The smell of anxiety, pressure, and the fear of rejection is in the air people: it is college application season. Reflecting on what my life looked like a year ago, brings back memory of the painful process of deciding where I wanted to spend my next four years. First off, I want to say that yes, the struggle is so real but everyone goes through it. After working like a dog throughout all of high school, all anyone wants is that feeling of satisfaction and gratification, that all your hard work payed off. I totally get it. College is built up to be the end all, the only showing of the person that you have grown up to be in the past 18 years. It is perfectly justified to be stressed out right now high school seniors, because it feels like these are the moments you have been groomed for your whole life. I remember thinking that if I was not accepted to a "top college" that I was not smart or capable enough; anyone who has gone through the process would be lying if they said at some point they had not experienced that fear of inferiority. In reality, we all know that having a Harvard or Princeton degree does carry significant weight in the world these days. But, I am here to say that just because you do not go to a Harvard or a Princeton, does not mean you will have any lesser opportunity to make something of yourself.
Having gone through the process I remember being so fixated on the rankings of the schools I was applying to, I forgot to think about the bigger picture. When our parents spend a boat load of their hard earned dollars on our educations, it is an investment. Your parents are investing their money into you, to give you the opportunity to not just get a job but grow into a good and independent person. Side note, just because your parents are paying top dollar does not mean your getting a better education and college experience than someone paying less. All in all, College is going to be what you make of it. How successful you are is all dependent on what you are willing to put in, regardless of what school you end up at. The college process should be an enjoyable time, celebrate the opportunity you have been presented with and take advantage of your hard work to make the most of this time in your life because this only comes around once. If you are on the fence about applying somewhere, I say fill out an application and see what happens. If you feel a college is beyond your reach or even too much of a safety, explore the option anyway. The worst you can do here is provide yourself with more opportunity. Honestly, people told me this piece of advice over and over when I was applying to college, but I chose to ignore it and carry the burden of stress with me throughout the whole process. Do not make my mistake. Most of my articles I write are supported by some renown researcher or psychologist, but this time the most prestigious of a person you are getting here is me; I want to share with you all a personal anecdote.
If you have read any of my previous articles, you would know that I am a freshman at Tulane. Honestly, Tulane was not my first choice of college. From where I live, if you do not go to a small northeast school in some capacity, it can sometimes feel like your college education is worth less. While those are amazing schools, they are not for everyone and were certainly not for me. It is so easy to get caught up in following the trend, and apply to the colleges that those around you seek fit for you. Do NOT do that. When I told people that I was going to school in Louisiana, I got some unimpressed looks. Most people do not expect a northeast, suburban, girl to be going into the heart of the south. I sometimes used to second guess my choice to attend to Tulane, because it was seen as outside the norm and therefore judged by people; Judgement is fueled by ignorance so do not let yourself fall into that trap. However since I arrived here, I have been happier and more successful than I have ever been. I am not trying to sell you all on Tulane, even though it is an amazing place. My point is that I went to the place that made me the happiest, and gave me the opportunity to be academically successful as well as grow into a more cultured, independent, and overall better person. I have been exposed to more culture and new things in New Orleans, than in all of my 18 years living in the northeast, something I think most would agree is crucial to growing up. A change of pace forced me to open my mind up to new things. Your experiences shape who you are, and for me going to a place outside my comfort zone has enabled me to be part of a whole new culture. Just because your college does not appear in Forbes top 10 list, does not mean you will not be successful there.
This is not just one big rant. I wanted to share with you all a real life example of someone who factored in everything when deciding on college, and has seen positive results. I hope that any high school seniors going through college admissions right now take my advice into consideration. Go to the school that you see yourself being the most successful at all around-you will be better off. If you are going to spend four years somewhere, work like a dog all over again, wouldn't you rather do it at a place that makes you happy? Most importantly though, enjoy the process and forget about rankings, those lists are arbitrary and do not factor in the most important persons opinion, your own.
