In his recent piece, “Today’s Applicants, Tomorrow’s Reputations,” teacher and college counselor Josh Stephen manages to tackle the futility of ranking colleges while simultaneously offering some reassurance to seniors in the face of disappointing news from a dream school. The entire article is worth the read, but this portion in particular could be a great reminder for seniors as decisions begin arriving.
“What if you’re one of those students who has been relegated to a ‘safety’ school and isn’t all that psyched about it? One option is to sulk. The other option is to become the very type of student who will embody the trends I am discussing. Every college in the country offers abundant opportunities for students who are ambitious, aware, and upbeat. If you’re relegated to a second choice, or even a last choice, you do no one any good by being disappointed. You can still love your school, love your schoolmates, and embrace your education. You can still be a success, and you can become exactly the sort of student and graduate who raises your college’s esteem in everyone else’s eyes.”