Every year I'd read over 2, 000 college applications from students all over the world. It is quite1to choose whom to admit. 2, in the chaos of SAT scores and recommendations, one 3is always irresistible in a candidate: kindness.
The most surprising4of kindness I've ever5came from a student who had excellent scores and a supportive recommendation from his college counselor (顾问). Even with these qualifications, he might not have6. But one letter of recommendation caught my eye. It was from a school security7. Letters of recommendation are typically written by people like former presidents, celebrities, and Olympic athletes.
The security guard wrote that he supported this student's admission because of his8. This young man was the only person in the school who knew the names of every member of the guard staff. He turned off lights in empty rooms, consistently9the hallway monitor each morning and tidied up the classroom after his peers left school10nobody was watching. This student, the security guard wrote, had a(n)11respect for every person at the school, regardless of position, popularity or power.
It gave us a12onto a student's life in the moments when nothing "counted". That student was admitted by unanimous (一致的) vote of the admissions committee.
Next year there might be a flood of security guard recommendations13this essay. But if it means students will start paying as much14to the people who clean their classrooms as they do to their principals and teachers, I'm happy to help start that15.
