12.5.06: “No Room In the Inn?”

For many in this Winter Wonderland, the important question is will I get into the college of my dreams? Will this season bring an acceptance letter? Many high school seniors sure hope so. There is no shortage of planning that goes toward this goal. Some begin when they are quite young. Others, hoping for a second half Hail Mary, recast themselves in the Emperor’s new clothes. Whatever the story, all hope for a fighting chance. All who play this game hope that decisions are made on merit. Or at least those merits that make us look good. Right?

Be careful what you wish for. Many books have been published recently telling the tale of college admissions. It is not the greatest story ever told. In fact, in many instances, the story of college admissions is downright shameful. Take Jerome Karabel’s new book, “The Chosen,” for instance. In it we learn that Ivy League schools, albeit years ago, added a personal interview component in addition to looking at grades. This was heralded as an attempt by schools, like Harvard, to grow beyond rigid formulas for acceptance. Karabel informs us that Harvard’s motives were less than pure. He writes that the Ivy League schools’ added interviews, along with other non-academic criteria, to find more WASP candidates. High school transcripts had become too anonymous. The Ivy League was becoming less Anglo-Saxon and its patrons wanted this trend to stop. Today the interview is seen as giving all a fair shot. Originally, it was added to be inherently anti-Semitic.

Enter Oxford University. Recently “Harpers” published a list of interview questions asked of applicants to Oxford and Cambridge. One can only wonder what these institutions are looking for with these questions:

1. What is your opinion of spontaneous human combustion?
2. Why don’t we have just one ear in the middle of our face?
3. Are you your body?
4. Was Russia just too damn big for democracy?
5. How comfortable is that chair?

(For a complete list look Harpers Magazine, December 2006)

Oxford’s motto is “Fortis est veritas” (“Truth is strong”). Is it truth that Oxford is looking for these days or something far less controversial? Hired sherpas have difficulty guiding us through the College admissions process. We all would like to see it different. Perhaps what we make of a school, the school where we enroll, is best for us. Reputations are overrated. Receiving a college degree, from wherever is underrated. As we await our fate, this season, perhaps finding no room in the inn will be a good omen.