It’s that time of the year again: college decision time! You’ve taken your standardized tests, gotten your letters, written your essay, submitted everything before the deadline, and hoped for the best. You hoped and prayed that out of all the thousands of people who applied, the college would choose you. Now you find out, opening your letters (or, these days, e-mails) with bated breath.
Lucky for you, what goes around comes around. They got to choose you, but now you get to choose them. Just as those admissions officers thought about how good a fit you were for the school, you should be thinking about how good a fit the school is for you. And I don’t necessarily mean academically (although that’s certainly part of it). I know that people often apply to prestigious “reach” schools because an acceptance is validation of what they’ve done and who they are. Others do tend to think more highly of elite university graduates than state university graduates, and those who went to “better” schools may well have more real opportunities after they graduate.
But--as much as we desire them--academic (and even career) honors and accolades are not the purpose of life.
We are here for one reason: to be happy.
Acts are right insofar as they promote human happiness and minimize pain. It may seem that academic accolades and honors from going to a “good” school will make you happy, but I can tell you from experience that that’s not true.
First, you will be a big fish in a much larger pond than your high school was. You can’t count on straight A's or automatic leadership positions. Second, even when you do get those things, they do not provide true, lasting happiness.
You’ll feel good about yourself, but eventually, that will wear off.
However, as I learned in ethics class, ought implies can. If something is ethically required, it must be possible, and so it is with becoming happy. Academic honors will not make you happy, but being in a good academic and social environment will make you happy. Visit a class at your prospective school - does it bring out the joy of learning the mysteries of the universe, or does it bring out only stress?
Get to know the people - do you “click” with them? Can you turn friends into family? You won’t have your family from home anymore, so you’ll need to forge one. Those are the people who will lift you up when you feel down about not-so-good grades. Those are the people who will take you out and make you laugh and speak to who you really are.
You may very well find that an elite university does offer truly engaging classes and the opportunity to connect with people who really “get” you. If so, that’s great. But make sure you’re choosing it for that, and not its reputation.
All that glitters is not gold. We shouldn’t be so busy chasing after a tiny sliver of cake that we ignore the loaf of bread right in front of us. Generic versions of almost everything else give us just what we need, so why not colleges?
