College Admissions: Hell on earth?

In an everlasting attempt to differentiate myself from my peers, I’ve realized I’m no different than my peers.

Basically, college admissions has become fractured into 5 major groups.

1. The superstars- These are the kids that have near perfect SAT scores, high GPAs, and ridiculous extracurriculars. “I was a nationally ranked volleyball player. Perfect score on the SAT. I just finished my second book, and am in the process of curing cancer. I protested Mugabe’s regime last month on my annual trip to Africa. I was captured by government officials, and tortured. I want to go into medicine so I can tend to my wounds next time I incur the ire of a governing body. I think you should let me in.”

Sometimes, it feels like these people are lying. How are you supposed to compete with them? It seems they have been planning since the eigth grade, and you are just playing catch up.

2. The smart/lazy kids.

Contrary to popular belief, being the valedictorian or salutatorian does not necessarily mean they are the most intelligent. In fact, most people would be alarmed at just how ignorant and dull the top GPA students can be. Our valedictorian this year never received a 5 on an AP test. She only took a few, and received 3s and 4s. My class’s 4th ranked student believes in intelligent design. The 2nd ranked student has cheated her way through most of her classes. It is difficult to see these people receive commendation for hard work, despite the fact that they have not really learned anything. They are in school for the grade, not for the information.

After the top 5, you’ll find most of the future leaders. Our 6th ranked student was one of the most impressive people I’ve ever met. She had a work ethic like none I’ve ever seen. Her parents, recent Romanian immigrants, taught her well, and she was the editor-in-chief of the newspaper. Most people were amazed by just how organized and intelligent she was. Her writing style is extraordinarily unique. Overall, I expect great things. Then, there is the 84th ranked student.

I am in this same boat. I cannot acheive the same rank as someone with a 3.9+ GPA. I can ace any standardized test. I can almost ace the SATs. I nearly got a perfect score on the ACT (instead I received a 35). However, I dug my hole too deep. There is no way that I can bring my GPA back up to the expected level of the Top 25 colleges. I received a B in my foreign language.
Now I’m looking at college admissions. I didn’t think about college my freshman and sophomore years, and I regret that.
However, the public school guidance counselors had nothing either. I’ve had 5 different counselors in the last 3 years. I don’t know who they are. I couldn’t tell you the name of the person who is going to be writing my letter of recommendation in a few months. It would be like asking Obama to write a paper on Islam. Might as well ask a blind person to write about the rainbow while we’re at it.

3. The Slackers who get in everywhere (screw Affirmative Action)

I don’t believe that we should end affirmative action. I think it’s great. However, it doesn’t belong at the elite schools. Someone with a 1650 SAT shouldn’t get into UCLA or Berkeley just because they are African American. Nobody should get into UCLA with an 1850, or Cal with an 1890. Especially when people have higher GPAs, standardized test scores, and stronger extracurriculars. I’m fine with that kind of person getting into an average school, or state school. However, at prestigious schools, where qualified students are being rejected for unqualified ones, it hurts. It hurts to see somebody undeserving go somewhere you should have gotten in. One of my friends, half-black, recently received a full-ride scholarship, and a half-tuition scholarship to Columbia University. He is a junior, and has a 1910 SAT. He is mediocre at football. I don’t get it. Note that he is mediocre at football. He’s never been scouted. And our team is 3-11 since he’s been on varsity.

4. The people who get screwed

” I worked harder than [Insert Standard State School Here].”

Sometimes, people have fantastic grades, top of their class, and are rejected from everywhere. No one quite knows why, or what justified their rejection, nor the acceptance of other subpar students.

5. Finally, those who don’t apply.

Then you realize that most of the American, and the world, population, will not attend college. In my family, it is a foregone conclusion. However, should it be? I could be equally successful in a carefully planned career. Perhaps entrepreneurship is the key to success. School is no guarantee. Thousands are left jobless, and the nepotism at the top of society (Screw legacy) makes it extremely difficult to “break” in to the upper crust of society. How do dropouts get by? How do people who simply weren’t academics get by?

This is why I am going to research vocational-track based education systems, and also look at the correlation between colleges and success in the presidency.