MODERATOR’S NOTE: The thread was drifting off topic, so I deleted a few posts. Please stay on topic. That is an instruction, not a request.
As most posters on CC know, plenty of students academically qualified for those schools are nevertheless rejected. I don’t take a rejection from a lottery school as an indication of academic inability.
Based upon @MaineLonghorn 's post above, I think we can move past questioning why David Hogg was accepted to Harvard He was accepted and Bill Fitzsimmons did not ask my opinion. 
Regardless, his acceptance (or anybody’s acceptance) is not even tangential to this thread and there is a separate (albeit old) discussion for that topic.
http://talk.qa.collegeconfidential.com/parent-cafe/2117686-david-hogg-yep-it-s-a-hook-but-what-a-sad-one.html
Maybe I’m in a small minority, but I don’t find Kashuv’s rescission either surprising or troubling.
- Harvard, a private university, can admit whoever it wants, for whatever reason it wants, so long as it doesn't break any laws in doing so.
- Unless that person comes close to walking on water, Harvard has no interest in admitting anyone who will automatically scandalize large numbers of students, faculty, alumni and the press and might cause a disruption to the campus climate and PR nightmare that Harvard could have to deal with for four years and beyond. It's not worth it when there are literally tens of thousands of highly qualified applicants who won't cause such a problem. This is an entirely understandable business decision by Harvard, and isn't personal.
- Harvard loves to admit people who seem likely to have a big impact on society without automatically scandalizing large numbers of students, faculty, alumni and the press. In Harvard's reasonable judgment, David Hogg is such a person; he's already had a big public impact for a high school student, and Harvard apparently concluded that the relatively few people who carped about his test scores, college rejections and rhetorical style weren't going to disrupt the environment at Harvard in any meaningful way.
- Kyle Kashuv was also seen to be such a person (even though his public views were probably out of step with most of the Harvard community) and this is why Harvard admitted him (in fact, it probably also entered Harvard's mind that admitting Kashuv inoculated Harvard against accusations that Hogg was academically underqualified).
- When Kashuv's past writings came out, though, he went from being someone in category 3 to someone in category 2, and became too hot to handle, so Harvard rescinded his admission. It goes without saying, but Harvard's under no obligation to be the stage for anyone's redemption story.
- Harvard was legally entitled to rescind Kashuv's admission, had fully disclosed on its website and (I believe) in the information provided to admitted students that admission was conditional and could be withdrawn if unflattering new facts came to light, and had in the past couple of years publicly rescinded the admission of a number of students who had recklessly posted offensive writings online. It's unreasonable, I think, to take the view that Kashuv was being singled out for punishment, or that he wasn't on notice that this could happen.
So, I’m not worked up about this.
Harvard also wants what they used to call a “happy bottom quarter”. While they don’t rank anymore they have so many students used to being at the top of the top that it can be an issue itself. Students who are happy to be there and get out without top grades but with a Harvard degree while using the skills they have shown to organize a social movement are very much wanted at Harvard.
Harvard is the only entity that decides who is qualified and deserving.
It can also be viewed purely as a risk-management action. If he attended Harvard and did indeed “kill all the Jews” there, Harvard would not only have a tragedy on its campus, but, given their prior knowledge of Kashuv’s rants, would have ginormous legal problem
And the court of public opinion gets to decide if Haaavaaad is smart or dumb or virtue signaling or a putz or whatever…
I have no problem letting the ‘private’ Harvard decide who it admits if they gave up all tax advantages they get. Since we all basically support them thru our tax dollars they should pay for their ‘moral’ choices by paying more taxes that will help society
@jackson5123 And who gets to decide how this works? Does the public get to weigh in on who they accept or reject? It’s not like this couldn’t happen at a public school. It might not but it could. It’s a slippery slope when the government steps in and gets to weigh in on these decisions when no law is being violated.
Follow the money.
It does to the mob. Now where is my pitchfork?
Maybe once you take public money, the Constitution becomes applicable as if you where a public school.
I don’t disagree we are funding private schools too heavily. But not because of admissions practices. But because these schools are serving primarily some of the richest and most privileged in society. When the average income of student matriculating to a college is approaching 200K+ and 20% of a student body’s family of origin is earning more than 630K (the 1%), that is a school for the financially eite. And I say this as someone who is affluent. Much prefer to see affordable options for the masses than so much money serving just a few. There are plenty of Karl Kashuvs walking around elite schools. These Parkland students notoriety in the media after the Parkland tragedy most certainly made them interesting to admissions. When your media presence turns negative, that’s a liability.
Anyway, Harvard was absolutely right to rescind this admission. They were absolutely right to rescind the admissions of the 10 a couple years ago as well IMO. I think more of this kind of thing gets filtered out through the admissions process so it doesn’t get press. But when new info comes to light, it should be taken into account. There are certainly MANY students on the wait list who managed to keep a squeaky clean online presence and are more than academically qualified. I have 2 teens who are appalled by this type of language. My parents weren’t particularly progressive, but taught me not to use language like this in the 70’s when I was in elementary school and that actions have consequences. I never have. It’s not that hard. College admissions is about evaluating you as a teenager. That’s literally the process applied to all students.
As an aside, I think this kid is articulate but immature. Actions speak louder than words. He has plenty of opportunity for education and redemption. He still has a lot more privilege than plenty of students in the process. He was planning a gap year anyway.
One thing I haven’t seen discussed much in response to this is how it reads to students of color at Harvard. How and why would Harvard have the need to justify the acceptance of a student who was openly racist 18 months ago to the rest of the student body. Decisions like this have to be almost a no brainer. Can you imagine being a student of color assigned to room with someone like this? The media perspective seems like it is all about this kid being the victim. Harvard just gave him a great education free of charge.
I thought this was an interesting article in response to this incident from a student of color at Harvard.
@yourmomma The constitution always applies to everyone. Our bill of rights says that Congress shall make no law that abridges our right to free speech. It doesn’t say that colleges can’t rescind acceptances or that employers can’t fire you for exercising your right to free speech.
I also think public schools that use holistic admissions might bounce a student like this if they have a long line up of qualified students. Public high schools have processes to expel students as well for less than criminal behavior. This language is perceived as threatening to other members of a student body.
Was Kashuv arrested for saying what he did? No? Then his free speech is intact. No one has a RIGHT to go to any particular college.
I noticed in his letter to Harvard (or was it his “apology letter”?) that Kashuv mentioned how he was hanging out with “the wrong people” or something along those lines.
How come no one ever cops to actually being one of the “wrong people”? Well, I guess the answer is that by blaming the others in one’s circle, one doesn’t have to accept responsibility for any actions that occurred while in the company of the wrong crowd. He says repeatedly in his letter that he accepts full responsibility for his actions, but goes on to mention that he made poor choices with regard to the people he surrounded himself with.
Can someone change this much in two years? I’m not sure. I don’t know how we can possibly know that he has changed just because he insists he has. I don’t know…racist ideology isn’t necessarily a fixed and unchangeable “condition,” but it usually takes a whole lot of time and introspection to make that happen.
In any case, this young man will certainly land on his feet. I noticed he has hundreds of thousands of followers on his Twitter account, and this publicity will no doubt recruit more to his social media accounts. I’m just not sure the people who embrace him are the types that will encourage him to continue on to experience the kind of moral growth that he allegedly aspires to.
With a traumatic event such as the Parkland shooting, people can change overnight.
But in this case, I don’t think he has.
As noted above, the Constitution is applicable to Harvard and every other university. I don’t think anyone’s seriously alleging Harvard broke the law.
Regarding that “public money”, here’s something relevant from another post I wrote a while back on a different topic:
I was trying not to add to the conversation here, but…apparently, I can’t help myself. I’ve been following the twitter accounts of most all the active Parkland kids, including Kyle Kashuv, since they started their activism. What I see with Kyle Kashuv is that he thinks he is provocative, but really just rude. I watched the other Parkland kids and parents distance themself and watched him go after them and sic his followers on them. His behavior in the google classroom seems the same-watch me do this, there’s nothing you can do about it. It’s weird power play. And apparently he offended enough people that they DID want to do something about it, hence the screen shots. There are consequences to your actions. I feel terrible for all of the Parkland kids, I think they have all been under a lot of pressure. But…I think Harvard made the right choice here.