I sure would love to get an honorary degree. It's cheap, and you don't have to take a math class. Neil Simon described them this way:

You must realize that honorary degrees are given generally to people whose SAT scores were too low to get them into schools the regular way. As a matter of fact, it was my SAT scores that led me into my present vocation in life, comedy.

He was, as you may have guessed, the recipient of quite a few of those particular honors. Northwestern University found itself in a bit of an honorary dilemma a few weeks ago when it offered — and then rescinded — an honorary degree for the Reverend Jeremiah Wright. Joseph Epstein — a fabulous and funny guy — wrote a great piece in the Weekly Standard about the relative worth of these honorary docs. Have you got one? What's it worth to you?

Tags: Honorary degrees, Joseph Epstein