<p>My first son did not get accepted into the HYP pack. He will go to U Chicago that gave him EA. </p>
<p>He is my organic free range chicken. His “aimless intellectual wandering” allowed him to discover his true passion (international finance) in the absence of any “growth hormone or forced feeding”, but also resulted in a lack of ECs that can be easily demonstrated through institutional awards and organized recognition. In the end, his perfect scores and numbers were not sufficient to make up for this deficiency.</p>
<p>On a positive note, he is determined to be much more goal oriented during next four years so that he will not have to deal with a situation where his potential is not fully demonstrated in a form and shape that is easily recognized by all. Furthermore, he is coping with this rejection (the first time in his life) by organizing a “rejection party” among his friends, rather than moping in the corner in his room; by entering a couple of scholarship essay contests ; by entering a national debate competition in Denver as a state representative; and by going into a hyperdrive mode to find an internship opportunity in the Wall Street this summer. Anybody with good Wall Street leads, please come forward :-) :-) :-)</p>
<p>I sent a letter to my son as below. This is my way of concluding an interesting journey during last few months. I learned so much from the CC parent community, and I thank you all. Now, onward with S2. </p>
<hr>
<p>Dear XXX,</p>
<p>I know you are bummed out over the admission decisions. Surely, you experience some bruised ego and disappointment. I see an outcome that is overall highly satisfactory and bodes very well for the future.</p>
<p>I truly think University of Chicago is a perfect school for you, and I am not saying this as a cheap cheerleading act. After you got their EA, I did a lot of research, and the more I learn about the school, the more excited I am for you. You will get a world class education, perhaps better than what any other institution can give including that holy trinity of HYP. </p>
<p>The other day, I was joking about hanging you upside down if you change your mind and decide to become, say, a philosopher or a physicist, after we pay through the nose for the elite private education that is well positioned for your dream Wall Street career, when you had an option to go to a very good public school as a full ride scholar. In truth, the reason why I am willing to invest heavily for your education at an elite university, especially a place like Chicago, is not just postgraduate Wall Street jobs. It is actually a second priority for me. I know you are mostly thinking about the Wall Street potential, but I see a bigger picture.</p>
<p>In the ancient art of sword making, it is required to whet the metal in the highest temperature possible just below the melting point to produce a truly exceptional heirloom. It is for this reason that I am so excited about your going to Chicago, because I believe their emphasis on intellectual rigor, not just professional training, is exceptional even among top elite private schools . I am of an old school that truly believes in thorough intellectual growth as a key criterion for undergraduate education. No matter what you will do after graduation, a thorough intellectual grounding will yield a hefty life time dividend, much more so than a vocation focused pre-professional education would do. Well, who knows: perhaps you will decide to become something other than an unrepentant capitalist, and I would have my revenge then ;-)</p>
<p>I want you in an environment that is brimming with super intellectual challenges and stimulation from your peers. A brilliant mind feeds on the brilliance of other minds around it to grow further. It's like a chemical reaction: the concentration of an active ingredient must reach a critical threshold before a reaction takes place. At the risk of sounding pedantic, I would say there is a reason why Renaissance happened in Italy, especially in Medici financed Florence. We see a spark of innovation and breakthroughs concentrated on a small geographical area during a certain, very short (historically speaking) period of time such as the age of Enlightenment during the early 18th century. The Ottoman Empire gloried in the brilliant minds of all faiths from Middle East, North Africa and the Iberian peninsula that flocked to it to escape the suffocating intolerance of the Middle Age Christian Europe or whatever their native culture – the feat that has not been repeated to date in that part of the world. The decline of the Ottoman Empire was a foregone conclusion when it closed its doors and lost that openness and tolerance. In our time, we see that the Internet spark ignited in Silicon Valley around Stanford and in the vicinity of MIT.</p>
<p>I may be biased, but you are one of the most intellectually gifted individuals I have seen, and I have seen a lot of bright people in my industry. Even in an environment like your exceptionally selective and competitive magnet school, you sailed through with ease using perhaps 10% of your potential. All the more reason to throw you in an environment where you will be genuinely challenged to use that remaining 90%, where someone like you is a norm rather than an exception. By the way, your easy high school experience all throughout made you a very happy, well adjusted and sociable individual with diverse pursuits and interests. So, no regrets there. Now it's time that you lived up to your potential.</p>
<p>You are a very fortunate young man. You have an exceptional mind, health, personality, emotional stability, AND yes, good looks to boot ;-) You have limitless possibilities. Everything is within your reach provided that you take advantage of the opportunities before you. Part of me is just plain jealous of you.</p>
<p>I was pretty bummed out yesterday also, but for a different reason than yours. I was hoping you will stay in the East Coast within a weekend trip distance. So that you can join us for holidays, father’s day celebration, occasional family events significant enough--- Now, your going away to Chicago means you are truly leaving home, and part of me started the mourning process yesterday. We did our best to build the best ship we could possibly build, and now it’s set to sail in an ocean full of unforeseen conditions. I believe you are well equipped. I hope you will explore all the uncharted territories, rather than just stay in safe inlets. Whenever needed, you can always return to my safe harbor to replenish and recharge for even bigger ventures later. </p>
<p>Meanwhile, I need to practice saying Bon Voyage. </p>
<p>Mom.</p>
One of my son’s best friends is going to Lehigh, and my first office mate at work long time ago was a Lehigh graduate. I heard it’s a very good school. It’s so unfair: it’s only an hour or so distance from my home!!!</p>