Sasha Cohen tries new name, starts over as student

[Artifice]

I'm not surprised Sasha Cohen doesn't get recognized outside a rink, even if she is a very well known champion. It's just that people are used to see her with her competitive outift and hair do + make up, on TV wich makes the figure looks a particular way. In real life she is dressed differently (fortunately), her hair may be lose... So I'm not sure I would actually recognize her.

[Skittl1321]

She was there with another person; they held hands. I did not bother her because as a native New Yorker, you just don't do that to celebrities.

See, I'm not sure it is that she isn't getting recognized it is that she isn't getting bothered. I wouldn't bother a celebrity.

[leafygreens]

so I left, disappointed.

Aww?? I'm sure she would have been gracious.

[bardtoob]

I like Alex. It's still a cute girl's name, like Sasha.

. . . When she becomes a rugby player, her team nickname can be Borat

[RickInSanJose]

Kwan wasn't trying to become a serious student at an Ivy League school. Apparently she was denied admission to several.

I've never heard this. But if true, it hasn't exactly held her back in life!

[bardtoob]

^ Well, unlike TheIronLady, you probably do not rummage through Kwan's mail

[agalisgv]

Kwan wasn't trying to become a serious student at an Ivy League school.

To clarify, Cohen is enrolled in a sort of extension program at Columbia. It's not the regular university (meaning, it doesn't have the same rigorous admission requirements--pretty much anyone who wants to can enroll in it). You go at whatever pace you want, and you don't have the same academic requirements expected of you. It's what people do who would not be eligible for admission into the regular program.

I don't know where Kwan applied to, but she was enrolled/attended the regular degree program--not an extension program.

[DarrellH]

I guess Alex is more casual than her full name of Alexandra. If she wanted to really change it, she could use her middle name.

[Cachoo]

I think she is more interesting and down to earth than most ladies skaters. I have no idea why she gets little love. And I don't need to hear anti-Sasha talk from the rabid MKfans.

I loved her because she would keep trying. I rarely ever saw her double a jump. And she always struck me as a ballerina on skates. I hope this new chapter is fantastic for her.

[TheIronLady]

To clarify, Cohen is enrolled in a sort of extension program at Columbia. It's not the regular university (meaning, it doesn't have the same rigorous admission requirements--pretty much anyone who wants to can enroll in it). You go at whatever pace you want, and you don't have the same academic requirements expected of you. It's what people do who would not be eligible for admission into the regular program.

I don't know where Kwan applied to, but she was enrolled/attended the regular degree program--not an extension program.

This may be true from what I've read about that Columbia program catering to adults. It sounds uppity anyway, and I'm sure people take the same classes as Columbia undergraduates. She is taking interesting coursework, as I'm sure Kwan also did but in a less snooty environment.

I just made that barb about Ivy League because I sense that some people assume Kwan is way smarter than Cohen, but there is no reason to believe this. They are both clever ladies.

[BigB08822]

I would think Kwan would have been accepted into any school she applied to, assuming they could bend admission requirements in the academic department (and they can, but will they?). I would think the same would hold for Cohen. Those schools would love to have a Kwan or Cohen on campus. I would if I was the Dean and not because I am a figure skating fan but because it would be good press for my school.

I've never really gotten the impression that people think Kwan is smarter than Cohen. We've really never had any reason to even remotely compare them in that department.

[Sasha'sSpins]

It's not necessarily an extreme name change per se. Her legal name IS Alexandra after all so Alex for short makes sense. Sasha is more the Russian diminutive of her name which is generally less common in the States.

[PDilemma]

Wasn't Kwan dating a native Coloradan when she chose to go to Denver? I doubt she applied to many other places if that motivated her choice.

[carriecmu0503]

To clarify, Cohen is enrolled in a sort of extension program at Columbia. It's not the regular university (meaning, it doesn't have the same rigorous admission requirements--pretty much anyone who wants to can enroll in it). You go at whatever pace you want, and you don't have the same academic requirements expected of you. It's what people do who would not be eligible for admission into the regular program.

I don't know where Kwan applied to, but she was enrolled/attended the regular degree program--not an extension program.

I don't know where you get your information from to come to your conclusions, but your assumption about The College of General Studies at Columbia University could not be more wrong. Here is an excerpt from Columbia University's website:

Is General Studies as competitive as Columbia's traditional undergraduate colleges?

Yes. Columbia University School of General Studies (GS) is as competitive as Columbia's traditional undergraduate colleges, which include Columbia College, the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science, and affiliate Barnard College. Though admission requirements differ slightly from the aforementioned schools because of our nontraditional student applicant pool, GS admits only the best and the brightest prospective students. For more information on admissions requirements and procedures, please visit the How to Apply page.

Also from Columbia's website:
Columbia University School of General Studies (GS) students are those with nontraditional backgrounds who seek a traditional education at an Ivy League university. What defines our students as nontraditional is that GS students have taken breaks of one year or more in their educational paths. GS students are returning and adult students who seek to complete a rigorous undergraduate degree. Despite these differences, GS students take the same courses as all other Columbia undergraduates, are taught by the same professors in the same classes, and are fully integrated into Columbia's undergraduate curriculum.

The only differences between the School of General Studies and the "regular" Columbia is GS students have taken at least a year off from school, and, as non traditional students, don't live on campus. Many GS students DO go to school full time, and they take the exact same classes as "regular" Columbia students. Yale University has a very similar program. A recently retired competitive ice dancer I know attends that program- her admission letter states she was one of only FOUR people accepted to the program, out of hundreds of applicants. Please, spend a little time actually researching things before making snarky assumptions and belittling the achievements of others.

[overedge]

Yes, IIRC she was dating that guy from the Anschutz (sp?) family that owns the AEG entertainment company, and a lot of arenas.

[TheIronLady]

I don't know where you get your information from to come to your conclusions, but your assumption about The College of General Studies at Columbia University could not be more wrong. Here is an excerpt from Columbia University's website:

Is General Studies as competitive as Columbia's traditional undergraduate colleges?

Yes. Columbia University School of General Studies (GS) is as competitive as Columbia's traditional undergraduate colleges, which include Columbia College, the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science, and affiliate Barnard College. Though admission requirements differ slightly from the aforementioned schools because of our nontraditional student applicant pool, GS admits only the best and the brightest prospective students. For more information on admissions requirements and procedures, please visit the How to Apply page.

Also from Columbia's website:
Columbia University School of General Studies (GS) students are those with nontraditional backgrounds who seek a traditional education at an Ivy League university. What defines our students as nontraditional is that GS students have taken breaks of one year or more in their educational paths. GS students are returning and adult students who seek to complete a rigorous undergraduate degree. Despite these differences, GS students take the same courses as all other Columbia undergraduates, are taught by the same professors in the same classes, and are fully integrated into Columbia's undergraduate curriculum.

The only differences between the School of General Studies and the "regular" Columbia is GS students have taken at least a year off from school, and, as non traditional students, don't live on campus. Many GS students DO go to school full time, and they take the exact same classes as "regular" Columbia students. Yale University has a very similar program. A recently retired competitive ice dancer I know attends that program- her admission letter states she was one of only FOUR people accepted to the program, out of hundreds of applicants. Please, spend a little time actually researching things before making snarky assumptions and belittling the achievements of others.

Thanks for clarifying this with facts. I would say, however she got in, it is irrelevant. She is studying at one of the centers of scholarship and higher education in the Western world, so this is a very serious environment.

[carriecmu0503]

Thanks for clarifying this with facts. I would say, however she got in, it is irrelevant. She is studying at one of the centers of scholarship and higher education in the Western world, so this is a very serious environment.

It is only serious in that the students are there because they are very bright and are very eager to learn (you used the words uppity and snooty in your original post). I think there are so many misconceptions about the Ive League out there, and it is so unfortunate. The Ivy League schools admit people on a need blind basis, meaning they admit the people they think are the best and the brightest before checking an applicant's financial status. Those who are admitted are then given grants from the university (money that does not need to be paid back) to cover expenses they can't cover on their own. I used to work at an Ivy League institution as a career counselor, and I loved the students there. Having gone back to a state school to work towards my doctorate, I have grown tired of teaching many of the students. So many can't be bothered to come to class, to participate if they do come, to do their homework, writing that is barely intelligible, etc. Considering the fact that I am at a major research institution, this is very disappointing. I was at another highly selective public school (a "public Ivy") as a residence hall director and academic advisor, and I was shocked there, as well. I had students with 0.6 GPAs at the end of the first semester because of partying to much and just not caring about school. Once I get my doctorate, I will not be teaching undergrads anymore (my field only has MA and PhD programs- I teach in another department), and I am grateful for that. About the only way you would get me to spend my time and life teaching undergrads (at least, first and second year undergrads) anymore would be at an Ivy League school (or one like it) because of the learning environment and the quality and MOTIVATION to LEARN of the students admitted.

[Wyliefan]

This may be true from what I've read about that Columbia program catering to adults. It sounds uppity anyway, and I'm sure people take the same classes as Columbia undergraduates.

"Uppity"? I'm sorry, did you really just say "uppity"??

[PDilemma]

It is only serious in that the students are there because they are very bright and are very eager to learn (you used the words uppity and snooty in your original post). I think there are so many misconceptions about the Ive League out there, and it is so unfortunate. The Ivy League schools admit people on a need blind basis, meaning they admit the people they think are the best and the brightest before checking an applicant's financial status. Those who are admitted are then given grants from the university (money that does not need to be paid back) to cover expenses they can't cover on their own. I used to work at an Ivy League institution as a career counselor, and I loved the students there. Having gone back to a state school to work towards my doctorate, I have grown tired of teaching many of the students. So many can't be bothered to come to class, to participate if they do come, to do their homework, writing that is barely intelligible, etc. Considering the fact that I am at a major research institution, this is very disappointing. I was at another highly selective public school (a "public Ivy") as a residence hall director and academic advisor, and I was shocked there, as well. I had students with 0.6 GPAs at the end of the first semester because of partying to much and just not caring about school. Once I get my doctorate, I will not be teaching undergrads anymore (my field only has MA and PhD programs- I teach in another department), and I am grateful for that. About the only way you would get me to spend my time and life teaching undergrads anymore would be at an Ivy League school (or one like it) because of the learning environment and the quality and MOTIVATION to LEARN of the students admitted.

Yes. You are correct. All of the non-Ivy students in the entire universe are thoroughly unmotivated, never learn anything, and never care about anything. Thank God you understand that and you don't come off at all like a snob in this post.

[IceAlisa]

I would think Kwan would have been accepted into any school she applied to, assuming they could bend admission requirements in the academic department (and they can, but will they?). I would think the same would hold for Cohen. Those schools would love to have a Kwan or Cohen on campus. I would if I was the Dean and not because I am a figure skating fan but because it would be good press for my school.

Even if the admissions committee wouldn't know who they are, reading their resumes and about their skating careers would convince anyone that these are extremely hardworking and driven young women.