Recruiting 101: What Not to Do

<p>"Chivalry isn't dead! He was certainly gallant, NSM. But if he was a step too slow, and the cops had to take over the chase, wouldn't the perp's race be relevant?"</p>

<p>Sure, you and I agree on that. However, if a person is simply telling about this kind of an incident to a friend, unless race was part of the crime (such as if a person were called racial epithets while being attacked), the race of the perps isn't important. It's not as if the friend is going to go find the perps.</p>

<p>Heck, when H described what he did to me, the last thing I was wondering about was the perp's race. I wondered whether the guy had had a weapon, and I wondered if my H had lots his good sense to go running after some thug!</p>

<p>Race is important, however, for a police report or a news article that is designed to help find the perps. "Police are searching for a man who robbed the BP gas station on Park Ave. today.He is described as 6' tall, 300 pounds, about age 25, white, with red hair and a limp. He was wearing a Grateful Dead sweatshirt and a pink headband."</p>

<p>
[quote]
He is described as 6' tall, 300 pounds, about age 25, white, with red hair and a limp. He was wearing a Grateful Dead sweatshirt and a pink headband."

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I doubt he'd get too far!</p>

<p>Yikes. Alums can be both the best and the worst recruiters for the school. </p>

<p>I'm sorry she called you, and I'm sorry she said that. You'd be right to contact the school. Even if she weren't adding bigoted comments to the mix, colleges generally don't want anyone representing them to prospective students to run down competitor schools. It's not appropriate, it's not necessary, and it's just not classy. Of course, in my mind that's the lesser offense here (the insinuations about black kids at public institutions is beyond galling).</p>

<p>I wonder if she's kicking herself for not thinking quickly enough with a classic retort like "Don't get me wrong! Some of my best friends are black!" :rolleyes:</p>

<p>A bit OT, but I've heard a number of people say that they've encountered "other-school-bashing" by recruiters. I haven't experienced this yet, but I wonder if it's common. It would certainly turn me off.</p>

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<p>That reminds me of the classic Seinfeld episode where they say over and over, "We're not gay, not that there's anything wrong with that."</p>

<p>Wow! Thanks for all of the comments. </p>

<p>I want to make it crystal clear that I am not saying ALL Catholic parents have the attitude this woman has; but I am VERY confident, as a Catholic parent, that there are all kinds of reasons for sending your kids to Catholic school and unfortunately in the white/upper middle class segment I'm familiar with, the fear factor is very real.</p>

<p>I have NEVER EVER seen this attitude espoused by Catholic educators. The parents who have this attitude are completely missing the point of Catholic education, which is to reinforce each child's individual faith and relationship with God, and to fully develop the gifts God gave them. It comes along with a huge dose of "to whom much is given, much is expected." The idea that you would use a Catholic institution to buy your way out of the way of life your religion demands of you is a perversion of values that is at its heart more repugnant than racism, because it cuts deeper than judging people by race--it says "they" are not as good as "us" and the only way we can keep our kids safe is to wall them off from "them" no matter who the "they" might be. Remember that not only was she freaked about gun-totin' basketball playin' BLACK kids, she was warning me against the riff raff that might have the nerve to kill themselves and traumatize our precious children. Well, I'm not sure about the degree--it's all equally ugly, but ostracizing somebody who is in the kind of emotional pain that would move them to suicide seems cruel on a level beyond the cruelty of bigotry.</p>

<p>I'm confident that she in no way represents the school, but I did start wondering about the school because I started wondering how many students are sent there by parents like that, rather than sent there because they'll get a big dose of Jesuit-influenced social justice that will inform their values as they live out their lives.</p>

<p>mombat, very good points, if those are the parents that are active, that are alumni, that can "stear" a schools direction, to wonder about </p>

<p>My D is also looking at a Jesuit College...she met many of the students at a program, she was very impressed and while you can have idjets in every place, if the institution is strong, those kids won't have much influence</p>

<p>i know you don't want to name the institution, but the school my d is looking at is Fordham</p>

<p>by "those kids" I mean the ones of parents we are talking about</p>

<p>Unbelievable!!! Yes I would most definitely report it to the school. And I agree with the other posters that the school's response should be a factor in deciding whether to disregard it as an option - not this incident alone because it might not be representative of the school. Great response, too!</p>

<p>aggh. a Jesuit school? My DD is waiting to hear from two of them-fordham and holy cross, and got into a third smaller one already. Unless I'm dreaming you can at least be sure it's not the attitude of the school.
I would guess that this sub-group exists at all private schools.</p>

<p>
[quote]
A bit OT, but I've heard a number of people say that they've encountered "other-school-bashing" by recruiters.

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</p>

<p>It's a NACAC no-no, but of course recruiters can be tempted regardless. I think it's just sleazy.</p>

<p>Again, citygirlsmom and oldinjersey--a Jesuit institution would never espouse that kind of attitude. I'm not concerned about that at all, but about whether or not there is a signficant percentage of students enrolled who are sent there for the wrong reasons.</p>

<p>I think the problem is that these calls are not made by official recruiters but rather by 'volunteer' alums, etc. as courtesy calls.<br>
We were told to feel free to contact the caller if we had any Qs about the school or needed phone #s.</p>

<p>Mombot, good for you!</p>

<p>I've tried to keep up with the thread, but maybe I've forgotten this: Does this person have any input into admissions, or is your D already admitted and she is just cheerleading? The reason I ask is that the recruiter could then go back to the school and ask, Is this kid a URM? Then spin the situation to say you lied. If that's the case, I think you ought to contact the school sooner rather than later. (I think you should contact the school anyway.)</p>

<p>Binx, from what is posted on the Accepted List, I think it is the second case.
I'm guessing the caller would be embarrassed after Mombot's reaction to the conversation and not want to let on to Admissions what a mess she made.</p>

<p>
[quote]
the recruiter could then go back to the school and ask, Is this kid a URM? Then spin the situation to say you lied.

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</p>

<p>Good point. I wouldn't worry too much about that though. I would just call the school now and tell them exactly what happened, including your great response about your daughter being black. Tell them the truth - that you were so stunned by her racism that you gave her a good comeback. No way will they think you were lying.</p>

<p>"I know this particular sub-species of Catholic parent..."parochial" is used as shorthand for "ignorant but smug.</p>

<p>This offends me as much as the person you are objecting to.</p>