In 1968, the famous American essayist Joan Didion wrote a column in the Saturday Evening Post about her rejection from Stanford University in 1952. She describes her utter despair during this experience, relating to her seventeen-year-old cousin who was “unable to eat or She falls asleep while awaiting the decision to accept the college of her best choice. And if this had been the situation in the 1950s and 1960s, I can’t imagine what Didion would think of the pressure cooker high school seniors face today.
As college admissions deadlines approached in December, I was struck by Didion’s insight that the college application process is often more about the parents than the kids. Didion explains the wisdom she realized decades after her disappointment in college. As a successful writer at that point, she explained, “None of that mattered much…these early successes, these early failures.” While reflecting on her cousin’s struggle, Didion hoped people could “find some way to let our kids know that… [because] Finding a role at seventeen is problematic enough, without taking over someone else’s script.
Writer Alison Tate recently echoed Didion’s advice in a Washington Post article titled “College Admissions is Hard Enough — Parents, Don’t Make It Worse.” As a mother of two college-age children, Tate recalled the anxiety-filled conversations she had with young people about applying to college. They wonder whether they should start a club, whether they are taking the right classes, and whether their parents will be proud of them if they don’t go to the right school. One student mentioned a college he liked and was a good fit for him, but then lamented: “I can’t apply there. My father says it’s not a good school.
Often times, successful, high-achieving students who just want to get into a “good college” feel inadequate and disappointed in their accomplishments. Just for perspective, there are approximately 6,000 post-secondary institutions in the United States, and more than 3,000 degree-granting colleges and universities. So, when students aim for the top ten percent of colleges, they have literally hundreds of options. Even on the most selective lists, there are more than thirty schools in the top 1%. But it’s unfortunate that many people think that there are only a few things worth considering.
This misguided and short-sighted view of higher education has given rise to an entire industry that exploits the anxiety generated by the college admissions process. Many people believe they can, or should, play the college admissions game by getting advice from professional college admissions counselors. However, unless there is some sort of corrupt deal like there was in the Varsity Blues scandal a few years ago, none of these counselors would put a child into college. It is more likely that the private college counseling industry is simply preying on the insecurities of families who have been led to believe that their children will not get into a good college, or rather, “the right college.”
This obsessive pursuit of admission to the right school was the focus of a recent New York Times article about elite colleges. The motive was to interview actress Felicity Huffman, who went to prison for her role in the college admissions scandal. In a statement that was “shocking and enlightening at the same time,” Hoffman justified her actions by saying, “I felt like I had to give my daughter a future.” The pressures that led a wealthy, well-connected celebrity to pay someone to “fix” her daughter’s SAT score reflect the bewildering actions some parents may take to gain an advantage in their children’s college process.
The New York Times Writer Frank Bruni has researched the college admissions process, and is particularly critical of ideas such as “good college” or “right school.” Bruni, who turned down Yale to attend the University of North Carolina, published his findings in his book Where You Go Is Not Who You Become. Allison Tate believes terms like “access school,” “dream college,” and “safety school” should be eliminated from any real memorization about colleges among students and their parents. Seriously, what kid would be proud and excited to attend their own safety school?
As Joan Didion points out, growing up is hard enough without the pressure of “the right school.” Several years ago, I listened to a parent of a graduate give some advice to parents of freshmen who were about to begin their high school careers. “Remember, you are raising a child, not a college student,” she said.
Michael B. Mazenko is a writer, teacher, and school administrator in Greenwood Village. He blogs at A Teacher’s View and can be found on Twitter @mmazenko. You can email him at mmazenko@gmail.com
As high school students prepare for the next chapter of their academic journeys, the process of applying to college becomes increasingly important. For many, this involves unpacking a metaphorical backpack of achievements, extracurricular activities, and personal experiences to showcase their unique strengths and accomplishments. With the college admissions process becoming more competitive, it is crucial for students to understand who they are competing against and how they can stand out in a sea of applicants. This article will delve into the demographics of college applicants and provide insights into what sets successful candidates apart in the admissions process.