Michael Winerip went to Harvard. I could be wrong, but I don't think he'd mind at all if I were to help him spread the word.
Winerip's article is in part about how his own kids won't go to Harvard because they "were not made that way." Pshaw! "Even my oldest, who is my most academic son, did not quite have the class rank or the SATs. His SAT score was probably 100 points too low — though it was identical to the SAT score that got me in 35 years ago."
Then there are the twins. Oh, the twins!
"That day, running on the beach, I was lost in my thoughts when a voice startled me. 'Pops, hey, Pops!' It was Sammy, one of my twins, who’s probably heading for a good state school. He was in his wetsuit, surfing alone in the 30-degree weather, the only other person on the beach. 'What a day!' he yelled, and his joy filled my heart."
Lest any other of Winerip's family members go un-patronized, I leave you with this:
"My wife’s two brothers struggled as students at mainstream colleges and both have made wonderful full lives, one as a salesman, the other as a builder. Each found his own best path. Each knows excellence."
The best part about that article is when he talks about how thank you notes and applicants who tried to learn things about him used to irritate him. And now he finds it...how did he say, precious? or sweet?
ReplyDeleteI am the parent of a 17 year old rising senior who is described by his English teacher as "a preternaturally gifted writer" and who acheived a perfect 800 on his SAT verbal score. The other day I had to start prodding him to work on his application essay. (I may also end up holding a gun. . . )
ReplyDeleteI have a very different view from you, Phoebe - I read those articles and wept.
I don't doubt the challenges of parenting, just the choice to write (using one's real name) about one's children (using their real names) in a national publication.
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