Why do you want to go to college?

Applying to College
1

<p>Obviously, something like 90% of the people here want to go to HYPSMC or another top name school. The question is, why?</p>

<p>My top school for several years has been MIT. I want to go there for the pure intellectual stimulation and community. I want to be in a society with the brightest minds in the world, learning about the forefronts of human technology. I want to help advance our society through new developments in the sciences or engineering. </p>

<p>So I ask, why do the people here want a degree? Do you feel obligated to get one? Is it for a higher salary? </p>

<p>Please be honest, we won't judge you based on what you say.</p>

2

<p>I want to go to college because I've never not wanted to go. Ever since I first started going to school I've been looking forward to going and doing the whole college thing. :) Also the fact that the degree will probably come in handy when I go out to get a job is a nice plus. I can't believe that there's only a few months left before I'm there.</p>

3

<p>The answer that most people would say is "To get a good job".</p>

4

<p>To get a job and start a new independant life. As well as to meet new people, gain knowledge, go to sporting events, and party!!!</p>

5

<p>I can honestly say that the reason I want to go to college is because this is going to be the last time before I enter the work force that I can be intellectually and academically challenged, where I can learn much about all the things I wanted to learn about, with friends who were as dedicated to learning and the pursuit of knowledge as I am. </p>

<p>I often feel a lack of knowledge about something--colleges might call it "intellectual curiosity," but it's that sense that you learn something, but you don't feel that you've learned it fully. I don't know if people reading this know what I mean. For instance, after I took my AP Calculus class I loved calculus, and I didn't feel that one year of it was enough. That drove me to go out and learn more about calculus on my own, but it would be much better to share that experience with others.</p>

<p>Ultimately, my goals in college are (1) to gain the skills that I need to lead a successful and productive life, (2) to become well-educated in many things, (3) to expand my knowledge of the world, (4) to expand my comfort zone, and (5) to become more proactive.</p>

<p>College should be a time of internal exploration. I think in the sixties, college was a soul-searching experience. That aspect of college seems to have vanished from many students now, in an age where attending college is more and more a necessity for financial reasons and not for personal reason. You should be going to college to improve yourself--to be smarter, better, and more active in helping the world. I try to separate college from work as much as I can--I believe that they really should be separate. </p>

<p>If you want to make lots of money, you don't have to go to college, or at least you don't have to go to a prestigious school. </p>

<p>It's very important to think about how you want your college experience to change you. Do you want to graduate from college being the person you are now? I certainly don't!</p>

<p>College should be a life-changing experience. In fact, I want college to be the best four years of my life. The colleges that I have applied to: the University of Chicago, Swarthmore, Reed, Carleton, Grinnell, Macalester, and Washington University all seem to be good places where I can achieve my personal goals. The colleges that you choose to apply to should all be schools that correspond to your deep personal goals. That, I think, will lead to a much more productive and fulfilling college experience.</p>

6

<p>Well, they don't want you to say solely for a job. For me, going to college for my field of study is as much for personal satisfaction as it is preparation for employment. I've been at a couple interviews and I've answered honestly, they seemed satisfied with that answer, so I think the truth works in this case :D</p>

7

<p>Well, yeah, going to college for your field of study counts toward personal satisfaction, since you probably feel an urge to learn more! That's a perfectly good reason.</p>

8

<p>Naturally, a big part of it is that I love to learn. I could start out in my field just by getting an associate's degree from a local CC (I want to be a substance abuse counselor). That's never been the path I wanted to take, though. I want to go to the best possible four-year school and learn everything I can about psychology, and take the opportunity to learn more about other subjects while I'm there- everything from physics to creative writing. After that, I'll go get a master's degree in counseling and begin my job. Admittedly, it does help to know that I can move up to more supervisor-y positions if I do it this way, and I'll have a BA to fall back on career-wise if counseling doesn't work out for me, but that wouldn't be worth four years of my life and student loans aplenty if I didn't really want to learn.</p>

9

<p>For my D, it would be 4 more years of sleepover with grades.:)</p>

10

<p>Because I want to learn, of course. I don't mind that I won't be making 100k at graduation -- I'd rather major in a subject I like that may pay less than sell my soul and go into engineering, business, etc.</p>

11

<p>So I can have a shiny piece of paper that cost $200,000+. Also, because I have no wish to be happy.</p>

<p>But I'm just being tongue-in-cheek. I really just love scientific research. And if I want to do research, I have to get a diploma. Ergo... :)</p>

12

<p>to challenge myself intellectually, to grow as a person in the process, and to experience the social life that comes with attending college :D .</p>

13

<p>Because I have to.</p>

<p>Seriously. Because we all have to.</p>

14

<p>I can't think of a better way to spend the four years following high school.</p>

15

<p>actually, i don't want to. honestly if i could spend the next four years after high school writing stories and poems and getting them published, i would. but i'm not hemingway, so i have to go out and get a degree. then, i wont be just some jackass 18 year old with a high school diploma. ill be a jackass 22 year old with a BA in creative writing.</p>

16

<p>I really want to learn something outside the frigid regimen of regulated high school. It's also the chance where I make it out on my own, where I take control of my life by the reins. Plus, I'm sure it'll be fun...</p>

17

<p>I'm going to college because I need more sheep skin to cover my holes-fill-walls.</p>

18

<p>Because my profession requires a college education.</p>

19

<p>I see a good variety of reasons: some say they just enjoy learning, some want the "college experience", some want it for the jobs after. All are very good reasons. I haven't seen any that are saying that they want to do it for the money though, but I'm sure someone would rather not disclose that.</p>

20

<p>College is a great opportunity to enjoy your youth before having the responsibility of having to work, pay bills, and so forth. Another reason is that I do not want to be flipping burgers at McDonalds at age 40.</p>