Dear All,
A well-done article. I appreciate writing with passion. As my colleague Mr. Stone has noted, though, you have made some rather broad generalities and have not necessarily done all your homework.
Academic research rather overwhelmingly supports skipping for academic reasons as more beneficial than remaining for social/maturity reasons. Check the academic research, not just your personal opinion/observation.
The grinding issue is not ignored in "public" schools. Again, do some research. Much of the issue at Uni, I would note, had less to do with the Subbies than with the fact no faculty wanted to chaperon dances with grinding. No chaperons = no dance, right?
Jason He -- for whom I have infinite respect -- is wrong when he suggests the admission is split 50/50 by grade level. It is split 50/50 by gender. And having been on the committee, I can verify that much thought goes into the maturity level of the student. Any indication on teacher recs to the contrary is an immediate and important red flag. Interviews, which have been discussed recently, bring up multiple issues with the name-blind admission process, an important -- and often overlooked -- part of the admission process.
I must also speak to the tendency of the article (and the upperclassmen at Uni) to blame any problem (Siebel, for example) on the Subbies. Yes, I teach them all and am quite fond of them. Yes, no one knows better than I they can be squirrelly. No, not all the problems at Uni fall at their feet. I have seen plenty of rude behavior on the elevator and at Siebel from " upperclassmen." Keep them out of the lounge, but don't make them the scapegoats of Uni. Neither age nor experience equals maturity, as far too many adults illustrate.
I love Uni. I love teaching ALL the Uni students, from Subbies to Seniors. Take out part of the mix and you change the entire environment. I sincerely believe the Subbie year provides an important element to Uni.
Well done, editors. I love to see this level of response. What else would you want from something you wrote? Thanks for engaging so many of us -- in and out of Uni.
Not necessarily anything new
Dear All,
A well-done article. I appreciate writing with passion. As my colleague Mr. Stone has noted, though, you have made some rather broad generalities and have not necessarily done all your homework.
Academic research rather overwhelmingly supports skipping for academic reasons as more beneficial than remaining for social/maturity reasons. Check the academic research, not just your personal opinion/observation.
The grinding issue is not ignored in "public" schools. Again, do some research. Much of the issue at Uni, I would note, had less to do with the Subbies than with the fact no faculty wanted to chaperon dances with grinding. No chaperons = no dance, right?
Jason He -- for whom I have infinite respect -- is wrong when he suggests the admission is split 50/50 by grade level. It is split 50/50 by gender. And having been on the committee, I can verify that much thought goes into the maturity level of the student. Any indication on teacher recs to the contrary is an immediate and important red flag. Interviews, which have been discussed recently, bring up multiple issues with the name-blind admission process, an important -- and often overlooked -- part of the admission process.
I must also speak to the tendency of the article (and the upperclassmen at Uni) to blame any problem (Siebel, for example) on the Subbies. Yes, I teach them all and am quite fond of them. Yes, no one knows better than I they can be squirrelly. No, not all the problems at Uni fall at their feet. I have seen plenty of rude behavior on the elevator and at Siebel from " upperclassmen." Keep them out of the lounge, but don't make them the scapegoats of Uni. Neither age nor experience equals maturity, as far too many adults illustrate.
I love Uni. I love teaching ALL the Uni students, from Subbies to Seniors. Take out part of the mix and you change the entire environment. I sincerely believe the Subbie year provides an important element to Uni.
Well done, editors. I love to see this level of response. What else would you want from something you wrote? Thanks for engaging so many of us -- in and out of Uni.
S. Rayburn