Picking a college in a swipe right culture
One of the perks of working with young people is that they teach me as much as I teach them. I emailed a recent graduate to see how she was doing in her freshman year of college, and asked if she had advice for current seniors.
Her response:
I would stress to the seniors that (despite popular belief) they do not have to go to the best school in the history of mankind to get an excellent education, and more importantly- to be happy, satisfied, and brilliantly themselves. I am embarrassed to admit it, but this took me quite some time to accept myself. I encourage you to let the children know that. It's something I feel many of my peers thought during senior year, and it's a dangerous trap to run into. The power to become one's true self in is inside, not at NYU or Brown or Umich. It is in themselves, and what is right for them.
This could not have been more timely, as seniors agonize through the application process, badgering teachers for recommendations, trying to solve the FAFSA puzzle, writing and rewriting and writing and rewriting essays. Many believe where they get into college is a matter of life and death. For this reason, they will shapeshift to get as many colleges as possible to like them enough to let them in. Often the best version of themselves is not necessarily the most authentic.
So the "Why U of M" or 'Why Harvard" becomes the most challenging essay to write; the real answer might be, "because it's really prestigious and it will impress people." To compound the problem, in our Instagram world, schools have become increasingly easy to apply to, which inflates numbers to create an illusion of exclusivity. U of M loves to tout their admission numbers, but does anyone really believe that 65,684 students really wanted to go there last year? The result is that students who really want to attend are denied and institutions end up with an incoming class of test-taking automatons (it's not really that bad, but you get the idea). To be fair, U of M is doing its part to combat this issue but there is a long way to go. Good news for you (if U of M is a target school): Eagle Scholars are exactly the kind of students they want.
What does this mean for you and your child?
1. First, make sure you apply to schools that are the best fit, name recognition aside. This requires a lot of due diligence beyond surfing websites and flipping through glossy brochures. One great place to start is Colleges That Change Lives, a consortium of small schools with a great track record of producing fantastic, gainfully employed graduates with little debt.
2. Don't make any decisions until you know where you are accepted and exactly how much money you're getting.
3. Pay close attention to the follow-up from the school once you've been accepted. The way you're treated before you enroll is a pretty good indicator of how you'll be treated once you're there.
Also, continue to heed the words of our wise graduate: "The power to become one's true self is inside..."
On an unrelated note, for a much more well-written piece about building resilience in students, check this out.
Mr. Hughes
The South Redford Eagle Scholars Program
Email: rory.hughes@southredford.org
Website: eaglescholars.southredford.org
Location: 26249 Schoolcraft Avenue, Redford Charter Township, MI, United States
Phone: 313-444-2590
Facebook: facebook.com/eaglescholarsprogram
