<p>Obviously, we all need to go to our teachers for letters of recommendation for college. However, the thing is that the thrill of getting into a school heavily recruited by Wall Street (Harvard, Wharton and Princeton are indisputably my top 3 choices) is primarily what motivates me to do well in school. I have the feeling that this may come through in my classes. I genuinely enjoy my extracurricular activities (since you can ultimately pick what you do), but the thrill of getting to one day work at an investment bank, private equity, venture capital or hedge fund is really what motivates me to grind through an AP class that I don't like. I find some of my classes interesting, but take some AP classes just to bolster my transcript. If my teachers (let's assume they're anti-Wall Street leftists) somehow see through that working in the financial sector is what motivates me, how can I "spin" the situation around so that I don't come across as "some greedy corporate whore"?</p>
<p>FWIW: You should read this article and think carefully about your priorities: <a href=“Adderall not cocaine: inside the lives of the young wolves of Wall Street | PBS NewsHour”>http://www.pbs.org/newshour/making-sense/adderall-cocaine-inside-lives-young-wolves-wall-street/</a>
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<p>This is a joke, right?</p>
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You said it, not us.</p>
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<p>I wonder which is the more difficult sell, “greedy corporate whore” or “deluded, misinformed manipulator”? I think you are probably better off owning “greedy corporate whore.”</p>
<p>Seriously, any college admissions strategy that starts with convincing people that you are someone different than who you are is a mistake. And if it also involves being contemptuous of your teachers . . . well, that’s another bad idea. The good news, though, is that your teachers probably like teaching teenagers, and want you to succeed.</p>
<p>Many philosophers (especially Peter Singer at Princeton) have urged students to get into finance so that they can donate to effective charities, saving tens of thousands of lives. Here is a video of him discussing it: <a href=“Peter Singer: The why and how of effective altruism | TED Talk”>http://www.ted.com/talks/peter_singer_the_why_and_how_of_effective_altruism</a>
Of course, do not pretend to be an aspiring effective altruist. Being an aspiring effective altruist, I highly urge you to get on the street and give 10+%.</p>
<p>I don’t like people like you.</p>
<p>So we have a Wolf of Wall Street fan here. I’m all for being Machiavellian, but you are chasing the wrong thing. If you do get into Harvard and get recruited to a top IB firm, you will be miserable. You won’t be doing coke in the bathroom at Pacha because you’re living the life, you’ll be doing it to escape your life.</p>
<p>There’s this assumption that not only can your teachers perceive your lack of interest as standing out in particular among your likely equally disinterested classmates, but that they will attribute this to your soulless ambitions in finance. Literally what. Either you’ve been talking about this in class, which would be foolish, or you’re still in the stage of adolescent development which causes the narcissistic belief that others have a persistent preoccupation with discerning your internal thoughts and desires.</p>
<p>Let’s assume there is actually a problem, isn’t the solution obvious? You try to seem as engaged as possible, perform well, and cultivate relationships with your teachers that will give them good things to say about your character. There’s nothing to “spin,” you just wanted to use that word. There isn’t actually a problem, you just want to be edgy and entertain this imaginary conflict because it makes you feel important. Haha guys I just want the money and the prestige am I doing it right?</p>
<p>You’re in the same league as middle school girls creating drama over each other’s boyfriends. How many Regan Bush '84 shirts do you own?</p>
<p>This seems like such a joke…
Being a banker is a worthwhile profession, delivering much-needed capital to beneficiaries. But I hope you know that it’s a lot different than what you see in the movies where Wall Street careers are glorified. It often entails 100 hour work weeks and living in one of the most expensive cities in the U.S. Further, the finance world absolutely does not have the stigma surrounding it that you’re describing – teachers denouncing students as future capitalist whores or whatever? I’m sorry but this is just very childish… </p>