I received the University of Chicago’s ‘Prospectus’ in the mail today, which they call “the Life of the Mind.” The attached letter specified quite clearly that this was not a viewbook but rather a collection of stories about student experiences.我收到了芝加哥大学的'招股书'在邮件中的今天，他们称之为“生命的头脑” 。所附的信中指定的相当清楚，这并不是一个viewbook ，而是一个收集的故事，同学的经验。 It was even shaped like a book, rather than any viewbook.有人甚至形状像一本书，而不是任何viewbook 。

The book was divided into sections, for instance one detailing a class trip to Wyoming to a dig for a paleontology-type class.这本书被分成部分，例如一，详列一类行怀俄明州一挖一个古式的阶级。 Each section was very distinct from the others and offered a great taste of different academic possibilities on campus.每一节是非常有别于他人提供了伟大的口味不同学术的可能性，在校园内。 There was one on sports, too, and another on Chicago neighborhoods. It offered great insight –so what was wrong?有一个对体育，也和另一对芝加哥的街道， 它蕴藏着巨大的有识之士 ，这样有什么不妥？

Here is what gave it away: each section was meant to a candid camera view of a class, or a study session, or a spot of research.这里是什么了，它远离：每个区段的用意是坦诚的照相机视图一类，或研究会议，或一次抽样研究。 This was achieved mostly through conversations–there were pictures to complement these. The probem: no one said ‘like’ –ever .做到这一点主要是通过会话-有图片，以配合这些。 probem ： 没有人说 ' 想' 。 Every tour or interaction I’ve seen with even the brightest Ivy Leaguers has still had a visit from that disastrously common word.每个旅行团或互动，我看到了即使是最明亮的常春藤为首的仍然进行了访问，从这个disastrously常见的字词。 I know the University of Chicago is a very intellectual place which takes its academics seriously, but its students are not freaks; their lives are not an endless series of epiphanies strung together by eloquent questions posed to genius teachers. It’s rather unbelievable.我知道芝加哥大学是一个非常智慧的地方，它的学者认真，但它的学生是不是怪胎; 他们的生命不是一个无休止的一系列epiphanies strung一起由雄辩地提出的问题，以天才的教师。它的，而不是令人难以置信。 It felt a little disingenuous.它认为，有点虚伪。 Not so much because it lacked the word “like” but because that omission was representative of the way in which it felt vaguely sanitized. Reading the book I get the feeling that these are not normal people. I don’t mean “not normal” in the sense of “people passionate about learning and academics, just like me, awesome!” I mean not normal .没有这么多，因为它缺乏字“一样” ，而是因为这一遗漏是代表的方式，它认为依稀消毒。 阅读这本书我觉得这些都不是正常的人，我不等于“不正常”在意识， “以人为本热情学习和学者，和我一样，可怕！ ”我的意思是不正常 。

People do discuss Marx over Chinese food, I realize. I discuss Marx over Chinese food.人做讨论马克思超过中国食品，我明白我讨论马克思超过中国食品。 The difference is that I remember to eat, too.不同的是，我记得吃，太。 These people are caricatures who take themselves far too seriously.这些人的漫画，谁采取自己太认真。 I would have preferred to see more “real” students.我宁愿看到更多的“真实”的学生。 Real students are not numbingly serious when they are discussing planting flowers and growing vegetables.真正的学生没有numbingly严重时，他们正在讨论的种植鲜花和蔬菜越来越多。

I still really like the concept, though, and the fact that the people seem viewbookified doesn’t detract from the examples all that much.我仍然真的很喜欢这个概念，虽然，和事实，即人们似乎viewbookified并不影响所有的例子很多。

Admissions offices can go on thinking that a ‘perfect world’ image of a school looks and works best in reaching out to students, but it really doesn’t.招生办公室可以继续思想的一个'完美的世界'的形象，一所学校的外观和最好的接触学生，但它真的不。 Why not?为什么不呢？ Because only the most narcissistic people will feel they could fit in such a perfect place.因为只有最自恋的人会觉得他们可以适合在这样一个完美的地方。 College choices should be, after all, about fit.大学的选择应当是，毕竟，约适合。