<p>One of my peers made an interesting comment to me yesterday -- "I won!" (Referring to the college admissions process at my high school). I told her that it wasn't a competition, everyone is going where they are supposed to, end of story. She, by the way, was accepted at Harvard EA. Has this happened to you? If so, tell your story and how you deal with it.</p>
<p>I think that your friend is right. I know we don't want to think of it that way, but college admissions has become a competition very much--this is nothing surprising.</p>
<p>What would you expect in a world of "meritocracy," helicoper parents, population explosions from baby boomers, etc?</p>
<p>The topic of college admissions has been drawing my interest lately. YOu should search CC..theres lots of threads that link to really good articles. You might wanna look up Thacker who is trying to bring some reform into the process. Of course, the process was not traditionally like this as you will find if ya check some of these articles out. A lot of interesting forces, racism being a large one of them (specifically antisemetism), have shaped college admissions to the ratrace it is today.</p>
<p>There's a lot out there on this--i suggest you really check out some of the criticisms/historical summary sort of things people have written. Very interesting to analyze it critically as a social sort of thing when you have gone through it!</p>
<p>hah that made me laugh. She is right. When u get to this level of schools (meaning ivy leagues and the non-ivys that are close to them) it really is a competition. You may have all there is to have but still not get in. It is a game of chance and sometimes even luck. You are a great candidate to apply to an Ivy, but sometimes that isn't all you need. She did win and hopefully u do too.</p>
<p>those are both interesting takes on the college admissions process. I guess if there are other factors influencing the outcome, is this "game" really all that fair. I completely agree the assertion that this world has become centered on competition. However, I do not believe that college admissions is something that can be won, primarily due to the lack of control we have on our destiny. The only aspect of the process that can be deemed a competition is prestige and that too is subjective. It is based on societal perceptions and really shouldn't be the criteria to evaluate winning or losing. I think everyone wins regardless of the college they attend. Thank you both for your insight.</p>
<p>P.S. Although I hate to admit it, I guess she did win - cuz she's going to "Hah-vad" LOL</p>
<p>Yeah, she does win... After all, it is Harvard. My school doesn't tend to think of admissions as a competition only because most of the students will be attending UC's anyway. Whenever I make it sound like a competition, people think I'm either really crazy or just obnoxious... mostly both. Oh, wellll. ;)</p>
<p>LOL, Harvard -- wow, although it is the face of the American Post-secondary education system, I do feel that there are much better undergradute experiences out there!</p>
<p>I agree with crazy88. I hear that Harvard Undergad is a joke. A bunhc of professors being forced to appease the elite alumni by inflating their children's grades. Harvard has an extremely noteworthy grad program, but besides that.... Those of us going to Cornell will be educated in a much better atmoshpere and actually value our education. My alumni interviewer from Havrard said it was the biggest waste of money in her life. I bet Harvard would "fire" her for that!!! lol</p>
<p>yea, prestige has a finite value, after that point it is what you get out of your experience that really matters...</p>
<p>Just my opinion, but I don't perceive college admissions as a competition. If it were, the "best" would win. Here, there are so many factors influencing admissions that don't relate to academic sucess or demonstrated academic ability. For example, qualified legacies are often admitted before many many highly qualified non-legacies. (Maybe because many of them don't need financial aid?) And what about geographic diversity? A lot depends on where you live and how many other qualified kids from your high school apply. What I have observed in my competitive area is that the competitive high schools have perhaps 20 highly qualified students applying to Harvard each year. Harvard tends to admit approx 4 per high school, at most, regardless of how many other super qualified kids from a particular high school apply. (The case may be different for some of the private "feeder" schools, I don't know.) In any case, it isn't always the "best" (academically) who gets that elite admissions.</p>
<p>And most often, those who apire to Harvard (and Yale, P) and don't get in are incredibly happy where they end up going to school (as long as they can leave the "dream school" emotion behind).</p>