Maybe College Isn’t Right for This Kid

In “A Slacker Route to Ivy-Covered Halls” (Commentary, April 22), Betsy Bates Freed condones her son’s manipulation of the SAT and the college application process. She even lightheartedly talks about his forming a sham club in high school to enhance his ability to get into college.

Our daughter, a senior in high school, refused to get any tutoring for the SAT. She claimed that this was not fair to those students who could not afford this luxury. The service club she currently heads is legitimate and contributes to the well-being of the community.

Sadly, Freed’s son will take one of those highly sought-after college slots and thereby eliminate the chances of another student who promises to be a good citizen, demonstrated by his or her good character and high principles.

John Van den Akker

Hermosa Beach

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After reading Freed’s commentary, I thought her son would be in for a rude awakening when he got to college, what with all the competition. Then I read the commentary beneath it about grade inflation and realized that Freed’s “slacker” son will fit right in. All he has to do is threaten his professors with a bad course evaluation and he’ll breeze right through.

If students can manipulate the system like this, exactly what is the point of college? Freed’s disdain for ITT Tech is evident, but at least there you know what you’re getting: real training for a real job, not lessons in ways to beat the system.

Toni Beck

Los Angeles

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I’ve taught for 20 years in a public high school and have met Freed’s son on many occasions. Yes, he is charming behind those sunglasses he’s not supposed to wear to school, and yes, I’ll clean up the mess he always leaves because he brings personality and good humor to my class. But does he need to go directly to college, just because he outwitted the SAT? Perhaps if he worked a few years past high school as a Subway “sandwich artist,” he might then share his mother’s enthusiasm for a college education.

Kerry Lozito

Bishop, Calif.