"Again, that was my exact reaction." Joshua said happily."But how? Are you sure it"s not a mistake?" Richard ask, getting his voice under control.
"I double check, this is legit. So i thought, maybe he pay someone to took the test for him. I track down the person who was in charge of the test and she remember it was indeed him who was there, she said something about someone that handsome was bond to be remember. The security camera confirm that fact. Pretty weird right?"
"What is weird is your implication in a simple application case. In general you just threw that kind of file in the trash."
"Yeah i know, i was the first surprised, i don"t know what compelled me to look at the file. But come on, a kid who never been to high school, didn"t graduated and ace the LSAT? I love solving a mystery." He said excited.
"Yeah i know and now i"m interested to know what you find to be that excited." He said with a smile.
"Okay, while i was there i ask to be given a copy of his LSAT test. Look at it." Joshua said, opening the remaining folder in his hand and sliding files on the desk.
Taking the files, Richard start looking threw it. His curious expression morphing into a frowning one at measure he was reading through the response on the test. The LSAT test was an exam that did not change from years to years so it was possible to be prepared for it even if it take an humongous amount of time and energy. It was even possible to hire tutor exactly to pa.s.s the test but they were quite expensive and so not for the low and middle cla.s.s. That was why a huge percentage of wealthy kid succeed in the test compare to the middle and low cla.s.s income.
In the last ten years, Richard saw a huge number of LSAT but he never saw one like that. The kid had goes far and beyond each subject, going as far as making presumption on a number of ancient law that even him fail to remember.
"It"s unbelievable. A kid write that?" Richard say in wonder.
"Yeah, there is more. That LSAT exam create a storm in the Law School Admission Council. They even wanted to give him a grade exceeding the 180 but it was rule down eventually. They finally agree to write a newsletter with that test and sending it to every law school in America as a textbook example."
"Every law school in the country are going to want that kid." Richard realize.
"It has already start. I was told that the headhunter from Harvard and Yale already took a copy of that test." Joshua nod.
"It"s going to get ugly real fast."
Richard knew exactly what he was talking about. There was a fierce, under the surface, compet.i.tivity between the top university in the country to get the most exemplary student. They were willing to go to any length to have the best with advantage and sometimes even bribes to coerce student into attending their university. With the upcoming renown that kid is going to get
once the newsletter is going to be publish, there was going to be a huge target on his back.
"Yes but i learn that the kid is a legacy. His mother attend Columbia, cla.s.s of 1997." Joshua add, taking an another file and pa.s.sing it to Richard.
"Smart young lady i see." Richard said, looking at her grade. "What is her current occupation?"
"Prosecutor for the district attorney here in NY, amazing reputation too. She got in the spotlight a few weeks ago when she convicted a huge russian mob, a day after an attack on her home."
"Yeah i remember that, i read about it in the newspaper. Her name was Karine Lyndon, i remember now. What more do you have on the kid?"
"I look him up on google and found out that he"s kind of a celebrity. He is a talented young singer with a little over 3 millions follower on Twitter. His first song was in duo with Taylor Swift and he give the money from the sale to a foundation who help war veteran. Hard to tell if he done that because he is nice of for PR purposes. You know that Health issues that he invoked for not attending high school? It checks out." Joshua finished, taking the last page that he had in his folder, and putting out on the desk. It was a page coming from a newspaper.
"Drunk cab driver on the street, a young kid go to the hospital in critical condition" Richard read out loud. "That was him?"
"Yes, he then pa.s.sed the next four years in coma until he miracly recovered six month ago. I even heard he is currently turning a movie in LA as we speak. This kid is like the wet dream of all university in the country."
"Yes, i understand now your dilemma. He is obviously brilliant but are we ready to accept a teenage kid who did not even graduated from high school among or others gifted eighteen years old student? And more importantly, is it the best thing to do for him?" Richard mused out loud, his hand on his chin, eyes seemingly lost in thought.
"I think we should accept him." Joshua finally said.
"Oh? Why is that?" Richard ask, refocusing to the man in front of him.
"I look at his tweet and even his tv interviews... Yeah he done that too… and i find him really adult for his age. I think after what happen to him he mature really fast. I watch him being questioned by Ellen Degeneres and that was a walk in a park for him. It"s not college kids that would rattle him."
"Humm… okay. I will back you up if the council has a problem with that even if i doubt it if his as famous as you say he is. But i want to have a meeting with him before the start of new semester." Richard demand.
"That would be easy enough to organize, he would have to come for the visit day before the semester begin, i will schedule it with your secretary. "
"Good, anything else?" He ask impatiently, he had work to do.
"In fact yes still i"m here, i could use your opinion on some matter. Since we decided to take the kid, it leave me with only one spot and two very good candidate."
Taking out two folders from his bag, he look at the first one.
"Number one: Madison Hiddy, eighteen years old coming from Minnesota. Straight A student with two medals in regional swimming championship. Her speciality is the 400m freestyle. She score a very respectable 178 in LSAT." Joshua said, giving the folder to Richard.
"Number two: Na Yung Kim, eighteen years old, born and raised in South Korea but living in NY for the last month. As brilliant as Madison but with differents skills. She was the archery champion in Seoul three years in a row. Surprising thing, she use the recurve bow and not a compound bow. She also score a 178 on LSAT."
Looking through both files, Richard had to admit that was not easy to choose from the two. The two girls had both theirs strengths and weaknesses. He didn"t know who to choose until he remember the sports performance of Columbia this year.
"We will go with Na Yung Kim, our feminine archery team finish dead last this year. We could use her ability to win a couple of places. Comparatively, our swimming team is in the top3 so the skill of Madison would not very much of use to us." Richard decided.
"Okay, i will make the necessary arrangement." Joshua say, getting back the file that he deposed on the desk until he was stopped.
"Let me keep the LSAT of the kid, i want to read it again later when i have more time."
"No problem. Later Richard."
"Later Joshua."