The Pomp of Admission...

Today, as I walked out to get lunch on the Upper West Side...or, more importantly, iced coffee, I saw an 80-year-old man walk by wearing a graduation cap and gown. There were no other graduates by his side and a Tuesday afternoon seems like an odd time for a graduation, but nevertheless, he walked confidently towards his destination.  Maybe he was crazy and "Pomp and Circumstance" plays on repeat in his head as he marches around Manhattan, or maybe he was an inspirational man with an amazing story of college degrees hindered by war time service, family, and his own children's tuition bills. Regardless, it got me thinking about graduations.

For those looking for a great book that harkens back to those graduation days--or just a fun read that includes some hilarious excerpts of student's college admissions essays--I would recommend the book Admission by Jean Hanff Korelitz.  The book gracefully dances through hilarity and poignancy as we follow the main character Portia, an admissions officer at Princeton, through her own personal struggles and the struggles of the desperate students vying for admission to the Ivy League.  Grab your graduation caps and dance through Manhattan...

Happy Reading!