The details of Portia's job as an admissions officer at Princeton really intrigued me. When I wrote my college application, I never gave much thought to the massive task it is to read through all those applications and find out who most deserved entrance into the University. The details about the parents gathering during a college tour, and then wondering what the student tour guide did to deserve the elusive spot at Princeton, vs. what their own children have done was really funny to me. When I was a prospective student, I remember attending the campus tours with the Carnegie Mellon student tour guides. I also remember thinking that these tour guides were so lucky to have gotten into CMU, and that I would have no chance. It definitely feels better now, as a current CMU student to walk past a tour group and seeing the situation from the other side. When reading Portia's description of the prospective student's applications, I felt sick to my stomach about what competition there is out there. It definitely makes me think of how unhappy I would have been had I been rejected from CMU. Portia has a lot of power over prospective students, college is the number one priority for many of these kids and its the ultimate culmination of everything they have ever done up to that point. I was extremely appalled by the tactics legacies will play to help their chances. Especially when Portia rejected that student who made a point of his double legacy during the tour. I also felt sorry for many people who work in admissions for universities. I remember when I first found out that one of Carnegie Mellon's admissions representatives did not go to Carnegie Mellon, it made me think twice about whether I should listen to her. I feel foolish for even judging her over it, and she did an excellent job selling Carnegie Mellon to me, so I am now fully convinced that one should not judge a college representative if that representative did not go to the school he/she represents. I found it hilarious though when Portia mentions that the director of admissions at MIT did not even have a college degree!

Another thing I took for granted about being a college representative was how much travel the job requires. I felt so sorry for whoever had to make the west coast trips for the Princeton office, as that travel schedule looked like hell. Also, the way that Portia shakes off the disappointment for each individual student is really impressive. From the very beginning of the book she mentions how each rejection breaks her heart, and she knows how disappointing it must be for the students. I feel like the college application process has definitely been more humanized since I started reading this book. I definitely feel really lucky to have gotten into my top college choice, and I feel really badly for those who had to face such disappointing news.