[jwramp]

I'm writing a 6-8 minute expository speach for an upcoming debate. Expos is a speach that "teaches" or tells about a subject, rather than persuading. My topic right now is the college application process, and the steps to applying to college. I'm trying to find statistics or interesting facts to use, and am looking for your help! Also, I'm looking for any articles about the growing amount of parents "grooming" their children from when they're in kindergarten to go to schools like Harvard. I need some sort of twist or exciting edge to this.... any ideas?

 

[Jahn]

Here's an exciting twist - it's harder to get into some pre-schools than it is to get into Harvard - because some parents believe there is a fast track to Harvard and it begins in certain pre-schools! The example below is of a bigwig CEO who possibly donated 1 million bucks to get his kid in past the wait list - but it was chump change to the school!

http://slate.msn.com/?id=2074070

 

[catachresis]

Rule No. 1 of Collegiate Interviews: Never cease punching the air and shouting "Freebird!"

 

[Jmmmmm]

I don't know if this exactly fits with what you're looking for, but on the topic of people doing ridiculous and/or questionable things to get into college, there are personal advisors (I don't know their actual title, if they have one) that people can hire to 'help' with their college application.

My friend in college hired one of these advisors, who went over her application and rewrote the whole thing, 'sprucing up' the extracurriculars and whatnot, and then completely wrote her essay for her, with a little of her input for ideas. Apparently their fee ranges from a few hundred dollars to well over a thousand dollars, depending on how duplicitous you wish to be, I suppose.

I had never heard of this before I went to college, but apparently everyone in her (private, wealthy) school did it.