Harvard’s Faustian Bargain: America’s oldest university selects a dreadful president

City Journal ^ | 9 February 2007 | Heather Mac Donald

[Cicero]

Yes, Al Gore is a pretty good instance of bending the admissions standards for influential people. Harvard knew that the son of influential Senator Gore would turn out to be influential himself. I know of one case where someone gave a building to get their son in there.

Actually, you could make some excuse for admitting such people. They are going to be movers and shakers in any case, so it makes sense to give them a good education so they will be better equipped to do some useful moving and shaking.

What worries me is that there's no longer much assurance of their getting a good education. Future leaders are being brainwashed with PC ideology rather than educated. They are turning out effete leftist snobs with no exposure to the real classics of western thought.

[Mrs.Z]

"Admission to elite universities, HOW THE ELITE GET THEIR KIDS IN"

Those of us with kids who recently went through this say,

"YA THINK!?!"

They let in (1)a tiny number of extraordinary minorities,
(2)THEIR OWN,
(3)and ZERO extraordinary middle-class white kids.

4.0, so?
national merit, forget it!
extra curricular, forget it!
great interview, so what!

We have a class system, deal with it middle class.

[samadams2000]

Its official. Turn in your penisus students!

[samadams2000]

Quick name 5 institutions Liberalism has destroyed...
1) Education
2)Military
3) Politics
4)Family
5) Boy Scouts
6)Religion
7) Western Civizatin
8)Newspaper
9)Television


What are the others?

[MHGinTN]

I don't see her as ugly, just 'hard' ... she seems to have no softness or femininity, as if she is purposely, with strain in the exercise, rejecting that which she was blessed to have in contrast to males.

[Mmmike]

Have you ever driven around Cambridge? If you ask me, Harvard's neighborhood itself looks vaguely Stalinist (in a warmed-over, imitative way).

[Mmmike]

Pat? I thought it was Terry, or Sam.

[justshutupandtakeit]

He was merely exercising the Kennedy Divine Right to do whatever the hell they wish.

[Dems_R_Losers]

I have a graduate degree from Harvard. It will get no more money from me. I sent them a blistering letter after Lawrence Summers resigned. I think I may return my diploma now.

[Calvin Locke]

There's a recent book by a WSJ reporter, Dan Golden, called "The Price of Admission: ...." that goes into the subject.

[randog]

I'd grudge hit it.

Duuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuude.

[hershey]

Great post. Thanks.

[Rider on the Rain]

Larry Summers was forced to resign

Larry did the one unforgivable thing, even for a liberal, he told the truth.

[Porterville]

Who cares? Does harvard really think it is that important? On the West Coast we don't even care about east coast colleges don't think about them, don't want to be a part of them, and have no need for New England "sensibility" ....or its crappy chowder..

Best chowder is in Pismo

[Ghost of Philip Marlowe]

A good article.

Allan Bloom is turning over in his grave, as are all the truly great thinkers that made these institutions some of the greatest universities on the planets, but which have been reduced to propaganda training camps by Leftists.

We need school choice. We need more alternatives to higher education (three dozen Hillsdales would be a start).

[Gay State Conservative]

..or its crappy chowder.Best chowder is in Pismo.

You've obviously never had *real* New England clam chowder.Come to Boston and I'll introduce you to clam chowder that will make you wish that you had died and gone to heaven!

[Ukiapah Heep]

What a big non-surprise. The dominance of one of the grey female functionaries in a rabidly left wing institution that outsed perhaps the only Democrat left standing with a shred of common sense. It's no wonder that many High School valedictorians in these parts favor Ohio State over the Ivies, where at least you'll owe less money for four years of leftist claptrap.

[x_plus_one]

Drew Gilpin Faust - the kati couric of academia. Barf...

[x_plus_one]

http://www.hno.harvard.edu/gazette/2000/04.06/faust.html

A more current picture

[Aikonaa]

Who cares? Does harvard really think it is that important?

Harvard wields a lot power in this country, also outside academia, and has a 30 billion dollar endowment.