<p>I find it stunning and more than a bit depressing that people on this thread assume that ‘high achievers’ or those who have the assets to get into Harvard must already possess, or even appreciate or understand good character traits. There is no reason to assume these are positively related. </p>
<p>And the reality is, too few adults value kindness anymore. It’s apparent they can’t even weigh it as a consideration in balance with other goals such as personal self gain, defending ones interests, or intellectual debate. Interestingly, the same older adults who can’t sort out what it means to be kind also argue it should be just obvious to these 18 year olds.</p>
<p>I see nothing wrong with any school seeking to highlight or bolster a feature of their culture that they value. Ideally colleges would select on character as much as SAT scores to create such a culture but it’s near impossible.</p>