From Deseret News archives:
Applying to college not time for 'truthiness'
Truthiness is satirical and meant to be a humorous jab at the state of honesty in modern culture or politics. I think Marilee Jones must have believed in the loose idea of truthiness.
Jones, until recently, was the dean of admissions at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). She resigned because it was discovered that her resume lacked truth. Rather than analyzing Jones' career or her decision to fabricate a new truth about her educational background, I think there's a lesson about the importance of truthfulness to be learned here.
Though most of us strive to be honest, I can't imagine that anyone has lived a life without lying. We lie in an attempt to deny embarrassing, forbidden or unlawful acts. We lie to avoid punishment. We also lie when we embellish or manufacture the truth, and that can be a real problem for students who are completing college applications.
Several years ago, I worked with a young man who had what I call "enormous horsepower." He was extraordinarily bright and articulate. He had straight A's, indeed many A+'s in all his classes. With no test prep or tutoring, he had SAT scores close to 800 on every section.
But that's all he had. He had no extracurricular activities. None. No sports, no music, no volunteering. No school club membership or religious involvement. No scouting or camps. No work experience. He also said he hadn't read any books beyond what was required for school. When I asked him what he did after school, he said that with his father's permission he gambled online. Apparently, he was quite successful at it, too.
Because he was underage, he was engaging in illegal activities. I told him quite frankly that colleges would likely deny him if he listed "gambling" as his extracurricular activity.
Comments
- Soccer MVPs know how to win 1:56 a.m.
- Alta's Ohai is Ms. Soccer 2009 1:56 a.m.
- High school soccer: Past MVPs 1:37 a.m.
- Senators want food tax restored 1:27 a.m.
- Utah women lag in higher education 1:16 a.m.
- Hatch empathizes with Muslims 1:14 a.m.
- Matheson gets no thanks from GOP 1:13 a.m.
- Mitchell seeks to block witnesses 1:12 a.m.
- Party insiders may take on Bennett 1:11 a.m.
- Input sought on nondiscrimination 1:11 a.m.
- TCU showdown has big implications
- Seniors helped BYU regroup
- Lambert surprisingly tops news
- Hope for single moms
- Bystanders framed for child porn
- Korver and Miles to be evaluated
- Soccer MVPs know how to win
- Utah Jazz Extra: Whose hot/not
- Matheson gets no thanks from GOP
- Newhouse Hotel, an explosive end
- House passes health care bill
228 - TCU showdown has big implications
183 - Lobo suspended
182 - Cougars crush hapless Cowboys
154 - Utah Jazz fall apart against Kings
131 - TCU 4th in AP poll; U. 16th, Y. 22nd
118 - Thousands protest health bill
114 - RSL rallies to advance
103 - No 'backlash' for pioneers, gays analogy
97 - Utes pound winless Lobos
89
Meghan McCain, the daughter of former presidential candidate John...
Why do so many people live so close to refineries in Utah and elsewhere?
Sounds like a good option if you can't or won't switch to AT&T for the...
I worked with and around Bill Sederburg for 5 years while he was at...
hand. He needs to work on his moves to the basket and rebounding. Lateral...
play Fez or Koufos tonight. He went with a smaller line up and Boozer, Okur...
I've met Bennett before and he is a nice man. He also knows the Constitution...
That's never been a secret. Everyone will pay for it except those that don't...
I agree with NonMormon. I am active LDS, and I enjoy Ash's articles, and I...
I kept saying don't resign Milsap, especially after Portland offered that...
BYU is the slowest team that has ever been in the top 25. Utah will put up a...
i think u have the cowboys ranked too low! at least an A- LOL nice work!



You can be the first to comment on this story.