College Admissions

 I think that the author makes a good point when he addresses the fact that college admission are becoming so competitive and that it is effecting the high school students who are trying to get into those Ivy League schools like Harvard or Yale. People realize that those colleges tend to look at students who have perfect GPA's and a lot of activities. You see that because this is happening, the author addresses the problem that students are only picking classes based on what they can achieve an A in to keep their GPA average high enough to be acknowledged by those competitive colleges. Another aspect that the article talks about, that I also agree with, is that in order fully noticed by a college, getting into the 'right' preschool is an important requirement because they can see that you are 'devoted' to success. Something I think that should be done is that colleges should look at more then just what a GPA is for a student, and at what their essays say about them, and if they are willing to take in people who could be motivated during college and not burned out because they tried their hardest to get into the college and have no desire left to actually attend the college. I think that by trying to force these kids to be so competitive, not only are they not taking courses that they may actually like, they probably don’t have enough time to do anything outside of study for school and do homework. I think that trying to get into colleges is so stressful, and that something they could do to change it would be to have personal interviews. College acceptance should be based on something more then just numbers on a piece of paper that judge students’ worth. If people thought they could be themselves and still get into prestigious colleges, they would.

Comments

[Aubrey Levesque]

I think you did a great job with this blog topic! I also agreed with what the author was saying. It is true that in today's society this is what is taking place with colleges and such. You begin to give up hope on this colleges unless you have a perfect GPA, do sports and have gotten involved in many actitivites. I think this is ultimately hurting the schools because they are taking in only "the normal" and leaving out many good and unique students, who may not have done as good as others in certain aspects of schooling.
I agree with what you said later on in your post as well. The second point he makes is that people are starting to start their kids off even earlier in education, in hopes of making their chances better for getting into a really good school later on. This is what they believe will help them succeed, when sometimes it is their parents money that has gotten them into a certain school and not their activities or brains. All of this competition is making students crazy and stressed out. They are trying to do their best for the future, but also want to have a social life and be able to sleep. This can be so hard for students and can brake them down to such a low level. I think your idea of personal interviews are a good ideas because it gives the college a chance to really see the student and know all about them. This could help them get into a "good" school even if they do not have that sky high GPA or that laundry list of activities. Colleges need to see beyond the books and really look into the student. This could change so much.

[Account Deleted]

It is very important to receive a good education because it will help students succeed, but for those who don’t try, they will find it extremely hard for them to react to different challenges that approach them in life. It is crucial for students to participate in their communities to help them manage their time wisely and participate in academic studies. Some students have great work ethic, while others cram and find themselves in desperate situations to gain a better grade.

Admission Letters