them to write these rules, who look for loopholes in these rules or defend those who violate the rules.

The whole exercise adds little to American wealth or economic well-being. And that's one of the reasons that both Government and Law professions are held in such low regard by the rest of the Nation. That's as opposed to people in manufacturing and engineering and architecture and construction and agriculture. You know, the people that actually do something.

At the end of the day, these jobs in the Government / Legal area have to be deeply dissatisfying.

I am a lawyer and am changing the world. In law, like most professions, there is a wide range of social utility depending on where and how you direct your skills and efforts. I see the direct results of my work every single day. It may be time to broaden your horizons a bit!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
But the idea floated on here above that very high academic achievement is some sort of ticket to wealth and success is a faulty one. In Washington, DC there are lots of places where "credentials" are very important (Government, Law, Consulting, etc). But in the rest of the world, its performance that counts. It turns out that attributes like toughness and willingness to take risk and imagination and the ability to work with and through people are much more important. Very smart people are often put into jobs as experts (e/g. Insurance Actuary) while others not so gifted run the company.

You're suggesting that good students who end up in gov/law etc aren't hardworking, tough or willing to take risks?

I'll go beyond that.

It's a bunch of people making up rules and other people who help them to write these rules, who look for loopholes in these rules or defend those who violate the rules.

The whole exercise adds little to American wealth or economic well-being. And that's one of the reasons that both Government and Law professions are held in such low regard by the rest of the Nation. That's as opposed to people in manufacturing and engineering and architecture and construction and agriculture. You know, the people that actually do something.

At the end of the day, these jobs in the Government / Legal area have to be deeply dissatisfying.

I am a lawyer and am changing the world. In law, like most professions, there is a wide range of social utility depending on where and how you direct your skills and efforts. I see the direct results of my work every single day. It may be time to broaden your horizons a bit!

"Changing the world"? Now that's scary.

You mean like what the legal profession has done to the practice of medicine in this country?

Shakespeare had a point.

[Anonymous]

He did, but you missed it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:He did, but you missed it.

Actually just about everyone misses it, right?

No wonder. To many on its surface it seems like such a wonderful idea.

[Anonymous]

The people who promote the idea of mediocre academics as a virtue must be sliding down the adult side of professional disappointment or even failure. It's such a pathetic argument to make, it almost, but not quite makes me feel sorry for you.

[Anonymous]

I love the Prep "it doesn't matter where you go to college" response. So typical of the Catholic Mafia.

[Anonymous]

If you don't think there is a Catholic Mafia here, you are out of your mind.

[Anonymous]

Doctors who are contributing to the world? Not C students.
Silicon valley geeks who are on the cutting edge of technology? Not C students.
So a few self made millionaires run companies or run for president and now you want to argue that that is the path to success?