Reply to Ivies vs. Top 20 schools (after listening to many a podcast on the subject)

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]In many cases, parents have bulldozed the "achievements" of the successful applicants to the Ivies. There are very few kids who actually start their own non-profits/businesses on their own, like that.[/quote]

This is so true.

It sometimes makes me think of predestinationism and Calvinism.  I feel like there is this belief that some people are born to be graced with an Ivy League education, and those children will, because of their blessed nature, do great works and follow the Will of the Admissions Officer.   However, no one really knows who the blessed are, or what they actually do.  So, everyone is looking at all the people around them, seeing who other people say is blessed, and attempting to mimic what they are doing.  Thereby, no one is doing what comes naturally at all, and the entire thing becomes a farce.  [/quote]

Weird take. You might be overthinking this a tad. [/quote]

Lol...."the blessed".  These are just students going to college...some special and some jack*****.  Nothing blessed about it.[/quote]

Ehh...I was drawing a corollary between current college admissions process and a medieval religious belief that some people are born to be saved and go to  Heaven, while most people are not.  You know who the saved are because they are born to be more obedient to God.   Then people spend their entire lives trying to prove to themselves and everyone else that they were born one of the saved.  
I am aware that gaining e trance to Harvard isn’t the same as gaining entrance to Heaven.  But the idea that some people are born with innate qualities that will be proven through certain actions seems pretty similar.  [/quote]

DP: I think it's an interesting take, but I don't think it really explains it.  I think it's about the group they think is right for the particular moment--rather than some sustaining innate quality/predestination for an individual.  So basically all the exceptionally strong folks with requisite caliber are considered, but the sum of this group and the context of the moment in history is what matters--they are basically selecting out a group (comprised of individuals) that somehow matches or meets a particular moment well.  If you're going to think through history, it might be that they are shooting for--what is the group of people that would create a "Golden Age" here and now at our school.  (I don't think they actually do it, or can do it--but that's what I think they are going for).[/quote]

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