Also, we're looking for students who can spell

Interesting piece here from a Harvard dean about what elite colleges are looking for.

I only have one question…

College counselors and admissions directors crowded a hotel conference room on Thursday afternoon, many sitting on the floor for want of enough chairs, as William Fitzsimmons, dean of admissions at Harvard, joined in a discussion on "The Ideal High School Graduate"…

Mr. Fitzsimmons called successful applicants to Harvard "good all-arounders – academically, extracirricularly and personally," and he stressed the importance of demonstrating humanity and three-dimensionality in one's college application. "I want to know, what is it this person does beside chew gum and produce good grades or scores?"

Was it Mr. Fitzsimmons or the New York Times that couldn't spell "extracurricular"?