I am not easily astounded, but this figure I read in Businessweek hit home. Four out of every five valedictorians that applied to Princeton last years were turned away.
The students were the best in their high school. They were bright, pretty, happy and gave speeches that made parents, siblings, friends and relatives proud.
They were most likely even recruited and encouraged to apply at Princeton and other top-tier schools.
Their parents sweated how they would pay the near $200K it would cost to send them to school the next four years - we'll think about a Masters or PhD later.
They went on tours and smiled and bought Princeton banners and coffee mugs.
They went back to school and finished their senior year dripping perspiration on every last test, hoping to max it out so they don't lose their 4.0, their valedictorian status, their glow in the eyes of the admissions department at Princeton.
The kids were the best their high school had to offer.
And then the letter of rejection came. Princeton turned them down; turned down 80% of them.
Something is wrong with this picture. Or maybe, just maybe, Princeton is not all its cracked up to be. Perhaps there are better choices to be made by these top students who are being turned away.
Maybe the Princetons and Stanfords are not the right choices for them.
What do you think?
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