Ye olde Varsity Blues

Long before Photoshop and the Varsity Blues scandal, wealthy families have been trying to game the college admissions process. In this episode, we explore why affluent families started to outnumber "poor scholars" like Hamlet's friend Horatio during the mid-sixteenth century and how money and social class affected life at Oxford and Cambridge. Shakespeare, who never attended university, has an interesting perspective on all this, which we take a look at alongside a document that is the early modern equivalent of an insider's guide to college life. From rich slackers who believe themselves "above the law" to kids who come home from college preaching their "superior" knowledge to their weary parents, there's a lot that will sound familiar.

Want more? Check out:

https://www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/i-am-lady-macbeth-and-your-facebook-post-about-your-kids-early-acceptance-to-harvard-really-pisses-me-off

https://www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/common-app-essays-by-shakespeare-characters