Study in America, 2nd Edition

25

College Folklore, Myths, and Legends

The folklore, myths, and legends surrounding American colleges and the admissions process are legion. Funny, sad, illuminating, they run the gamut of emotions.

Let me give you an example. One of the most famous myths surrounds the founding of Stanford University and goes like this:

How Stanford Got the Better of Harvard

The tale purports to tell the story of the origins of Stanford University. At the beginning of the twentieth century, the President of Harvard University made the mistake of judging people by their appearance and it cost Harvard dearly.

One day, a modestly dressed couple, the woman in an old, faded gingham dress and the man in a threadbare suit, walked into the President's office at ...