My desk in the dorm room of the first college I went to.
When I was little I was under the impression that I had the potential and means to accomplish anything my tiny heart wanted. I distinctly remember writing in my second grade journal that---on the newsprint paper with the bold blue lines---that one day I would go the "Harvrd." What would I do there? What did I want to be when I grew up? What would I study? How would I afford it? These were trivial questions to me.
My mom only laughed when she read it.
Evidentially, I did not end up at an ole timey little school in Massachusetts. And this was not because there was some great injustice done to me, but rather a culmination of different faults.
I have been a straight A student since elementary school, in high school I was president of three clubs, and active member or officers in others. Elected to senior council and National Honor Society. Volunteered weekly at a hospital among other places. Was on the junior varsity tennis team. Worked. AP Classes....
Blah blah blah BLAH
As I entered my senior year I realized that all this fluff wasn't really important. That more than half of students applying anyway had my exact resume if not better. So I wonder: What does push admissions over the edge or hold them back?
Would it be the fact that I sincerely cherished the thought and work it takes to get an education?
Would it be my race?
Would it be the fact that it would be the fact that I'm low income?
Where we attend college can change our lives. I sincerely hope that our admission is not prevented by something trivial. That could be the greatest loss we never experience.
4 comments:
Eh, who needs Harvard anyway? I heard a statistic out there that said something to the effect that ninety percent of jobs were for employers that employed less than a hundred people. Do you really think that those employers care what college you went to? I mean, I'm not trying to belittle your childhood dream or anything, but I don't like the conception that you have to go to a school like Harvard to become great. In fact, I'm not even sure if college is all that necessary. Wow, I just realized how extremely off topic I am. My bad!
I do think that they do base their admissions on trivial details. I mean, they kind of have to since pretty much all of their applicants are good if not great in all of the important areas. How else would they distinguish between all of them? A coin flip maybe...
No don't feel bad. I don't think that Harvard is the epitome of what you need out of life, but I couldn't help wanting to go a college with a reputation and wondering what the experience there is like versus public.
I completely understand. My dream was to go to Oral Roberts University in Oklahoma. When I realized I was paying college out of my own pocket and $25,000 a year is not packed into my hello kitty wallet on a daily basis, I was crushed. But, I realize through everything bad that has happened to me since my big college dreams were left shattered, everything happened for a purpose. I met the love of my life, my best friends, and my two furry children (Moses and Gordy) came from going to UW. What's some good things that have happened for you?
I wouldn't say anything bad has happened to me, it's more of thinking of the things that I could have been doing or the what a different school is like. But I know you always wonder about something you don't have even if it's not necessary better.
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