Colleges, Colleges, Colleges – Oh My!

College – a senior’s best and worst friend. It looms over us, or inspires us to work are hardest for that extra point on our transcript. For me, this college process has been a huge roller coaster. I worked my butt off for 4 years, studied hard for the ACTs, and made sure to keep up extra circulars and a social life. A situation that many Highlanders put themselves into – I’m not claiming that I’m special in this regard. In the beginning of the year, I often spent time scrolling through hundreds of different colleges, analyzing their stats, and calculating my chance of acceptance. I weighed pros and cons all from the comfort of my room. Though, comfortable wasn’t what I was experiencing. Would I be happy there? Will I have success? Is it worth the money? My mind seemed like a endless tornado of thoughts, spinning around in my day to day life. But eventually, somehow, I finished my applications and submitted it. My job was done. It was waiting time.

I had thought the worst of this process was behind me – I would get into whatever college I would get into, I would commit somewhere, and spring would be a breeze. Except it is early April, and I still don’t know where I’m committed. You see, the process didn’t seem to go as planned. The schools I thought I would get into, I didn’t. I only was accepted into my “safety’s.” – the places I didn’t think I would necessarily be considering. But now I’m in a rush to visit and make my decision by the big May 1 deadline.

So far, I have visited 2 out of the 3 schools to which I was accepted. Still, the balance of price, programs, living conditions, and geographic location (among other things) cycles in my head. The same stress I felt at the beginning of the year, the stress that I thought was behind me, has resurfaced and reformed. This time, it’s much more based in reality. I was accepted into these specific schools, and these are the options I have to live and learn for (presumably) the next 4 years.

As a Highlander, we are bred for greatness. You hear names “Duke,” “Harvard,” ‘Yale” echoed in our hallways – the places to aspire to. The teachers try to make us feel better if we can’t reach those heights, but the stigma for less prestigious schools lingers. Ultimately, we are a product of our environment.

I’ve had to grapple with this notion for the last few weeks. In the end, it isn’t what college we go to, but rather, what we make of it. Since most of my English class are juniors, and are on their way to applying to college, I want to stress this. It’s okay to strive for the top, but don’t let that vision consume you. Wherever you go, whatever you do, if you put in the effort, will do something worthwhile. The college doesn’t make you, you make the college.

But for now, I’ll be here deliberating where I go for college. Stay tuned.