Many students (and even more frequently, parents) find fault
with their high school for somehow hurting the student’s chances of getting
into a selective college. It might be
that the school uses (or does not use) class rank. Sometimes students believe they would stand
out more if their school were less rigorous.
Sometimes they claim the counselors don’t do enough, or that too many
kids are applying to the same colleges, or that the lack of a particular AP
class has put them at a disadvantage.
High schools alone don’t get kids into—or keep them out
of—college. Like colleges, no high
school is perfect. The students who are
most successful are those who take advantage of what their schools offer and
find a way to work around everything else.
Your high school may have faults. It might even have serious faults. If that's the case, take it as a challenge and
an opportunity. Show colleges you’re a
kid who finds a way to learn, contribute and thrive in any environment.