Wacky World Of Degrees

M.I.T.’s dean of admissions resigns and admits she lied about her college degrees. Maybe it’s because I don’t have one, but it’s always been intriguing to me the almost magical power someone exerts by saying they have a college degree. In the last 12 or so years since I’ve been in the real world, I’ve found people with tons of advanced degrees who are absolute idiots while others with just “the basics” are brilliant.

7 Responses to “Wacky World Of Degrees”


  1. Gravatar Icon 1 jerry

    Neither of my parents had degrees (nor their brothers and sisters), but all of my brothers and cousins have degrees. So my experiece is biased and small.

    But to be nosy, I am curious how you became involved in politics.

    My naive thoughts are there are two ways: some vague process that occurs in college, or as some “film hero” by working by the docks, or unionizing against the man, or fighting a corporation’s attempt to do horrible things to a community (Silkwood, Erin Brockovich.)

  2. Gravatar Icon 2 Texaspete

    It’s not the degree, it’s the lying. Academics depends utterly on trust and honesty — that your work is really yours and not plagiarized, that you actually did the research that you claim and didn’t just make it up, that you published the articles on your resume and fabricate them — and that you have the degrees that made you eligible for your job. There are good reasons for academic degrees to be a requirement for the job — although presumably other qualities are required, too. But if the person deciding which high school student is qualified to enter M.I.T. lied to get her job — then why should anyone trust the M.I.T. admissions process? Why shouldn’t the students lie to get admitted?

  3. Gravatar Icon 3 Texaspete

    Oops! . . . published the articles on your resume and DIDN’T fabricate them . . .

    That’s what I meant.

  4. Gravatar Icon 4 TheHolyFatman

    Even in Washington DC, I’ve come across TONS of people WHO EMBELLISH multiple degrees from presitgious institutions. And myself, with a lowly degree in fine art, can spout off economic and poltical analysis better then most I’ve worked with. Lying/Embellishing has become commonplace these days because of the competitive atmosphere in this town.

  5. Gravatar Icon 5 Duros62

    Lying/Embellishing has become commonplace these days because of the competitive atmosphere in this town.

    Absolutely. You just have to look at 1600 Penn. Ave. to see evidence of that.

  6. Gravatar Icon 6 TheHolyFatman

    MMM….maybe I should attend Regent University school of law instead of that other school I plan on attending soon…..

  7. Gravatar Icon 7 jim

    Some people are just educated beyond their intelligence.

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