Colleges seem to want candidates that are so well-rounded they'd have to be two different people use together with mutually exclusive characteristics! They have to be gung ho athletes and sensitive artists, studious nerds and gregarious social networkers, future rulers of the universe and selfless altruists.
The quote from Rebecca Goldstein's book highlights the unrealistic expectations colleges have for their applicants. They are looking for students who possess a wide array of qualities that, in many cases, are contradictory. The demand for candidates to be both athletic and artistic, as well as academically driven and sociable, creates an almost impossible standard for potential students to meet.
This pressure to exhibit diverse skills and traits reflects a broader...
