Seattle Times: Should Learning Be its Own Reward?

BurnThis
Wed, 22 Nov 2006 10:59:57 +0000

Bethievt,

Believe me, we know what a long shot his app is at Yale. Five kids from his school have already received likely letters based on sports. Plus, we have some legacies every year. 24 kids are applying early to Yale – almost ten percent of the graduating class. It’s insane. And that’s why I’m frustrated that for all his hard work (and, I’m sure, the hard work of many of those 24) he may be disappointed that he won’t be getting the “reward” of the school of his choice. And as for Ivy being the be all and end all, without revealing too much I can tell you that for lawyers (both my husband and I are lawyers and S thinks he wants to go to law school) Ivy does guarantee you an easier time throughout your career in getting a job. This may not, and probably is not, true for other professions, but this is the one where your resume follows you for all of your career and where you went to school always matters. Trust me on this one.