Original: February 8, 2011 Issue 10
By: Sarah Elborai
Staff Writer
Finishing high school opens up new perspectives for students all over the world. As they enter adulthood, a dimension which begins with becoming independent and assertive.
Coming from a British education in Cairo, Egypt, I had become accustomed to a different education style than that of the United Sates. As I discovered through my personal experience, the process of college applications is quite tedious and time-consuming; it puts people under so much pressure that they begin to forget or lose track of important tasks that need to be done.
Writing different supplements and essays that need to be written for the universities creates utter confusion for students and can often lead them to make errors and not convey themselves in correct terms.
I believe the worst thing about the process is the actual commencement of it. This being said, college applications are “reaching new heights” with a growth in the college age population and the preoccupation with name-brand schools, according to the NY Times.
Some colleges reported having a double digit increase in applicants such as University of Chicago, where the rate has gone up by 18 percent. In addition, more and more low and middle income students are choosing elite-schools with great scholarships that would definitely help their chances for new job opportunities.
An increase in applications could also mean “another season of high rejection rates” for admissions, predicts the NY Times.
Students from various four year colleges have stated different opinions to these comments, “Success in college is determined by personal and intellectual growth, not by simply getting in,” said Dana Shaat, a 17 year old freshman at college.
Another issue is known as “scant hope,” a big problem for applicants as they are on the same page as many others.
Duke University, just a year ago, placed 3,382 applicants on the waiting list, putting potential students on the fence about their decisions in re-organizing their priorities, as the NY Times reports. A 17 year old high- school senior, Lama Al-Arian states that “there should be a cutoff in order to stop the uncertainty in admissions. Misleading a potential applicant into believing that he can be admitted from an extended waiting list is establishing false hope.”
College applications could be done successfully and efficiently through many websites, though. One of the most well known is the Common Application, where students can easily apply to many schools by just using one essay for all schools. Still, some colleges may require students to submit supplemental information.
The time has come for students to express themselves in the best way possible, so that they are able to find the most suitable college for them. Good Luck!