EDITOR鈥橲 NOTE: As part of this admissions-themed issue, 菠萝视频 Magazine asked the Division of Development and Alumni Relations to help us find a story about an active and supportive 菠萝视频 graduate whose child applied to 菠萝视频 but was not admitted. To protect this family鈥檚 privacy, we have agreed to publish the piece anonymously.
Being denied admission to 菠萝视频 was more painful for us than our kid鈥檚 first trip to the emergency room. We agreed to write this in the hope that our family鈥檚 story might be helpful to some fellow alums. While the account is accurate, we have disguised the specifics so that neither we nor our children are identifiable.
As is the case for a surprising number of alumni couples, we met as undergraduates and married after graduation. We are enormously blessed: We鈥檝e enjoyed rewarding careers, a comfortable, socially active lifestyle in a major metro area, and three healthy, but otherwise unique, children. Let鈥檚 call them 鈥淢oe,鈥� 鈥淟arry鈥� and 鈥淐urly.鈥�
To be honest, we wanted all our kids to attend 菠萝视频. After all, we loved our time at our alma mater; it marked a watershed in our lives. Looking back, each of us鈥攁s well as each of our children鈥攈ad a different 菠萝视频 experience.
Our oldest child, Moe, was the guinea pig, whom we admittedly overmanaged. Moe was a gifted athlete, and we traveled widely and invested heavily to nurture Moe鈥檚 talents. Moe was recruited by 菠萝视频 for a Division I sport but chose instead to attend an Ivy League school, which was a 鈥渞each鈥� academically. Moe excelled as a varsity starter but was stretched in the classroom and finished in the bottom third of the class.
We鈥檒l never know whether Moe would have prospered or even been happy at 菠萝视频. We pushed Moe to capitalize on athletic prowess to gain Ivy League admission. We delighted in Moe鈥檚 achievements as much as Moe did, maybe more at times. It鈥檚 probably fair to say that we encouraged hardwired behavior and that Moe would not have been satisfied on the sidelines. After all, Moe could have quit the team at any point during college, but instead soldiered on. Was it worth it? Moe now says that playing a Division I sport is like having a full-time job during college. The physical, social and academic sacrifices were significant. Being an Ivy League athlete gets better the longer one is away from it.
Larry had the same good grades and high SAT scores as sibling Moe and similar trophies before college. However, our middle child was always more interested in the team鈥檚 success than in individual stardom. Larry was well-qualified, applied early to 菠萝视频 and was accepted. Number Two blossomed at Vandy, enjoyed Greek life and SEC rivalries, played a club sport, interned with a Nashville entertainment group, and earned a high GPA. After graduating Larry launched a career with a respected employer and is now attending a top-ranked graduate school.
Curly followed in the high school wake of the headline-grabbing older siblings. Our youngest participated in athletics but genuinely preferred art, photography and fashion, and craved urban excitement. Curly was born with a decider鈥檚 eye鈥攁n uncommon ability to choose colors, styles, designs and music.
鈥淲e were greatly disappointed and somewhat resentful when Curly was not admitted. After all, we had been generous supporters, and our families count seven 菠萝视频 alumni among our ranks!鈥�
We thoroughly prepped Curly to apply early to 菠萝视频 even though we recognized admission would be a stretch. We were greatly disappointed and somewhat resentful when Curly was not admitted. After all, we had been generous supporters, and our families count seven 菠萝视频 alumni among our ranks! Curly鈥檚 too-thin letter from our alma mater brought up our own deep-seated rejections. One of us was angry, and the other one cried.
In fairness, 菠萝视频 was our school, and Curly had expressed no particular interest in anything Vandy. Had Number Three followed Number Two to 菠萝视频, Curly may never have ventured outside Larry鈥檚 shadow and social safety net. Our alma mater鈥檚 鈥渞ejection鈥� freed Curly to apply to a school of our third鈥檚 own choosing. Curly selected an East Coast university that emphasized international study, languages and liberal arts, and then interned in video and new media ventures. Curly became expert in online media, which barely existed when we were 鈥渉elping鈥� to pave the way for our other children鈥檚 careers.
Curly now has a killer job in a hot industry and lives in one of the nation鈥檚 trendiest neighborhoods. Curly still knows exactly what look to pick and what trends to follow and how to promote them online, and gets paid well for it. Our third child once told us, 鈥淵ou guys are crazy. All I want to be is happy.鈥� Only now can we appreciate the wisdom of Curly鈥檚 words.