Ever since he began his quest for the Republican nomination for President of the United States, Donald Trump has presented an enigma. Many have wondered: Why does he bother? Who needs it? Why subject himself to the demands, intrusions, aggravation, and contention of presidential politics at all?
This has led to an additional question: Why did Trump even go to college? True, it was at the time of the Vietnam draft, and securing a student deferment was at the top of every eligible young man’s list of reasons for seeking higher education. But Trump not only had bone spurs in his feet, he had appreciable connections via his father’s wealth and influence. Why, then, did he bother going to Fordham for two years, and then transfer to the Wharton School at Penn? Why not stay where he was–in New York, with close access to his family, their contacts, and their influence?
Thanks to a judge’s ruling in a current lawsuit, we are now able to answer those latter questions. We can all speculate as to why Trump wants, or thinks he wants, or pretends he wants, to be President. But we have obtained a set of hitherto sealed documents that clearly explain why he went to Wharton.
What follows is an excerpt of an in-house “playbook” written for the instruction of Wharton admissions officials in the mid 1960’s. The document openly proclaims that the school sought “financially desirable” undergraduate students. Wharton’s appeal as a graduate school, and a means to obtaining an MBA, were well known. Less well-known, apparently, was the school’s availability for undergraduate study.
The document also explains in impressive detail how admissions staff are to treat applicants—or potential applicants—whose financial profiles make them extremely attractive to the school, but who might balk at the prospect of applying or attending. The frankly calculating, strategic nature of this program should surprise no one. Business, after all, is business.
