The Dean's Daughter Gets a Thin Envelope

"A FEW days ago I watched my daughter Madalyn open a thin envelope from one of the five colleges to which she had applied. ''Why?'' was what she was obviously asking herself as she handed me the letter saying she was waitlisted. Why, indeed? She had taken the toughest courses in her high school and had done well, sat through several Saturday mornings taking SAT's and the like, participated in the requisite number of extracurricular activities, written a heartfelt and well-phrased essay and even taken the extra step of touring the campus. "