I do not care about college. Neither the college you go to, nor which one I’m going to go to. To be honest, I’d be no more impressed if you told me you went to an Ivy League than if you went to a community college.
Yup, it’s shocking. I go to DVHS and my personality doesn’t revolve around doing extracurriculars, internships, or being the president of fifty different clubs. In addition to these requirements, I’m somehow supposed to maintain a stable social life and get into a highly selective college? This begs the question: why is getting into “elite” colleges so important to students? Why do students waste their high school years attempting to get accepted into an Ivy or UC? Instead of taking classes for the sake of college applications, students should focus on taking classes simply for the sake of learning a subject they enjoy, and would like to pursue in the future as an adult. As long as you learn what you want to, wherever you learn it, you will be able to utilize it in the same way and be just as successful.
I get it, this is easier said than done, especially since I speak from a privileged point of view. My parents simply couldn’t care less about what college I go to, which is really rare, especially amongst my Asian peers. There is so much pressure on kids, especially at DVHS, to chase after entry to an esteemed college. Pressure from peers, parents, themselves and even society.
The other day, my family was at a friends’ house, and there, my parents asked her what her plans for the future were. My friend immediately started listing her qualifications: a 3rd degree black belt, member of five clubs, sports and a schedule full of AP classes. It felt like an incredibly depressing job interview; like she was listing her accomplishments to prove her self worth. It seems that if you aren’t trying to get into a highly selective college, then you’re considered useless.
This is the mindset so many people I know have, and it’s a toxic mindset. When I was asked what my future plans were by my friend’s parents, I simply said what I truly thought: that I was fine with any college as long as I learnt what I wished to learn. The reaction on my friend’s parents’ faces was truly priceless. They looked shocked. Before I could even explain myself, they quickly dismissed my statement. My entire life and worth was determined simply by my refusal to believe that getting into a prestigious college is the only aspect that makes a person valued and leads them to success.
Many argue not going to a highly-selective college might negatively affect your chances of finding a well-paying job. This is absolutely untrue. Most of the time, your college has nearly no impact on whether you will be successful at a certain job or not. According to a seminal report conducted by Harvard and Brown University, on average, students who didn’t go to an Ivy League made the same amount of money as students who attended prestigious schools. You actually lose more money from the hefty tuition at most prestigious universities. This isn’t to say students should immediately just settle for community college. Just make sure to not waste your blood, sweat and tears on the illusion that going to another more selective college will earn you more money in the future.
Instead of driving all your energy and efforts towards school and extracurriculars (I mean the ones people take just to put on their college application), students should try to just have fun and explore their interests. Make fun memories that you can look back fondly on. Educate yourself on subjects you are genuinely interested in, take extracurriculars you actually enjoy; not ones that you think will get you into a UC or Ivy League. You’ve got plenty of time in the future to worry about serious things, your priority in high-school should be to learn as much as possible and have fun. After all, a college committee that reviews your entire life in one application or essay in fifteen minutes has no ability to decide whether you are a failure or a success, so why let their decision define you?
