Some students and their parents are so desperate to get into college this year that they taken drastic measures: They have decided to sabotage their competition.
The Chicago Tribune has reported that admissions departments routinely receive anonymous letters about applicants, presumably from others who are competing for the same spots. Some of these notes are written in crayon and contain information about character flaws, racy Facebook pages and minor drug busts. The University of Illinois routinely throws these missives away, but an admissions officer from Notre Dame reports that they do contact the applicant's high school to give students a chance to defend themselves.
The Neurotic Parent wonders why would anyone would resort to sending an anonymous note to a college. Can't people just suck it up and accept that the world is unfair? Who would anyone want to live with this sort of karma? Your child might get into a great college, but then you would probably be hit by a bus.
Instead, the Neurotic Parent has a better strategy. Choose another college on your child's rival's list, and write a glowing recommendation for the dirty rotten scoundrel. For example, if your daughter has her heart set on Brown, and the mean girl who has made her life miserable since third grade is also applying there, send an effusive letter about the mean girl to Columbia. That way you can help give a slacker a second chance, and at the same time, pave the way for your brilliant unflawed kid to get the break she deserves.