“If you went to them with a truly groundbreaking literary thesis, they wouldn’t be able to come up with an excuse not to let you in.” Effy almost rolled her eyes—who called their own work groundbreaking? But she allowed herself, briefly, to imagine a new future. One where she went back to the university with her name beside Preston’s on a groundbreaking thesis (maybe even before his, if Preston wanted to play fair and put their names in alphabetical order). One where the literature college broke with its outmoded tradition. She would never have to draw another cross section.
