I notice how some colleges are purposeful in their mission, forward thinking and innovative. Others seem to be stuck on their past laurels. It’s hard to know whether a particular college is visionary and fresh or whether it is riding on its ranking. I think it often comes back to the leadership of the college. [...]
As my middle son prepares for graduation from Dartmouth next month, I have been trying to understand why Dartmouth felt like such a worthwhile experience for him and like such a worthwhile financial burden for our family. Robbie’s time has been idyllic, and for a long time I just assumed it was because Dartmouth was [...]
People on Facebook are going nuts over this. I think it’s a little mean and mis-guided. I know…. I know…. kids need to learn responsibility. But I think parents need to be careful of a one-size fits all rule. Sometimes a little unexpected support from a parent can be just what the doctor ordered. Here’s [...]
Crazy Making….My senior son looked at me with a little doubt and hesitation last night as he told me how his friend helped install a water pump at a fire station in Madagascar this past summer. He and his friend also have very similar college lists. The questioning look on his face said it all. [...]
I sat in a woodcarving studio in Xi’an, China with my eyes fixed on my soon to be fā zān. A fā zān is a Chinese hair pin that I would never actually wear. They are beautiful and ornamental but not for girls like me who need their hair to withstand lacrosse goals and cross-country [...]
The stars were dispersed throughout the luminous sky, the full moon the only other sign of light amidst the crisp autumn air. My boots made a small clink every time I climbed another rung of the cold, metal ladder, my grandfather’s 270 Winchester slung over my back. Once at the top, I slid into the [...]
I am going to admit it. I like rankings. I know…I know…I’m not really supposed to like rankings, but rankings are my guilty pleasure. Here’s the deal. I see the pitfalls of rankings, and I often like colleges that don’t rank highly on a list. I recognize that many ranking systems are based on the [...]
http://www.wsj.com/…/educators-seek-to-ease-pressure-in-col… When U Chicago stops sending mailers to kids with a 3.2 GPA, and when Wash U quits inundating my cat (yes I signed him up on the mailing list as an experiment) with hundreds of marketing documents, then I’ll believe that the colleges really want to tone down the frenzy. When they say things [...]
I’m afraid this might not feel very helpful. I loved Vanderbilt the first time I visited it in 2011. In fact, of course, I still do love Vanderbilt. They have a firm commitment to undergraduate teaching. They’re alright in the class size department with 66% of the classes’ having fewer than 20 students and 9% [...]
When I tell certain clients (and family members) that my middle son was a music and history major at Dartmouth, I can sometimes feel them freeze in embarrassment. What can they say? How awkward. It’s kind of like if I told them he’s in prison. They’re usually pretty good about covering up their initial shock, [...]
