Universities Weblog

(Source: Harvard University)Today's kids and their parents pursue the Holy Grail of admission to the "right" college with enough zeal to scare admissions officers, even at Harvard. Their advice? Time out or burn out.

Here's a snippet from an online essay:

College admissions officers, especially those who admitted the parents of today's applicants, have an unusual vantage point from which to observe changes from one generation to the next. Many of us are concerned that the pressures on today's students seem far more intense than those placed on previous generations. College admission—the chance to position oneself for "success" through the acquisition of the "right" college degree—looms large for increasing numbers of students. Particularly because selective colleges are perceived to be part of the problem, we want to do everything possible to help the students we enroll make the most of their opportunities, avoiding the much-reported "burnout" phenomenon that can keep them from reaching their full potential.

Of course, the quest for college admission is only one aspect of a much larger syndrome driving many students today. Stories about the latest twenty-something ".com" multimillionaires, the astronomical salaries for athletes and pop-music stars, and the often staggering compensation packages for CEOs only stimulate the frenzied search for the brass ring. More than ever, students (and their parents) seek to emulate those who win the "top prizes" and the accompanying disproportionate rewards.Instead, say Harvard officials, students should use summers to reflect and relax, concentrate less on mastering one or two talents, and take a "gap year" between high school and college. All familiar advice, to be certain, but a nice encapsulation of common stresses and remedies.

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