Anonymous asked: Hey just read this article about a student who faked his way into Harvard..

http://www.thecrimson.com/article/2010/5/17/wheeler-harvard-wheelers-applications/

What do you think about the story? and the fact that he had stolen scholarships from other deserving students?

I am literally answering this question as I am walking out the door to go to Class Day at Harvard. Commencement is tomorrow, I will be an official Harvard grad, and presumably, there will all kinds of lovely benefits and privileges to be reaped in the years to come. Am I super excited to don cap, gown, and rainbow tassel*? Totally! Do I think I “deserve” these benefits and privileges more than someone who didn’t go to school here? Not at all. Getting into Harvard takes a certain degree of intelligence/talent/skill, but a lot of it is also sheer luck. Sometimes that luck manifests itself in your being assigned a nice interviewer; other times, it means being born into the right family.

Wheeler obviously had some issues if he felt compelled to lie to everyone about everything, but let’s not fool ourselves into thinking that those scholarships would have gone to “deserving students” if it weren’t for him. A lot of Harvard students, myself included, get to where they are because of all the advantages they’ve been given in life (money, emotional support, good teachers, etc.) and though they work hard, they’re also part of a very select group of people who “make it”. There are plenty of others who work as hard, but, for whatever reason, don’t make it. We don’t deserve the Harvard degree, the accompanying prestige, or the associated funding and grants any more than kids who didn’t go to college at all. That’s probably the biggest lesson I’ve learned at Harvard. It’s really easy to pat yourself on the back for all that you’ve accomplished, but ultimately, much of this comes down to good fortune. People like Wheeler might be detestable, but given that American “meritocracy” often rewards those who are already privileged and excludes those who don’t have emotional or financial resources at their disposal, who can really blame him for trying to break into the Ivory Tower?

* Rainbow tassel because I’m special. Just kidding, it’s for queer seniors and allies.

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