The Best College Admissions Advice

 

Image Source: The Harvard Crimson
(The acceptance rates only decline from 2021 onwards, by the way.) 

Undergraduate admissions in the United States has grown increasingly complex and competitive in the last decade. This one process encompasses a multibillion dollar college consulting industry, significantly influences the future of society, and governs the lives of millions of high school children. I don’t intend to discuss the college admissions process in its entirety, but I do have some advice to share with children apprehensive about the whole ordeal (as they should be). 

Having finished submitting all of my college applications in my senior year, I’ve reflected on these last four years of my life. I’ve experienced triumph, tribulation, happiness, sadness, exasperation, disillusionment, enlightenment, and a bevy of other ineffable emotions. Even if I’m not accepted to all of my reach schools, I’m proud of how I’ve spent the last four years of my life. I made precious friends and memories I will cherish for the rest of my life. When I look at photos of myself during freshman year, I see a markedly immature boy; But when I look into the mirror, I see a wiser man, excited for what awaits him in life. 

Unfortunately, many high school graduates are unable to celebrate these profound formative years because of the parasite that is the college admissions process. Many succumb to intense pressure to enter a prestigious university, neglecting to enjoy life. The college admissions process dictates the coursework and extracurricular activities students take, thereby controlling the lives of delusional students. Countless students eschew their hobbies, interests, and social life in pursuit of hallowed acceptance into a ‘good school’. You may wonder what constitutes a ‘good school’ or why students who can’t even finalize career prospects are so adamant about attending one. Indeed, these are vital questions that a concerningly large majority skim over. 

My disillusionment with the college admissions process led me to an epiphany: Students should prioritize learning from their high school experience over doggedly pursuing a ‘good school’. Suppose, for example, that you join your high school’s debate club in freshman year chiefly to decorate your resume with accomplishments. You miserably toil in practice and competitions for four years and receive acceptance to Harvard. Assuming you compete in Harvard’s debate team for the next four years, you’ll have wasted many hours of your life bored. If you instead stop participating in debate, you’ll still have wasted many hours of your life. Participation in extracurriculars one isn’t passionate about may confer lasting interpersonal relationships, scholarships, and fruitful skills; however, it also costs time that could be better spent discovering true passions and forging genuine human connections. 

Admittedly, this is an oversimplification of the college admissions process. I understand that attending select schools can be advantageous to some people. I also understand that abysmal grades in high school can preclude one from pursuing certain careers, such as doctor and lawyer. Furthermore, some companies disproportionately hire candidates from select schools. But why not align your aspirations with a healthy high school experience? In a similar spirit to this brilliant MIT admissions advice, if you treat high school as a learning experience, your academics and extracurriculars may lead to admission into a selective school. And if you’re rejected from selective schools, you’ll still have all the social, intellectual, and technical skills you cultivated in high school. 

Treating high school as a learning experience empowers children to try a greater variety of extracurricular activities instead of committing to a few. It encourages initiative and collaboration without ulterior motives. Ironically, it may lead some to be accepted to ‘good schools’. Most importantly, treating high school as a learning experience maximizes growth and lets adults look back on their formative years with a smile. There were times I was enmeshed in a toxic college admissions culture, but I’m proud to say I learned from countless experiences I pursued of my own interest. After all, I would rather live a happy life at my safety schools than suffer at a reach school.

Let’s stop pressuring kids to attend the most prestigious universities and start encouraging them to learn. That’s what makes for a successful high school experience and a successful human being.

Recommendations

1. Diversifying Society’s Leaders? The Determinants and Consequences of Admission to Highly Selective Colleges, a non-technical research summary that tackles the statistical advantages of attending certain prestigious universities using real data to support its findings. It also leads me to conjecture that people accepted into these universities are successful because of personal qualities they cultivated prior to college, though I'll let you decide for yourself.
   
2. Applying Sideways, my favorite piece of college admissions advice I have ever seen. This article heavily inspired my view on college admissions advice in general.