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.我收到了芝加哥大學的'招股書'在郵件中的今天，他們稱之為“生命的頭腦” 。所附的信中指定的相當清楚，這並不是一個viewbook ，而是一個收集的故事，同學的經驗。 It was even shaped like a book, rather than any viewbook.有人甚至形狀像一本書，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.這本書被分成部分，例如一，詳列一類行懷俄明州一挖一個古式的階級。 Each section was very distinct from the others and offered a great taste of different academic possibilities on campus.每一節是非常有別於他人提供了偉大的口味不同學術的可能性，在校園內。 There was one on sports, too, and another on Chicago neighborhoods. It offered great insight –so what was wrong?有一個對體育，也和另一對芝加哥的街道， 它蘊藏著巨大的有識之士 ，這樣有什麼不妥？

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.這裡是什麼了，它遠離：每個區段的用意是坦誠的照相機視圖一類，或研究會議，或一次抽樣研究。 This was achieved mostly through conversations–there were pictures to complement these. The probem: no one said ‘like’ –ever .做到這一點主要是通過會話-有圖片，以配合這些。 probem ： 沒有人說 ' 想' 。 Every tour or interaction I’ve seen with even the brightest Ivy Leaguers has still had a visit from that disastrously common word.每個旅行團或互動，我看到了即使是最明亮的常春藤為首的仍然進行了訪問，從這個disastrously常見的字詞。 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.我知道芝加哥大學是一個非常智慧的地方，它的學者認真，但它的學生是不是怪胎; 他們的生命不是一個無休止的一系列epiphanies strung一起由雄辯地提出的問題，以天才的教師。它的，而不是令人難以置信。 It felt a little disingenuous.它認為，有點虛偽。 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 .沒有這麼多，因為它缺乏字“一樣” ，而是因為這一遺漏是代表的方式，它認為依稀消毒。 閱讀這本書我覺得這些都不是正常的人，我不等於“不正常”在意識， “以人為本熱情學習和學者，和我一樣，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.人做討論馬克思超過中國食品，我明白我討論馬克思超過中國食品。 The difference is that I remember to eat, too.不同的是，我記得吃，太。 These people are caricatures who take themselves far too seriously.這些人的漫畫，誰採取自己太認真。 I would have preferred to see more “real” students.我寧願看到更多的“真實”的學生。 Real students are not numbingly serious when they are discussing planting flowers and growing vegetables.真正的學生沒有numbingly嚴重時，他們正在討論的種植鮮花和蔬菜越來越多。

I still really like the concept, though, and the fact that the people seem viewbookified doesn’t detract from the examples all that much.我仍然真的很喜歡這個概念，雖然，和事實，即人們似乎viewbookified並不影響所有的例子很多。

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.招生辦公室可以繼續思想的一個'完美的世界'的形象，一所學校的外觀和最好的接觸學生，但它真的不。 Why not?為什麼不呢？ Because only the most narcissistic people will feel they could fit in such a perfect place.因為只有最自戀的人會覺得他們可以適合在這樣一個完美的地方。 College choices should be, after all, about fit.大學的選擇應當是，畢竟，約適合。