Ross Douthat in The New York Times of July 19—
"…while most extracurricular activities increase your odds of admission to an elite school, holding a leadership role or winning awards in organizations like high school R.O.T.C., 4-H clubs and Future Farmers of America actually works against your chances. Consciously or unconsciously, the gatekeepers of elite education seem to incline against candidates who seem too stereotypically rural or right-wing or 'Red America.'"
So much the worse for the elite schools.
For a more adult approach to the 2008 ACM Awards,
see "Happy May 18, Reba."