When kids are applying to college and colleges look over their transcripts, why are they penalized for freshman year if they’ve gotten better over time? Michigan discounts it, giving students a leg up and a “reward” for doing better. If we really value improvement, should bad grades in the past have to be carried around like Marley’s chains? I just wonder what that actually means in the long run.

I also wonder how colleges could play a more active part in looking at minority kids. Rich white kids ahve gotten a pass for so long; why shouldn’t disadvantaged non-whites who have all the energy and commitment needed to succeed?

Just some random thoughts. I recommend the books Everything Bad is Good For You and Branded Nation: Inside Megachurch, College Inc., and Museumworld. They say some interesting things about our culture and how we see the institutions that surround us.