Perfectionists are overrated.
People talk about being a perfectionist like it's a good thing. But I'm not so sure it is, especially when it's applied to high school students.
Nobody expects that adults will be great at everything. And yet a lot of high school students feel pushed to take hard classes, score high on standardized tests, be a leader, play a sport, do community service, invent plutonium, find a cure for lupus, etc.
When I talk to high school perfectionists, a lot of them refuse to take worthy risks, like auditioning for a school play even though they've never acted, or taking a summer class in Civil War history even though it seems interesting, or join the start-up field hockey squad at school even though they've never played. If they do fail, they're ashamed of it. They're not about to admit it, much less be endearingly self-deprecating when they discuss it.
It's not that I think that failure should necessarily always be
celebrated. If you stayed up all night playing World of Warcraft and
failed your chemistry midterm, that's a dumb failure. I wouldn't be
proud of that one.
But colleges want worthy risk-takers, not the perfectionists who stay in their comfort zones just to do what they're already good at. In fact, many colleges have started asking questions on their applications to look for evidence of worthy risk-taking.
"What has been your most significant failing, and what did you learn from the experience?" Gonzaga University
"The ability to learn from one’s mistakes is key to personal growth and success. Tell us about what you learned from a mistake you’ve made." St. Mary's College of California
"We tend to spend our time doing the things we know we do well—running because we’re good runners or painting because we’re talented artists. Tell us about a time when you tried something for which you had no talent. How did it go?" University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill
This is one of those times when a cliche is true–"Nobody's perfect."
It's just not possible. The only way to make yourself appear perfect is
to try only those things at which you know you can excel. And when you do that, you miss out on so many opportunities for learning and fun.
So don't force yourself to be good at everything. Be good at what you love and love what you are good at. But don't be afraid to take some worthy risks.