I was struck by what might be another “grain of truth” in the recent exchange - the repeated use of the word “recruit” to describe the process by which these RD admittees are supposedly wooed by the University. Is this all in the mind of coldbrew (who I am now convinced is a student, not a parent)? Or are the admissions people running too vigorously after these kids, even using the new dorms as bait, and thereby generating the sense of entitlement and buyer’s remorse we see on display here? If this is so, it is deplorable. It is distracting these kids from the essence of the UChicago experience: they may really feel that what they have purchased here is the optimal level of prestige and comfort, a new dorm, the safety of a suburb and/or not having to walk very far to class. Kids with that sort of perspective would never have previously been attracted to Chicago. The mailings and rankings have played their part in this process, but I wonder whether the admissions people may be at fault in insufficiently (a) screening out those kids, and (b) validating their skewed values in the course of “recruitment”.
I would be interested in comments of any kids or parents who experienced “recruitment”. Is that word even used, except by this poster (or for athletes)?