On March 19, the University of California, Santa Barbara, released their admissions decisions, and I, like many, was waitlisted. I wasn’t feeling too disappointed about it though; UCSB is ranked 30th in national universities and fifth in national public universities according to U.S. News & World Report, so it’s not surprising that it would attract a lot of accomplished applicants. However, I found out that many at my school seemed to agree with me.
I was sitting in the library doing physics homework when one of my friends came up to me, saying “I came to here complain.” She too had been waitlisted to UCSB, but had opened it with her friends, many of whom either received a spot or didn’t even bother applying. When one friend, who had already been admitted to MIT, received an acceptance, the response from many was cutting sarcasm directed at UCSB. Finally, when one student who said, “wow, what a great school” with a taunting tone. At that point, she decided she had to leave, and came to the library to talk to me.
To me, this story was sad, but one I realized I had experienced before. My two closest friends had also made fun of the University of California, Davis (ranked 10th in national public universities according to U.S. News) when I expressed interest in going there, with one calling it “cow country” and “farmland.”
The idea of an acceptable college has been warped for many families, especially those in the affluent Bay Area. We saw this last week when multiple families were implicated in a cheating scandal in which parents bought their kid’s way into college through unscrupulous means such as bribing sport team coaches. Sending your kid to a great college has become so valued that many believe it is necessary to spend half a million dollars to do it. And honestly, why? What is so wrong with accepting your kids going to schools that aren’t in the top 20?
I am not saying that it is bad to have high hopes and aspirations to go to a great college; I’d be lying if I said I didn’t apply to the top schools in the nation with the hopes of getting accepted. The problem is the elitist college culture that parents and even peers have helped set up. The odds seem against us students: unless they are accepted into MIT, their accomplishments never really seem like enough.
College admissions are harder today than they have ever been, and there plenty of schools at which students can be successful. The culture of college admissions has got to tone down a little, and everyone — parents and students — should re-evaluate what a great school is.
Vishu Prathikanti is a senior at Burlingame High School. Student News appears in the weekend edition. You can email Student News at news@smdailyjournal.com.
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Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who make comments.
Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
Don't threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Anyone violating these rules will be issued a warning. After the warning, comment privileges can be revoked.