The College Experience

Carleton, from the eyes of a student, was pretty darn wonderful. Perhaps if I worked for the school the wool might be removed from my eyes, so I'm glad I didn't.

The New York Times has--intentionally or unintentionally--been publishing really really interesting behind-the-scenes articles about the college experience. Previously I linked to a piece by the Admissions Dean of Kenyon college. This op-ed is from a novelist who attempted to write a satirical novel about college administrations and found every ridiculous concept he could come up with was already being done somewhere.

Here's an article about colleges who go crazy trying to wow high school seniors trying to make up their mind by offering indoor soccer with the Dean and "Earthlust Sleepovers" (which I would probably immediately sign up for but leave disappointed and with the conviction I need to read brochures more carefully).

And another about the rise of the common application, which only a few schools offered when I was applying, and what that has done to the choices for college-bound seniors who can--and do--regularly apply to 20+ schools.

This is the kind of investigative reporting I like. Trend-spotting, paradigm-shifting, articles that show you what underlying things are changing our society. Big kudos to the NYT from this blogger. But stop hiding Thomas Friedman!