The Foreign Service Journal, June 2015

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JUNE 2015 75 a formula, life will turn out the way they intend. Although Bruni might incite criti- cism in his characterizations (and to be fair, he genuinely likes the students he has taught at Princeton), there is more than a grain of truth in his theory that the U.S. college admissions culture has created a generation of students who see getting in as the ultimate prize and the measure of their self-worth, rather than simply the opening of a door to new experiences and growth. He makes a good point about struggle and rejection creating a stronger person. One of the people he cites is William Deresiewicz, whose 2014 book, Excel- lent Sheep , takes a dim view of the Ivy League. Although Deresiewicz’s book, op-eds and talks on campuses have pro- voked both irritation and admiration, Bruni agrees with some of his asser- tions. “An elite school composed almost entirely of young men and women who have aced the SATs or ACTs,” writes Bruni, “isn’t likely to be the most excit- ing, eclectic stew of people and perspec- tives.” Bruni is not the first to write a book like this, of course. Washington Post columnist Jay Mathews penned the ground-breaking Harvard Schmarvard 12 years ago, and Bruni’s book is, at least in its early chapters, simply an updated version of Mathews’ book. And the late Loren Pope’s Colleges That Change Lives has had a great deal of influence not only as a book, but also as a website and even a traveling presentation. All three experts urge calm in the midst of application frenzy, and all argue in favor of the often-overlooked schools that provide an education as good as, or perhaps better than that offered by more selective institutions. While similar in intent to its predecessors, From the FSJ Education Supplement December 2013 A Parent’s Guide to Psychoeducational Evaluations BY CHAD C . NE LSON A s parents, we strive to help our children as much as possible. Despite our best efforts, however, we may see our children struggling in areas. These struggles may occur early in a child’s development, manifested as difficulty understanding directions, learning to read or managing social interactions. For others, the challenge may arise as a child progresses in age, whether it involves reading compre- hension, completing tests in the allot- ted time period, attending to tasks or organizing tasks and materials. Despite assistance, these struggles may persist, leaving parents, children and teachers feeling frustrated or help- less. Under those circumstances, psy- choeducational evaluation may open the door to a greater understanding of the child for everyone involved and help point the way toward solutions. For Foreign Service families, in particular, psychoeducational evaluation may help identify academic intervention and accommodations that may be necessary for children entering or continuing on in American and international schools around the world, as well as transitioning from one school to the other. For FS children who are beginning to make the transi- tion to college, evaluation may help identify accommodations that may be necessary in college. Evaluation can also help students prepare for higher education by identifying the ways in which they learn most efficiently. Chad C. Nelson is a licensed psychologist in private practice in the Lutherville, Md., area. To see the complete article, go to www.afsa.org/ education.