A University for the Left Out
Posted: Monday, January 24, 2011
by Terry Mitchell
http://commenterry.blogs.com
If I were a billionaire, one of the things that I would seriously consider doing would be to establish a new private university. I would spare no expense to make sure that it attracted the best possible professors and other staff members to ultimately transform it into one of the most elite institutions of higher learning in the entire country.
Other colleges, almost without exception, emphasize participation in extracurricular activities and community service nearly as much as they do one’s academic achievements. As a result, those who do not participate in such activities, even if they have excellent grades, find themselves left out of most of the nation’s top colleges and universities. Those are the very students that my new university would seek to admit.
While there’s nothing wrong with stuff like extracurricular activities and community service, they should be completely optional for everyone. People should do things like that out of a willing heart or the simple joy and satisfaction they get from them, not because they are expecting to get some kind of a reward such as admission to an elite college or university. The latter smacks of ulterior motives.
I think it’s a crying shame that potential college students are judged by their participation – or lack thereof – in such activities. Many students need to spend so much effort on their studies that they don’t have time for anything else. Other students are merely not interested in outside activities. It is not fair to them that those things are taken into consideration by most institutions of higher learning. My new university would serve the purpose of trying to right that wrong.
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Top-level comments on this article: (2 total)Bravo. After we are graduated we are paid to do our job at work not for the community service activities we do or do not participate in. You are right - some need all the time to study and get good grades. Some also have to work to help pay for the horrendous fees and cannot have time for "extras". You are making some valid points here, not sure if some were "tongue in cheek" but they struck a chord with me.Hi Marijo, nothing "tongue in cheek" here. This is something I've been pondering for quite a while and I was quite serious. I'm glad to hear that it struck a chord with you. :-)I hear you and I think it is a very valid article. I worked about 3 jobs while in college, got scholarships and grants (none that had to be paid back) and had friends - was the social chairman in the dorm for a time but who had hours in the day for much more besides studying.... In high school I did volunteer at the hospital but was terrible in sports and had 3 left feet, ruling out drill team and cheer leading and I studied, a lot. I did get accepted in the school of my choice spring of my junior year in HS (pending my senior grades) so something must have worked but now days it is more and more difficult.
Good for you! You'd revolutionize universities because yours would probably become the most sought after.Yeah, good ol' Terry Mitchell U. !!!! Thanks for commenting, Jennifer.
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