Is It OK?

Last week in class, we examined an article from the New York Times about the only thing on upperclassman's minds: college. The day after we discussed the article, both of my parents sent me the article. After reading the article a second time, I decided I had some of my own thoughts, because who doesn't like talking about college?

In the article, Bruni examines the application process of two students, one being a past NT graduate. Both students were very successful in high school, in terms of grades, and were rejected from their top choice of colleges. They ended up going to their "safety" schools, and thrived at college. The article states that Peter Hart, NT graduate, felt that he was a "very competent person" once he arrived at Indiana, one of his safety schools. To me, this is very interesting. I think our school is so competitive and I don't think it's common to feel competent in all of your classes. We strive for perfection at our school, and are easily disappointed. All teachers and parents tell students that our school is unlike any other, and I think that most students have a hard time believing them, or at least I know I do. How is a student supposed to step back and look at the big picture, realizing that levels don't mean anything or making varsity isn't the end of the world, if it's all they've ever known?

I also think it's a little unfair of Bruni to use Hart as an example for his article. After college, he quickly found a job, and is now "in graduate school — at Harvard". My biggest problem with this statement is the fact that Harvard is emphasized by being separated from the sentence.  It seems that Bruni is trying to show that although he didn't go to an Ivy League for undergrad, as long as he ended up at one at some point he is "successful". But how do we define success...by having lots of money? Does going to an Ivy League school automatically mean a student will be rich when they're older? I don't think so, in fact, I believe that what you do at college is more important than what school you actually attend. But I think that's hard for us high school students to realize, especially at a place as competitive as New Trier. Don't get me wrong, I love most aspects of my school, but I think there is an added pressure to the students who attend, whether its from teachers or parents, or sometimes the worst ones, themselves. 

A photo from Bruni's article

It's hard to believe that "It's Ok" if you don't get into any of the schools you want to go to. I haven't gone through the process yet, but I find it unlikely that I will feel completely okay if I don't get in to a school I really want. Bruni states that 70-95% of applicants are declined from elite colleges every year. So how do we change our philosophy, or our parents philosophy, into believing that going to an elite school isn't crucial to our future?