When I was going around and looking at colleges as a young high school student, I was gobsmacked when the Director of Admissions at Harvard announced that she could “fill the class twice-over with Straight-A’s and Perfect 800s on the SATs – but the resulting assembly would be boring”. She went on, “We’re looking for the #1 Oboe player in the nation – and then only when our current Oboe player is graduating.”

And it’s only gotten worse in the decade since I started college.

Great grades and superior scores are a given.

The 18 Under 18 featured in this issue of B&NC Mag are all exceptional!

And although we didn’t find an Oboe player, we’ve selected kids from the towns in our readership who are already demonstrating greatness in one way or another!

-Casey Kaplan