Crazed Dad

In the interview below, neocon writer Andrew Ferguson explains the trouble involved in getting his son (who was only an average student) into the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. Due to his experience, Ferguson has written a book about the college admissions process called Crazy U which is receiving rave reviews from the intellectual glitterati.

Gillum, the son, is also in the interview. He's the definition of laconic, the opposite of his energetic dad. College seems to be the mechanism, for him, to make "lifelong" friends. At least he's honest, given how unserious he seems.

One thing is clear: A ringing case for Western Civ. ain't going to be made at UVa. You've been robbed, Andy F.



One of the commentators at Big Government, who is a college professor, had this to say (after watching the video): "A kid who goes to a Virginia Community College for two years to get an associates degree has a better chance of getting into UVa as a transfer student (assuming the kid gets good grades) than the average high schooler -- and his/her UVa diploma will look identical to the one that belongs to the four-year (dare I say 'five-year'?) graduate. However, the parents will probably have saved $50,000. As a college professor, I believe that's the best route to a college education for most young men and women today. The other path I recommend to parents beginning to think about college for their kids is to have the kid enlist in one of our Armed Forces, serve our country for three-to-five years, and then go to college with the help of the GI Bill."

If you, Mr. or Mrs. Parent of a 17-year-old, insist on playing the college game and don't have big bucks or the big connections, this is excellent financial and academic advice, unlike the mindset being advanced by education snob and chickenhawk Andy Ferguson, who works at the Weekly Standard. That fact alone should tell the denizens of Middle America everything they need to know.