Jamie Taef AP Language- Period 1 September 2008 The Process to Your Future Why is it that applying to college seems insanely scary, challenging, at times, tedious, and difficult? The answer to this question is surprisingly very simple; there is no specific answer to this question. A graduating senior might feel this way because they have to choose something that will lay out the foundation of their life.College can be a very scary thing to predict and think about when one is still in high school. A source says "it is a source of concern that too many students are not taking the kind of rigorous high school courses that will prepare them for college."(Lewin). So many high school student cannot wait to get out of high school that by the time they reach college they are not prepared for it. So much of a students high school career creates a foundation of the colleges that student will be applying to and using a process of elimination to reach a decision. "Ralph had arrives on the Stanford campus on the strength of a formidable SAT score--1400 out of a possible 1600--as well as a rank in the top five of four-hundred member high school graduating class" (Steinberg 14). The SAT's are another step in the process of applying to colleges. For many high school students, going to college is absolutely crucial, whether it may be a community college, state college, Ivy League, etc. For example, in the book, The Gatekeepers by Jacques Steinberg, it reflects the process of an admissions officer’s method of selecting students for a particular college and the different factors schools look for when selecting students for a particular college they feel would be right for them. By having this knowledge, it helps me to choose wisely of what to look for in colleges that I am interested in going to, and what they look for in potential students.
The method admissions officers go through may be hard, if not harder, than that of the applicant. It is the admissions officer’s job to select the student he or her feels would have a positive affect on the school and be successful, as well as bring success to the school. A major process admissions officers must go through is where the high school student went to high school in the first place. For example, some colleges may feel more partial to private schools, rather than public school. This might be because the education level at a private school might be more intense than at a public school."'There was a big risk,' Ralph said, 'that if we didn't take that kid, he might not land at a place as good and supportive'" (Steinberg 20). Some colleges might look at the school ranking. This quote shows that even though a kid might have the potential to be a great student and contribute to the school, some colleges look at the applicant's background, school records, school ranking, SAT's, etc. This has a positive and a negative side to it. For example, "things that society doesn't necessarily consider signs of intelligence but that are, in fact, pretty strong indicators of a kid's ability to be a successful college student'' (Steinberg 21). This was said by Ralph Figueroa, and he was observing the students, not only academically, but all outside of school, like in society. For examples, certain asspects that the applicants give back to their community. In addition, if a college looks particularly at the type of high school or school ranking, this would give an unfair advantage to those students that work just as hard, but go to a lower ranked school. Also, depending on the college, many school base their decision on various tests like the SAT and ACT.
Many students feel hopeless after taking the SAT, comparing their scores to others and feeling nerious about what their future might look like. "This leads to the inevitable erroneous conclusion that, if you get a high score, you'll do well at some high-powered college. Conversely, if you get a low score, you better not have high hopes" (Berry). Berry is trying to explain that students that take the SAT put themselves down before they even know their scores and think they have no chance of getting into certain schools.Also many students feel the fear of choosing a college. They spend all their time in high school doing extracurricular activities and so it will look good on college applications, but now that applications are around the corner, many students rethink their high school decisions and feel their application is not fully representing who they are. "Have I been bulking up an application that perhaps doesn’t reflect who I am, but instead just represents what a college wants from me? That is my true fear" (Lett). Phoebe Lett, an Hightstown, New Jersey High School students, comments on her fear of applying to the right college for her. Without taking these challenging tests, it would be more than likely impossible to get into any state university, UC, or Ivy League college. Various colleges also look at things like race, athletics, extra curricular, etc. when going though the admissions process. For example, Figueroa mentions in The Gatekeepers how he had applied to UCLA, Stanford, and various other colleges. By seeing the process admissions officers take when looking for potential. However, he was not accepted into either school, the next year, when he reapplied, he was accepted to UCLA. "Once at the university, though, Ralph began thinking about how his ethnicity might have given him an edge over white applicants" (Steinberg 18).
Diversity is widely accepted all over America, so it might be an advantage to certain students for their school, it has shown and taught me a lot. "Today, most colleges across the United States exert every effort to increase the racial and ethnic diversity of their student bodies" (Korgen). Firstly, I have done much research on the potential school I plan on attending. The school I plan on attending is one of the top culinary schools in America and requires a great deal. The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York requires various assessment tests in math, English, etc. Also, the school requires at least 6 months hands-on experience in the kitchen to gain knowledge what it is like to work in this industry. Not only this one of the top culinary schools in America, but there is a lot to be said about it. "It comes down to the fact that everyone is here for a passion, and the kitchen is a very intimate environment," (Dunlea). This was said by the president of the student government. This is going to be a challenging school to get into, but by doing all that I can do make sure the application process is a success, I will need to go beyond the requirements and show that I am a serious student. Also, I will show this school that I am serious because I can show them the passion I have for baking, using my own experiance and skills. Already, I have learned a lot because I am constantly baking different recipes, and trying hard to perfect them, by adding ingredients to make it my own.
In short, The Gatekeepers showed that even the most unlikely people could get into their dream school with hard work. The process getting there might be challenging, but it is worth the extra hard work to pursue happy with the perfect college.Many prospective students are extremely antsy to see which school they were accepted and are exhausted from the struggle to get there. All students that want to go to college must do this extensive process that everyone else goes through. Though it is long and tedious, it will be worth it in the long run because one will be attending the school they earned.
Berry, Dave. "SAT Panic Causes Thousands of High School Seniors to Flee". CollegeConfidential.
Dunlea, Patrick. "A Culinary School's Changes Are Met With Unrest". The New York Times Ed. Kim Severson. 7 May 2008.
Korgen, Kathleen, James Mohan, and Gabe Wang. "Diversity on college campuses today: the growing need to foster
campus environments capable of countering a possible
tipping effect". Business Network.
Lett, Pheobe. "The Burden of the College Admissions Process". The New York Times 29 April 2008.
<http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/04/29/the-burden-of-the-college-admissions-process/> Lewin, Tamar. "Many Going to College Are Not Ready, Report Says". The New York Times 17 August 2005.
<http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/17/education/17scores.html>
Steinberg, Jacques. The Gatekeepers: Inside the Admissions Process of a Premier College. New York City: Penguin Books, 2002. |