<p>I'm glad this forum wasn't around when I was in high school. Or maybe it would have been easier for me if I had - I would have decided that the disappointments and the hyper-intense attitudes weren't for me, and I would have dropped out of the Academic Performance Cult. Not getting into Stanford or MIT was what led me to drop out of the Cult. I have since earned my BSEE at UIUC and MSEE at George Mason University. Oh, and I managed to get at least 7 hours of sleep per night most nights. Getting by on 4-6 hours of sleep per night hasn't worked for me since high school.</p>
<p>At the large company where I work today, the top alma maters are (by far) Iowa State and University of Iowa. UIUC (my undergrad alma mater) is 5th. All the other schools among the top are other Midwestern state schools, such as North Dakota State, Purdue, and University of Wisconsin. Hardly anyone at my company came from an Ivy League, Caltech, Duke, etc.</p>
<p>I can't answer for anyone else, but in the case of my family, the choices are completely dependent on the needs, desires, and aspirations of the individual kids (I have six). I can guarantee you that my next applicant will not be a part of the APC and that she will most likely remain in state if not in town. ~berurah</p>
<p>Can we assume that you are in Iowa? Not exactly a likely destination for an ivy grad. The really nice thing about life is that most of us get to choose out path.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Can we assume that you are in Iowa? Not exactly a likely destination for an ivy grad. The really nice thing about life is that most of us get to choose out path.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>This is very true. We live in a midwest state~Kansas. Last summer, my son was selected for a rather prestigious law internship at one of the premier firms in the area. Whenever he'd discuss his future college aspirations with the attorneys at the firm, they were VERY clear that if he wanted to ever practice law in KS, he'd be FAR better off to stay within the state for his law degree. States like these midwestern ones tend to favor their own "homegrown" professionals. We've seen that tendency repeatedly here in all types of professions. </p>
<p>Oh, wait. Anyone here who decides to drop out of the Academic Performance Cult would stop posting here and get on with their merry lives. So the dropouts have zero visibility here.</p>
<p>If total traffic on ALL college admissions forums drops off compared to the same time in the previous year, THEN we'll know that people are defecting from the Academic Performance Cult in droves.</p>
<p>Some people like to challenge themselves, and that is their prerogative. Of course an Ivy League education isn't necessary for success, but that isn't a reason to disdain the people who choose to pursue it. It isn't a cult; it's a question of personal preference.</p>
<p>Why would people want to stop? I know there has recently been a small movement here to stop this "cult" however I'm not sure why that is? The people on these boards are some of the smartest people I've ever seen. We (by we I'm talking about all us students here) have all worked very hard trying to earn good grades so we could get into a top notch school. Nearly every person who comes to post here has dedicated a lot of time to making sure that they are well educated. Threads like this one however make it sound like this education is a bad thing. I think the big name schools just are giving us something to work towards, kind of like a carrot on the end of a stick.</p>
<p>I'm not suggesting that everyone morph into Ferris Bueller.</p>
<p>I'm just suggesting a more reasonable academic workload. It takes A LOT less work to be in the top 10% than the top 1%, but there aren't very many options open to the top 1% that aren't also open to the top 10%. Just think of the possiblities - like not being ruled by studying, getting at least 7 hours of sleep per night, not feeling guilty about not studying all weekend, not feeling guilty about earning a B instead of an A, and not feeling guilty for not being up to the torrential workload of AP US History (or whatever AP class it is at your school that generates the torrential workload).</p>
<p>Well, I guess if you have to get less than 7 hours sleep/night that disqualifies me and my kids from ever being in the cult. (H could qualify though).</p>
<p>Some people find it interesting, satisfying, even fun to push themselves academically. I don't see the problem with it--keeps 'em off the streets. ;)</p>
<p>Many of us are this way because we enjoy it, not because we feel intense pressure. I was a self-motivated HS student, and I LOVED the challenge of the "torrential workload." My HS was a private college prep school, which sounds "intense," but if I had to guess I'd say only about 15% of students go to a college with less than a 50% admit rate, so I wasn't feeling all that pressured at school. My parents encouraged me to get good grades; it was I who went the extra mile for excellent grades. They encouraged me to be active in ECs; it was I who insisted on heavy involvement. </p>
<p>And really, it didn't make me stressed or unhappy. My senior year I was taking 5 AP courses and 2 other courses, and involved in ballet 20+ hours/week, plus assorted other ECs. What can I say? I'm one of those people who thrives on that kind of thing. Plus, to be frank, I'm naturally good at academics, so keeping up wasn't as hard for me as it would be for some people. </p>
<p>I went to a top LAC because I wanted to be with others who were similarly talented and motivated. I don't think I would have gotten that at a state U. It's not that I don't think you can get a good education at many (probably most) state Us, but I DO think that I was, in general, more challenged by both my peers and my coursework. </p>
<p>I'm 24 now and still the kind of person who likes to be doing a million things and likes to excel at all of them. When I "relax" and do nothing for any extended period of time, I am unhappy. I've been like this my whole life-- I spent playtime during preschool practicing my gymnastics because I wanted to make good use of my time and do something productive, something engaging. Some might say that this attitude is unhealthy, but it's not really an attitude, but more of a personality trait. I'm always in overdrive... probably a trait I share with MANY MANY successful people throughout history, from Leonardo da Vinci to Bill Clinton. </p>
<p>So, sure, if academic pressure is getting a person down, maybe they should pull back. But I suspect that many students on CC are a lot like me... they excel because they have a natural drive to do so. Please realize that a lot of us ENJOY the ride. </p>
<p>"...There aren't many options open to the top 1% that aren't also open to the top 10%."</p>
<p>Which planet are you on? You might want to journey over to some of the other forums on CC, to check out just how many posts you see of those in the top 10, 5, 2, and 1% who did not get into any of their preferred colleges. </p>
<p>This application year did happen to break records for the number of applications to colleges in the U.S., further limiting "options" for those applicants. But hey, why deal with facts?</p>
<p>Let's hear it for underachievement.</p>
<p>It is also possible to be like Irene and editrix and enjoy yourself, & experience a pleasure & fulfillment in the process that exceeds the downsides of the pressures & sacrifices.</p>
<p>Seriously there are lots of people who don't buy into the OMG I have to get into someplace I can pronounce!</p>
<p>But perhaps they aren't noticed as much as the others who want to join the Olsen twins at an Ivy league school- doesn't matter which one- just so it isn't Brown or Cornell ;)</p>
<p>Purely anecdotal here, but of the parents I know who went to their State U's, 30% of them are very enthusiastic and would love it if their kids also went there. Of the Ivy and LAC parents, 100% of them want the same for their kids.</p>
<p>Some people might feel pushed by others to achieve academically - but please don't disparage those of us who are there by their own choice and have fun along the way. I go nuts when I'm not learning something new, be it at school or at work.
I really do feel sorry for those people who are forced by their parents, for instance, to get good grades - that could be called the Academic Performance Cult, the assumption that one cannot be succesful without getting the "right" grades, the "right" teachers, the "right" ECs, the "right" sports, the "right" college etc.
I co-ordinate a debate club, and since many people here figured out that this EC is valued by US colleges we have had a huge influx of people coming just for that. You can imagine that you can see it in their eyes and it's really sad.</p>