I feel as though many schools today are quickly turning from places of education and prosperity to franchises interested only in acquiring wealth and good reputations. As stated in this article, the countless fees that are required prior to even attending the school are outrageous. There are fees for testing such as the ACT and SAT (which are generally taken a few times), fees to acquire the scores, fees for actual college application, and many more. Again, these fees are required before the student even chooses to commit to the school. In addition, the article discusses the fact that many colleges only accept certain students - those who are seen as superior to the rest. I believe that the sole reason for this once again deals with money. If an incredibly intellectual student was to attend a college and prosper, they would graduate with a degree with that college's name on it. If that individual goes on to become an incredibly successful businessman, for example, they would proclaim that specific school as their alma mater. This would do wonders for the reputation of the school, as people would begin to view it as a prestigious school where intellect prospers. In addition, the success of the businessman would reward him with great wealth - wealth that he would most likely donate a fraction of back to the school. Thus, the school would be given a step up in their reputation as well as their financial situation. I believe that this is the main reason that many schools are becoming incredibly particular about the students that they accept. The article states that students' grades and test scores should be considered less with the application process. The reasoning for this claims, "Colleges don't seem to want to consider that these young people might change as they mature or that they might excel if given the chance, even if they didn't start off in line with the advantages of some of their peers." I agree that students should be given more of a chance in terms of grades. However, I do not think that it is very likely that a 'D' student will suddenly decide to start working hard when he or she gets accepted into college. A student's grades in high school reflects their abilities to think, as well as their work ethic. If a student decides to slack off in high school, it would be incredibly risky to assume that this will change in college. On the contrary, I think that a student should be considered for more than just their grade point average. Assuming that a college was only interested in a student to obtain wealth, as stated above, grades are not the only option. Many students are skilled in other areas, such as athletics, music, or art to name a few. If these aspects were to be considered along with a student's report card, I believe that it would be more obvious exactly what it is that a student has to offer. For example, I recently learned that St. Francis University allows a student to include anything in their applications that expresses who they are. For example, a student skilled in the arts is encouraged to include any paintings, photography, or perhaps poetry in their application. This allows the college to consider the student as an all-around person as opposed to a student focuses solely on school work. I think that this is an excellent idea.
I think that an alternative to the costly procedures of applying and attending college is to simply cut back altogether. I truly believe that application fees are a nuisance, and are unnecessary in the college process. Many times, these fees will limit a student in terms of the colleges they hope to attend. Too many application fees in addition to those fees already present are enough to discourage anyone from applying to too many schools. If anything, I believe that this fee should be lowered significantly. I also think that it would be worth looking into lowering the prices of tests such as SATs and ACTs. It is true that many students will take these tests repetitively, and the prices can add up, especially if there is more than one sibling.
The topics that mention applying for college and SAT scores are brought up much too often. This obviously means that there is a problem with how these ideas are handled. Getting ranked, turned down, tested, and tested again is not a good way to view college. It all seems like a torture mechanism, not a road to "the perfect future." Parts of this process are wrong, and applying for college shows that people are not good enough, they are judged by their ability to take tests, and colleges do not see much past the schoolwork that is being done. Nearly every person that has enough persistence to finish high school then apply to college is worthy of being accepted somewhere. High school is not easy, and the motivation to keep going after shows that there is potential in that student. It is true that not everyone can take the SATs and get a score that reflects their abilities. This is said all of the time, but what is anybody going to do to fix it? That seems like a great idea because everyone takes the same test, get scored on it, and uses that score to compare themselves to others. After many years of this method, one can tell that it does not work as planned. When accepting students, colleges cannot make the time to interview and meet every student because there are thousands of them. A more detailed application may help, and letters of recommendation seem to be a good idea as well. Any other suggestions would have to come from someone more experienced, or I might come up with more ideas after my own application process is completed. Although I do not see obvious ways to fix this problem, it is easy to see the fault in the college application process. As Natalie Hackett Abulhawa stated in her essay about applying to colleges, people are more than just a number on an SAT test. At times, it is more important to have different skills than just "brains." Being a well-rounded person is extremely important. When a college looks at a person's SAT scores, how can they tell if that person can carry a conversation, act mature, or look presentable when they need to? These types of questions are important because one must look at a person's all-around character. Look at a doctor, for example. An upcoming college student looking for a college to accept them into their program is most likely very intelligent. They want to become a doctor, despite the many years of hard work. After they are accepted, graduate, and get a job, despite how well they scored on their testing, they will have patients to work with. The patients want to walk in to see a doctor who makes eye contact, shakes their hand in a friendly manner, and looks presentable. Not many people will appreciate a shy doctor with poor hygiene. These things are not shown through written tests. Another test must be done, and at this point, the only real way to know someone is to see them in everyday life. It is impossible to know every college student when being accepted, but a different way of acceptance needs to be considered. Students have a lot of pressure on them already, and it is a horrific thing to get a below average or even an average SAT score back. This means unless it is paid a lot of money for and taken again, the chances of getting accepted into a desirable college are slim. Studies need to be done and all aspects of human life need to be considered before changing the system of applying to colleges. It does need to be changed however, we just need to find the right intelligent, friendly, kind, and presentable person to do this.
I think that the term "daunting" is a perfect way to explain the college application process. Almost every part of the procedure is intimidating and causes great anticipation. I completely agree with your statement that college, as well as the application process seems to be dreaded rather than eagerly awaited. But it should not be this way. College should be another exciting step in one's life - one that will give them a gentle nudge in the right direction. It should not be a financial trial or a test-taking nightmare. The article stated that a student should be considered for more than simply their test scores. I completely agree with this fact. Some students simply have poor test-taking skills, or cannot afford to take the SATs multiple times. I personally find myself struggling with test-taking, regardless of how well I know the information. I have a hard time relaying my knowledge on a piece of paper containing countless multiple choice and fill in the blank questions, simply because I tend to second guess myself. However, I would have no trouble writing an essay based on the information that I have learned. I think that if different methods of testing were installed, students would find themselves better adapted to their choice of testing. In addition, many students find it financially difficult to take the SATs multiple times. So, if there initial score is very poor, their chances at college are slim. I believe that this needs to be changed as well.
Exactly, there are so many complaints about the SAT's not truely reflecting a persons abilities. I'm prettye positive that soon, they are redesigning the SAT's inorder to make them easier for students. How is that fair to people who do poorly on them now. An SAt score may keep someone out of going to their favorite college, which is sad to me. And now they are finally taking all of the problems into account and fixing the SAT. What about us? What if I cannot get into my favorite college and have to settle for another one,all becuase of my test score that would have most likely gone up if I was able to take the easier test. But of the test gets easier, they will only be taking really high test grades. So does it really make it easier? I don't think so.
Quite frankly, I agree with this article. This article shows that no matter what you do, when it comes to applying to college, the costs can be, well, costly. In order to apply to college, one must first take some form of a test, most commonly the SAT’s. Usually one does not just take the SAT’s once. Most people take the SAT’s two, three, or however many times they wish until they get a satisfactory score. Once one has an acceptable score, one must then also send the test scores along with a transcript to the college of their choice, and still this does not gaurentee that the applicant will be accepted into the college. One goes through this process of taking tests, sending money, and giving applications to colleges and in the long run, they still might not be able to go to that college. Even if one is accepted to that college, then, they still have to pay a ton of money to go to that college. If college in general is so expensive, then why are studenst having to pay so much money to take tests and apply to the colleges? Even though the process of applying to college is very costly, Natalie also says that when applying to schools, the testing system puts a sort of “number” on someone. This is completely true. No matter what a person is really like, if they fail to pass a test, then they cannot get into a college that they want to go to. Some people, such as myself, can do really well in a classroom, but when the time comes to take a test, they completely fail the test. Some people are completely the opposite, they fail the class, but when the test comes, they pass it with flying colors. I personally find testing really unfair, and the fact that one has to pay so much money in order to take the test, then pay again to send the test scores to colleges is truely unjustified. I believe that students should be judged by their character that defines them, not some number that they receive on a test. I understand that there must be protocalls to applying to college, but why do they have to be so expensive? Are there any other ways that we could perhapse change the costs of applying to colleges? What about taking the tests? Why do they have to be so expensive as well, especially if one takes the tests several different times? First, I shall make a proposition for test taking. If someone is going to take the test for the first time, then they should pay the full price of the test. After they took the test the first time, if students wanted to take the test any other times, then the student could still pay a fee, but perhaps it could be half of the price of the first time they took the test. Secondly, I will propose a solution to applying to colleges. Once the students have taken the time to do the tests, they need to actually apply to the colleges, which also costs a fee. Since most applications are now electronical, why should they be the same amount of money as before when they were meant to be mailed in? I propose that since applications are electronical now, the fee should be paid only if the student actually got accepted to the school. So that if they do not get accepted, then the student would not be wasting the money that they could be using to apply to other schools. I am sure that there could be plenty more solutions to this problem, but these are the solutions that I have proposed.
When applying to college, it is important to take the SAT and score well on it. It seems as if one test score can change an individual's future and make or break it. Some people decide what they want to study and choose a college from there. They hope to get accepted, and if they do not, they choose a different school with that same major. Others wait for their acceptance letters, look at the possible school choices, then pick their career from there. It is crazy to think about what some people who be if they would have went to a different school. I know a few individuals who have had their dreams crushed when applying to college. My one friend believed her whole life that she would go to Penn State main campus all four years of her schooling. She did not have a major set, but surely she would find something to do at a school that big. In the end, she did not get accepted. Her dreams were ruined and she ended up at a small school pursuing a career in nursing. Our futures can be created or destroyed by our scores on one test, which is not okay. Your ideas for changing the prices of the SAT were thoughtful, but it makes more sense to have the first test be free, since everyone needs to take it to apply to a college. After that, they can pay a fee for the second, third, or any other times after their first, unsatisfactory score arrives.
I completely agree with the statement that colleges often put numbers on their applicants when considering them for their school. I also agree that this is wrong. It seems that students everywhere are being defined by their grade point average, or perhaps their SAT scores. And what is the reason for this? Why do we find these numbers defining us? Learning is not something that comes naturally. One is not born "smart" or "dumb." Everyone is capable of using their brain to the full capacity, if they so choose. However, it is also true that one learns based on their interests. Some students are interested in typical school subjects such as science or math, but some are not. Some students find interest in other activities such as music or art, maybe even sports. These are not unimportant topics, and should be explored just as much as any academic subject. One is just as capable of making a career out of painting as someone who studies healthcare. Just because these topics are not taught in a typical school setting does not make them unimportant. I think that these aspects need to be considered as well when a student applies to college. Perhaps implementing these changes would help more students find their path without forcing the "daunting" process of college application upon them.
There must a a better way to apply for a college. The cost and methods do not add up, and there needs to be a change. My uncle has a revolutionary idea for this change. After evaluating the system, he thought, "Why change the system? What if there was a way to bypass it altogether?" My uncle is an algorithm engineer. He graduated from Penn State with a degree in electrical engineering. He works with the government, designing sonar systems for the Navy. (I could be wrong about the true nature of his profession since he cannot actually discuss his job, but this is what I have inferred from what he has mentioned.) He travels extensively, has odd hobbies, and has controversial ideals. His beliefs come from his experiences all over the world, and they are valid and applicable. In order to understand my uncle's belief, one must look at college and evaluate its purpose. Colleges are supposed to give students the skills they need to succeed in their chosen profession. A potential computer programmer would go to college to learn how to code, different programming languages, and applications of computer programs. A potential doctor would go to college to learn about the human body, diseases, and cures. When one looks at college in this way, one understand its true purpose. College is a method to acquire knowledge and skills in order to apply them to a profession. A college degree in a field of study tells a potential employer that the applicant knows these skills. My uncle believes that skill base is the way an employer should evaluate someone. However, he believes that the employer should not limit the way an applicant can acquire these skills. Whether the applicant studied for four years at an Ivy League school or watched innumerable YouTube videos, they should be treated as equals as long as they have the same skills. He proposes a simple way to evaluate their skills. When an applicant wants a job, they must undergo a skills evaluation. A programmer may have to write a code to run a piece of software or debug a program. A doctor may have to diagnose a patient or describe a medical condition. As long as the applicant knows the appropriate information, they will be hired. This alternative may sound ridiculous, but it has potential. Evaluating applicants based on skills is the entire premise of education. College is a way to acquire skills, and so many students see it as the only way to get a job. Sadly, college will remain the only way to get a job until people understand that there are alternatives. Self education is a viable alternative to college, if one approaches it in the appropriate way, because self education and college education have the same end goal: acquiring skills to enable success.
When I started high school, I decided I wasn't going to be one of those seniors who waited until last minute to make decisions about college. Because of this, I began visiting colleges and attending meetings as a freshman. This alone was a very costly. The expense of driving many miles to these various colleges, paying for food that we needed, and other expenses that were necessary was very costly. The sad thing is this was just the start of the college applications process. Every college requires SAT/ACT scores. One SAT test costs fifty dollars to take, and many times this money can be wasted. In my course of the SATs, it was a complete waste of my money. I took my SATs a few months ago, and when many people received there scores, I was unable to do so. Upon contacting the CollegeBoard site via email and phone call, they told me that they could not give me any information about why I couldn't get my scores. So basically that was a large waste of my money. I think that is the biggest problem with the college process, there are so many variables. What one college wants may not be what another college wants, and many times we don't know what these things are. There are so many different things that can happen, so students have to take very precaution to make sure that everything is covered. I have not gone through the entire process myself, but I have helped my boyfriend with it every step of the way. I have seen hoe frustrating it is for him and I can only imagine what it is like for everyone else. This is another reason why this process is so costly, because we have to make sure that every precaution is taken. A student has to consider all their options when it comes to college applications. I completely agree with the main point of the article, because this process truly is daunting. How are we supposed to determine the rest of our lives now? We are going to have to spend four or more years of our lives in one place, so we have to make sure that it is exactly what we want. The first step in this process is to meet with a representative. This doesn't cost anything but we have to make preparation before doing anything else. In these visits, an interested person gets information and statistics from a representative. The next step an individual may take is taking the SATs. ECC opens up after school classes that can be used to prepare for the test, this however also has a cost. As I said before, each time you take the SAT it costs $50. Many people take the test upwards of three times. This step of the process cannot be avoided because every college requires it. Then there is the visits to college. It is illogical for someone to choose what college they are going to without even visiting it first. Many students make over 6 or 7 visits to college. They have to pay for gas, food, and expenses at the school. Many colleges also have overnight visits where students can stay in a dorm room and experience what college life is like. This also comes with a cost. I read a statistic once that in the college application process, an individual spends over $400. There are many factors that make the thought of college so horrifying. Not only is it emotionally stressful, but it is also extremely costly. The sad thing is that this cost cannot be avoided because everyone has to go through this. I wish it could be avoided but a student needs to be prepared to make one of the biggest choices in their life. Not only is this process horrifying for me, but I know that I am going to be costing my parents a lot of money in the process.
I like that you mentioned the emotional costs along with the financial costs. Most people cannot go through college without being in debt, and when comparing it to the thousands of dollars spent for credits, room and board, and a meal plan, the fifty dollar SAT cost does not seem too bad until you take it multiple times. Admitting the fact that a large debt will be in your hands however college is approached fixes some of the problem. The emotional costs really take a toll on the young adults, however, and cannot be forgotten as easily as the money aspects. It is hard to wish for something, dream about it everyday, then realizing that the dream is nothing but impossible anymore. When students are turned down from a college that they wanted to go to, it is extremely upsetting. Colleges cannot accept every applicant, but being declined adds to the stress that was already too plentiful. It is not the fault of the college or the student, but despite who's fault it is or is not, emotions are not fun. Sometimes, being declined does not make someone sad because they have dreamed about that school forever. Sometimes, it is just the fact that the letter is saying "you failed and need to start over" that makes it so "daunting." This aspect of applying for college cannot be changed, but it is terrible. Maybe changing financial stress will calm students down a bit if they do have to start over.
It is daunting! I have tried to pick my career before I went to visit colleges so I could only visit the ones that had my major and not make extra trips. Still, I have more colleges that I want to see which means that I will have to spend more money. Then I have to apply to them (read: money). SATs are just another way for a colleges to judge us. Last year, I did a research paper on standardized testing. Did you know that most people who score these are not people that have education degrees? Barely any of them are even teachers. So, why do they get to judge us? Its wrong! This is why the education system in America needs fixed.
Abbey, I agree that not only is this process financially costly, but it is also very costly with emotions. Many students feel pressure building up on their shoulders. Not only is it their last year of high school, they have to fill out forms and applications which build up emotional and financial costs. Also, the thought of even going to college is stressful. When I sit back and think, I realize that I have less than two years left for me to make decisions on what I want to do and where I want to go. This makes me very stressed and I am only a Junior.
Applying to college and taking the SAT's can cause such and extreme amount of anxiety. I find me asking myself constantly when I look at college admissions requirement "Why wasn't I good at a freaking sport?" or "Why was I not a child prodigy?" When we are growing up, we have this ideal plan that we will go through high school with straight A's, obviously not expecting to take AP Lang( I'm just kidding), going to our dream college, getting our dream job, falling in love, and having a family. We do not think that there can possibly be any obstacles in our way to prevent us from the ideal. My plan was that I was going to attended Boston University or Minnesota-Duluth, but then my mom got her job at Penn State and basically told me that I had no choice anymore. It took me nearly a year to accept that I was not going anywhere but Penn State, and then when I accepted my fate I realized that I would not easily get into that school. I pray so often and study so I can pass the SAT's, but what happens if I don't make it? It is ridiculous to be afraid of college, to be afraid of growing. Then, what happens when we do not get accepted to our dream school and we have to go to our second choice? It really feels degrading. It feels like you are not good enough to achieve anything in life if you are not accepted to the place you feel you deserve to be. I feel that if schools had a board that were to interview each student that applies to their school they would find a big difference in who gets accepted. Schools need to see that not every kid that takes the SAT or ACT is going to be a good test taker and we should not be solely judged upon our ability to take a test. Some of us work so hard to build a high GPA, just for it to mean absolutely nothing when we take our SAT's. If they could see the potential we have to be great at their university it would be so helpful. I do believe in everything happening for a reason though. My mom always tells me the story of when she was applying to college and he goal was to attend Notre Dame and how she did not get accepted, but she did get accepted to Holy Cross which is equivalent to a Penn State branch campus. Her dad, however, would not let her go because it was too expensive. She resentfully went to Mansfield University and she ended up loving it there and meeting her best friend would ended up coaching for the Chicago Bulls. She did not throw away her letter from Notre Dame until two years ago. She said that letter did not define who she became. I believe that no matter how hard we work, there is some kind of plan for us and that we will always find a way to find success in ourselves if we work hard enough. Also, there is the situation in which you do get accepted to your dream school. There is a sense of relief as well as pride to be found when we get that letter in the mail and I can only imagine how exciting that will be. Just the idea of leaving Elk county is enough to never ever coming back is enough to make me want to go to college tomorrow.
I agree with you. It is scary. It's terrible to say that some of us are scared to grow up. To see all the debt college has apron us. It is scary to decide what we want to be when we grow up at a very early age. It's hard to understand. It's even harder to think if you are making the rig Decison for the rest of your life. I actually and going on a job shadow tomorrow at the public Elementry school to shadow a 1st grade teacher. This is my back up plan for if something happens with the Navy. It's scary to me to have to decide now at such a young age. I love Notre Dame. It is beautiful and that was also my goal to go. Visiting it was a great expirence that I will never forget. I will most likely not even apply for Notre Dame but only time will tell.
I agree with you on many of your points. It is a scary thing to stop and think that in two years we will have to know what we want to do with our lives and where we want to go. The point I like the most is when you said that it is hard for a student who works hard for their grades but does not get accepted because of their SATs. The SATs seem to decipher whether or not you are able to get in to a college. Yes, I understand that they can play a role, but I feel as if they should not be placed so heavily. I like the idea you had about the interview. I feel as if all colleges should take part in that. I feel as if they can have the original applicational well as an interview. The applicator could chose students based upon the interview and the application.
Haha...yes Jenna, I would say applying to college is pretty terrifying. I haven't done it yet, but I watched for many months as my parents and sister were stressing out over what college she would go to. She wanted to go Notre Dame, like your mother, but did not get accepted. Well...she basically stayed in her room for a week. She never came out. The only way I could get her to come out was when I made her a nice pie. Pie is her favorite by the way. She also applied to Penn state. She was accepted there, and for almost a week, she was convinced that was the college she was going to. But then something really weird happened. Saint Vincent also accepted her, and it seemed like there was no way in the world she was going there. She decided just out of the blue she was going to Saint Vincent. She is now a sophmore there, and it seems like she really enjoys herself there. So I feel like there are no wrong choices when it comes to picking a school. Only stressful thing is whether or not you get accepted.
Junior year is the year where everything counts, and that places great pressure on most students. We are called to draw conclusions on what we want to do for the rest of our lives, take test which ultimately determine where we can go, and what schools best suit us. These experiences scare me in a sense. When I think about figuring out what I want to do for the rest of my life, applying to colleges, and taking SATs, they make me realize that in less than two years I will be, in a sense, on my own. I constantly think about what if I cannot get in to a school because of my SATs. I have not taken this test yet, but I am soon and the idea scares me. I personally am not the best at taking those kinds of test. I do not usually do awful but it does not reflect my grades in school. Even though I have not taken them yet, I feel a little traumatized. In Natalie Hackett Abulhawn's article she discusses a similar issue, but in the opposing way. She says that her grades show that she is barely an average student. When on the other hand, her SATs show she is in the top twelve percent. She states, "I'm a person, not a mathematical equation." This is very true. I feel as I colleges look at students as numbers, yes I believe that numbers do play a role, but where I question is on how much of a role should these numbers play. Again I agree with her because she explains that there should be other ways to determine if a student is qualified for the school. She says that how can the school boards determine on a number system that the student will mature or become a more adequate student. I have witnessed and heard stories upon stories of barely average students shinning in college, receiving good grades and opportunities for a well paying job. Then on the other hand, I have known average and above average students not fair as well. These two examples are defiantly not always the case, but it does show that a person can change, for better or for worse. I feel as if the college admissions do not realize students can change. I feel as if the boards only recognize the ones who are already above. I believe that some students realize when they get to college that this is the time that really counts. The idea of a student being a "mathematical equation" is effective but there are many flaws. Another point in this article is all of the finances involved in preparing, applying, and the tuition. I understand having to pay small fees here and there, but I do think fees should be fifty dollars or more. I understand that SATs should should have a fee, but what really caught me off guard was the fees for applications. I never realized students were to pay a fee for each school they apply for. I believe seventy dollars for an application is a little extreme, especially if you are not guaranteed admission. This all adds up in the long run. With all of these fees, I am lead to believe that this is just a slight modification from a money scam. These colleges are asking for money and do not guarantee admission for the students. I also agree with the tuition once applied and accepted, but I just do not believe it is right to charge seventy dollars for an application.
I see where you are coming from about the costs, Sydney, but I disagree. I agree with colleges putting a fee on applying, because it makes it a serious matter. If it was free to apply to a college, think of all the random applications colleges would get. If it is going to cost someone around seventy dollars to apply to Hardvard, it is more likely only serious students who have a chance would apply, but if they lifted the price, many students with far out grades would apply just to see what would happen. The prices give the colleges more of a seriousness. Not to mention, colleges do have to take time to review each and every application. As far as SAT's go, I am not fond of the prices, but I do see the point. It costs money for everything in the world to operate. It takes time and money for each test to be reviewed and it takes money to keep creating more booklets and answer sheets. Although it does not seem fair for it all to revolve around money, nothing in the world operates for free, so I understand the monetary stipulations.
I like everything you had to say. And I take everything you said seriously. But as Lauren pointed out, if there was no fee for applications, colleges would just recieve random applications from people who know they have no chance, but want to apply anyway. The SAT fees however, are a bit extreme. I believe that every student should have the opportunity to take the SAT and ACT. To restrict the ACT and SAT to people who can afford it seems to limit people in their academic pursuits. While college should be expensive, the tests should not. That's just how i think it should be.
College is absolutely terrifying. It is so scary to think not only of the idea of getting accepted, but also the amount of money that we are forced to spend on it. Schooling is just a way to end up in debt even further than we all are already in. As we grow up, we see how much money school is and eventually we see it add up. When we graduate, we start a job, we get a car, eventually need a place to live, and we start a family. We eventually have no money to spend on anything and it is so terrifying. We also are not taught how to handle debt or anything for that point because no one can teach us. Growing up is awful and I essentially just do not want to do it
Well, I usually have the unpopular opinion, and I believe that will continue here with this blogging activity. But I think it is alright for colleges to demand so much money and not accept kids who don't meet the standards. Lots of people think that just because they are not smart, they should be accepted into society just like everyone else. This is ok. I try my best to treat everyone exactly the same (I fail many times, but that's a story for a different time). But if a person is not smart, they cannot become an astrophysicist. I'm sorry, but that's just not going to happen. So why is it that if not so smart people are limited in career opportunities, they cannot be limited in collegiate opportunities? Think about it. What would you say if Harvard started admitting kids who had the same GPAs as our class officers? That would probably be great news for all of us, because that means we can all suddenly get accepted into Harvard. But Harvard would suddenly mean less. Harvard is an elite school, and to just get accepted is a huge deal. Harvard is reserved for only the smartest people in the world. If it started letting the not so elite in, it would stop being a symbol of the smartest people in the world. So I do not understand why the author of this piece wants colleges to start accepting everyone, regardless of their IQ, GPA, class rank, SAT scores, etc. I guess I think these factors play a very big part into what university you can be accepted into. The time to get smarter is before college. College is where you get smarter, but this new knowledge you gain won't help you get into universities. But I guess I'll circle back to my Harvard example. Why would Harvard admit someone who has less than stellar grades? The answer is they won't. People feel very entitled in our nation today, and just expect to be given the best opportunity possible. But I'm sorry. If you do not have good grades, you will not be accepted into schools like Harvard, Notre Dame, Stanford, MIT, etc. Heck these schools are so smart, that ESPN reported that the final score of football game between Harvard and Yale was e-Planck Constant. (Half of you probably don't even know what Planck's constant is. But that's ok, you don't really have to. It's just a piece of really frivolous information.) However, if you do have good grades and get accepted into an elite school, it will cost a lot of money. Something people will always complain about is how much money something will cost. College is no different. Elite schools tuition bills are very high. But that's because they have to pay elite teachers to teach these elite students. They also have to pay to update their facilities to keep them at the highest standards. So...that'll cost a lot for the university. The universities have to get the money from somewhere, and that somewhere is tuition. That's why tuition is very expensive. Of course as you go down in school (I don't want to use this word, but I can't really think of another word to use. So don't hate on me calling a school you want to go to lesser In Quality. Please) quality, the school tuition will go down as well. There are schools out there for everyone. And all of them charge different amounts for tuition. So I encourage all of you to go to college and get a great education. It doesn't have to be some major university, because little schools are awesome too. But I know all of you who will actually read this blog are very smart, and should be able to get into almost whatever school you want. It's a shame there aren't more people like you in our grade.
Planck's constant is 6.63 x 10^-34 joules per second, and since it applies to chemistry, I am not really sure how that applies to the score of a football game, but anyway... You're right about how elite schools are elite for a reason. That is true, and if they did stop only letting the elite in, it would fail to mean something. But people need to realize their limitations. If they are are 4.0, then by all means, apply to Harvard. But if they are a 3.2, they should be looking into a less elite university. It is a waste of both time and money to apply to somewhere where you will probably not be accepted. But just because you're smarter does not mean you should look down upon the people that aren't. They probably are smart too, they just invest their time in other things. To be truly smart, you really have to let go of your ego and just let it roll. Truth of the matter is, the more ego you have about your intelligence, the less intelligent you will be. I learned that a long time ago. And in terms of the class officers, I think that they are good. They can be successful in their own way. It may not be your idea of success, but if they are happy in their own way its okay. Your definition of success is being an astrophysicist, and theirs may be an engineer. Are you going to go different colleges to achieve your goals? Absolutely! But that is not a bad a thing at all. And, as long as you both know that, I would say that the college they choose to attend is fine. Harvard may be good for you, but Penn State or St. Vincent may be better for them.
Part of the reason elite schools cost so much is the opportunity associated with them. An engineering graduating from MIT may be considered for a job before an engineer graduating from another school such as Penn State. This is not to say that an engineer from Penn State will not get a job. On the contrary, they will easily find employment due to their education. However, a graduate from a more elite school may have an easier time finding employment. Many employers look at well known schools and base their entire acceptance decision on them. This bias can be unfair to other applicants if their education provided them with the same set of skills that the other applicant has. However, this is how the reputation of an elite school benefits a graduate. Elite schools believe that they provide a higher quality education to their students. This belief contributes to the cost of the school. In order for them to justify their belief, they must provide some evidence that it is true. This evidence comes in the form of brilliant professors and stellar research facilities. Each of these can cost exorbitant amounts of money, and this contributes to the high cost of tuition. However, these facilities do contribute to the education of the students. A professor that truly knows what he is talking about will be more help to a student than one who is unfamiliar with the intricacies of their subject. A lab that can handle the experiments of a biomedical engineer will help them learn their craft. In this way, the cost of tuition can be seen as reasonable.
I do agree with you, Nick. Tuition amounts and low acceptance rates are what set elite schools apart from other schools. There is no way to sugar coat it. They only want the best of the best, and if you are not the best, then lower your standards. Being the best school comes at a price. A school cannot be the best if the professors, technology, and facilities are mediocre. To keep upgrading beyond other colleges takes an obscene amount of money, which is why Hardvard is going to cost tens of thousands of dollars. A good analogy would be paying to go to a concert. If an artist is well known, VIP tickets can be around one thousand dollars, but when the artist is still underground, their VIP tickets can be seventy-five dollars. The considerable difference can be contributed to the fact of their acclamations. A lot more people are going to comment how cool it was someone got to meet a popular artist like Iggy Azalea over an artist no one ever heard of. The same with colleges, employers will be impressed at the accomplishments made at elite schools. Of course small schools can help people excel too, but the point is students paying to go to these elite schools are paying for the name and the honor surrounding these schools.
Well...Olivia...I must say I was very...uhh...flustered when I read your comment. I understand why, but I must say, in no way was I flaunting my intelligence. I am not that smart to be honest. Think of the dumbest person you know. I hope your picturing them. Look at their face in your mind. Now forget about that person and substitute my face. I am not that smart at all. I am arrogant, ignorant, and do not have a care in the world for really important things. Tell you the truth, that doesn't sound so smart to me. I was just using Harvard as an example of an elite school. It was the first school too come to mind when I was writing this. If I ever get accepted into Harvard, penguins will have learned to fly and Jesus will have come to walk among us before I get accepted. That may be confusing, and I'm sorry about that. The point of that statement though was that I will never get accepted into Harvard. Ever. I would be ecstatic if I ever became as smart as the other students in our ap Lang class. All I do Is just a put on an act. I am not intelligent. So I am sorry if you took my blog the wrong way. I am glad you know what Planck constant is. That was just a stupid attempt at humor in my blog. And also our class officers don't jack squat. So I see why you said the things you did. I said a lot of mean and terrible things in my blog. I will work off this Expeirence and try to better myself in the future. Thank you for calling me out on that. I appreciate your honesty. Oh and thanks for your comment Ashley. I would say something about your blog, but this was specifically addressed to Olivia. Maybe next time, oh well. Anyway, I hope this explains some things and I hope you accept my sincere apologies.
Nick! I love your comment! And you don't have to apologize, I was just making a statement! I just believe that everyone has a place and has different capabilities and gifts. As as far as Planck's constant, that is one thing I learned last year from AP Chem at public. Its a brutal class, but at least they taught me something(;
For most students, junior year is when they get judged by colleges to see if they are good enough to get into them. It’s when students start the grueling application process, and begin to try to discover their future. But like the author in the article talks about, many times the only quality colleges judge you on is your test scores. Coming from a public school, you are only judged on your test scores. You score high, you get high classes, and vice versa. So, when it comes to college time, they do the same action. If you score high, you get into a really good college like the author talking is about with great opportunities. But, if you score low, then you are not going to get into a great college. Last year, all public schools that to take the Algebra I keystones. They are a state exam that will become Pennsylvania’s system of graduation by 2017. This means that if you don’t pass them all, then you will not be able to graduate high school. Last year, I took the Algebra I Keystone and scored a 1496. A proficient score is a 1497. Because of this, they told me that I must not know my Algebra. However I finished my Algebra class with a 94 percent. Surely someone who did not know their Algebra would not have finished the class with a 94 percent. But of course, the state testing system refused to believe that, and made me take the test over, even though I did not need it to graduate! So I retook it and got a 1550, a proficient score. After that, they let me go. But it is the same as the author says. She is considered an average student grade-wise, but an above average student on testing. So why do they test us like this when the scores aren’t even fair? Can’t they just judge us on our high school career grades? Nope! Instead they look only at the numbers. Numbers really don’t tell them anything. For one, they may not even be right! But they don’t tell them what kind of person I am, what my goals are, or what I stand for. For the amount of money you pay, you would think that a college would want to accept students that would enhance their student body in positive ways, but apparently this is not so. Then, they start charging you all these fees to apply to them! The College Board charges around $50 per SAT or ACT test, and then charges you even more to send your scores to universities. Then, there is the dreaded FAFSA form that your parents have to fill out to see if you can qualify for finical aid. You may not even receive financial aid either, but its privilege to pay $200,000 to get your four-year degree! Some high school children are starting to look at college as a waste of time simply because of all the hoops you have to jump through to get into it. As for a proposed system on how to change college application processes, I say this: abolish the SAT/ ACT. If students were judged only on their high school grades, then maybe they would try harder during high school, and we would have more students actually making honor roll. And, these are the actual grades the student received and their actual work. Its not some guessing game on a test that could either be right or wrong. As for college application fees, I do not think they should abolish them entirely, but maybe make the prices lower. I think it would be awesome if President Obama passed a law that all college application fees could only be $10. It would save people a lot of money and allow them to apply to more places. With SAT/ACT being phased out, colleges instead could just have grade requirements that say something like: Need a minimum average of a 90 percent to be considered for acceptance into college X. I hope that the next president looks into education a little bit more, because it is a corrupt system in need of some fixing. Hopefully by the time I have kids this system will be different.
I agree with your statement that junior year is everything. Junior year has been by far the most stressful for me and I can't even imagine how hard things are going to become later on in the year. Apparently, colleges look at junior year grades over everything. Unfortunately, junior year is also the year that we have the least amount of time for. We have to worry about confirmation and the bear that is National Honor Society. These things are so important in our lives but they also take so much effort. The college process in itself is so time consuming and horrifying that it does not truly give us a chance to enjoy some of the best years of our lives. I often find myself getting very upset because I'm sitting at home doing homework while everyone else gets to enjoy their life. And for what? It's not like I won't get accepted into college. This sounds very conceited but it is true. If we are taking this class we obviously have done very well for ourselves until this point so obviously we can get in to at least one college in the area. However, we are all striving for excellence and to get in to a prestigious school with a good scholarship. Maybe we are making this harder on ourselves, but hopefully it will eventually pay off.
Olivia, I agree that junior year can pretty much be torturous. As we grew older we start to see all of the time we put into school fade away and we begin to stress over something that we essentially have no control over. I want to live with the idea that I am good enough to get into my dream college without putting all of my time and effort into getting in there, but I know that it is not the case. Hard work is just as important as anything else as we grow up and put ourselves into any kind of school.
Applying for college should not be difficult or costly. When one applies for college, they should be able to do so in an easy and free way. Colleges should be places that help students acquire new skills for real world success, not cost based institutions. Students give more than anyone could ask for college, and it still is not enough. The academic hoops hat students jump through for college are demoralizing. Colleges look for "well rounded" students, and base their qualifications on criteria other than academic success. A "well rounded" student is not the stereotypical nerd that never misses a question in their math class, or can recite millions of formulas. A "well rounded" student is intelligent, social, and altruistic. They have high grades, participate in many clubs, and give their time to volunteering. Schools tell students that if they do not participate in each of these categories, colleges will look down on them. Students give in to the pressure and take on more than they can handle. Between their hours of homework, sports practice, volunteerism, and club participation, it is a wonder students have time to sleep. Students do all this to help them boost their college applications in the hopes that it will help them succeed. However, their lives are full to bursting, and this causes stress and anxiety. One may wonder how this is supposed to help them succeed in their later life. When a student applies for college, the scores and criteria are sent online. Charging for this service is absurd. No one charges for sending emails or other data through the Internet, and test scores should not be any different. Scores are supposed to help students bolster their applications, and provide colleges with a way to evaluate their academic success and potential. Putting a monetary value on scores downgrades any achievement the student incurred. When a student does well on a test, their first reaction is to show people who are important to them. Their family, friends, and possible college are some of the first people that would come to their minds. Having to pay for this privilege dissuades students from using it, and it could even dissuade them from taking the test at all. Colleges need students, not the other way around. Many jobs are available for those who never attempted to gain a college education. These jobs may not be high paying, but they are still employment opportunities. In addition, there are many jobs available for those who never completed their college education. College drop outs can become successful. Perhaps the most notable example is Steve Jobs. Jobs dropped out of college and started his own company. He became rich, and provided the world with new technology. His hard work and determination allowed him to succeed in the face of many obstacles, and he did all this without a college education. While not everyone can drop out of college and create a multimillion dollar corporation, everyone has a chance to make the most of their opportunities. If a student drops out of college, no one can say what their life will become. The difficulties and cost of applying to college are high. Students may even believe that they are too much to deal with. The criteria of a good college applicant can overwhelm students, and sending that information to a college costs more than it should. In the end, their hard work may not grant them the college they want to attend, and they may feel that all their work was useless. However, there are many opportunities available for those who forgo a college education. The cost and difficulty of the college application process may translate to uselessness on its behalf. Colleges can not expect students to conform to their standards when they could achieve success without undergoing such a tedious process.
Albert Einstein once said, "Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid." In order to be accepted into college, students are expected to take universal testing systems such as SAT's and ACT's, but these tests do not take into consideration the individuality and special talents some people possess. For example, while some people may be blessed with the trait of being serious, others are blessed with the trait of being creative. These tests fail to take into account the individuality of the person taking the test.
To me personally, the scariest part of preparing to college is age. As juniors in high school, we are being incessantly hounded and pressured about choosing a career to make us happy and successful for the rest of our lives and choosing a college to attend. Although we are making this life decision, many times we are faced with comments about how we are too young to know anything or do anything. As minors, we can not legally make many decisions on our own, yet we are then expected to make a decision that will be the rest of our lives. It is all a little scary how much planning must be put into our future. Growing life expectancies spurred the evolution of planning for futures, for before long life expectancies there was not any time for planning, but it seems as if planning for futures has evolved into rocky path to failure.
Welcome to America, land of opportunity, but let's give the opportunity to foreigners before our own citizens. I am by no means against allowing colleges to be elite and accept bright students or colleges getting their funds by expensive tuitions, because that is what makes each college unique. I do however not understand why American colleges are becoming dominated by foreigners. I am by no means racist, but I feel as if America needs to be able to educate America before educating other countries.i understand America was created on the foundation of equal chances and I understand foreign students pay more to go to college and often times have better grades so I may be contradicting myself, but I also believe America needs to learn to help its own people. Many foreign students are taking their education and leaving. The American citizens who were denied admission for the foreign student were then denied the opportunity to use their education from that university to benefit America. I understand other countries need help, but I also understand America is nowhere near the ranking it used to be. It is evident America needs to step its game up. We were just surpassed by China for number one economy. This is exactly why America needs to help itself instead of putting itself in detriment by ignoring its own citizens in favor of foreigners. Instead of relying on foreigners to pay expensive tuitions, I think a better alternative would be to rely on alumni who will stay in the country to become successful and give back to the university from donations, because although it is optimistic, it is not at all uncommon. As for costs in general, I do not really have a comment. To me it is common sense. If someone is going to attend Syracuse University, they need to be willing to dish out $40,000, but that is because of the sports aspect surrounding Syracuse and the national recognition of it. It is okay for someone to not want to spend $60,000 a year on an education, but then they should not expect to go into Ivy League or huge sports schools, because those are extra privileges.
I realize how competitive it has become to gain acceptance into universities and how hard it has become to get a job. I'm not in denial about the fact I will probably not get accepted into FIT or Parsons. I am not in denial about the fact the chances of me becoming the CMO of Saks Fifth Avenue will not come quickly or easily, but I know I can do it, because I have the creativity and skill to, despite whatever my SAT scores or a college acceptance letter will tell me.
College is an experience I am very excited for. I cannot wait to go and meet new people and take new classes in a different atmosphere. The cost it is for college is something I am not excited for at all. There were many points in the reading that I agreed with fully. The idea that a person might not be able to go to college is a sad thing to think about. With my dad having Cancer, there is the one saying that his doctor in Pittsburgh always says.. "The cure for cancer is possibly lying in the brain of a person who could not afford college to become the doctor that is needed." This statement tells how it is hard for many to actually afford the college process. Tan other point that stranded out to me was on the statement "I'm a person, not a mathematical equation." This could not be more true to me. When I was at the public school we took PSSA's and 4-sights all the time. It was an endless cycle of these test. One thing that I couldn't under stand at the time was that they were practice test for the actual SAT basically. The SAT is honestly something that I am not that good at. In test where I am pushed for a time limit with a lot of work to do, I panic no matter how much time and how many problems I have. When colleges look at your SAT's its like looking at one test you had the whole year of high school and saying if you are smart enough to get it. That isn't fair at all to me. I don't get how they can just not accept someone because they think they will fail out. If a person is paying for the education they are receiving, and actually paying a lot of money for it, you would think they would try as hard as they can to get the most out of the class. College to me is going to be an expensive experience , a learning one, a fun one, and a stressful one. Wording about money after college will haunt me until I get all of my college debt paid off. A nothing thing that colleges tend to look at is how involved students were in school and in the community. This isn't a big problem for us because our school during service hours. Many colleges love to see that on applications. Applying for the colleges I want to be in my future will be a big and very exciting step for me. Looking at college is something that is very interesting to me. I think a way to get around all of the college money would to be to serve for our country. Which is a nothing option that I have greatly looked into. I was called a couple months ago form the United States Navy, they told me I did very well on my ASVABS. I was honored that they called me to be honest. One of the options I am deeply considering is joining the Navy, to follow in my Grandpa Cashmer's footsteps. I have everything planned out for that experience and what I want to do. On January 3rd, I will be able to call the Navy and actually request information on what I want to do. They cannot talk to me about the Navy until I turn 17. Well I then 17 on January 2nd. So the days are being counted down until I can request more information. While those days tick by, I have to persuade my mother in letting me take that big step into me future.
Maddie, I agree with you because I am also very excited as well. But I also find the entire situation very scary. I am not necessarily a "people person" so I also find the thought of brand new people to be terrifying. My parents have always joked about me going somewhere local, but I knew they have always been joking. The thing is they know that I am destined for great things. They are also trying to get me to experience different events and give me as much opportunity as possible. These events are things like district chorus and jazz band. They have also encouraged me to preform. Not in the play or anything like that, but they have set up chances for me to entertain an audience with my guitar and my voice. This was the most incredible thing I have ever experienced. They are pushing me to be so much in life, and this is scary. I know I am going to fail, because I have before. This failure is heartbreaking because I watch so many people around me being successful everyday. Something inside me just clicks when it comes to music that doesn't in most other people. It has since I was a very young child, it's indescribable about what it even is. And even though this is true, I still fail. However, I also know that while some people are experiencing their success now, that all these failures of mine are building up to something extraordinary that is going to happen. So I am ready to start this next step of my life even though it is terrifying for me.
I feel as though many schools today are quickly turning from places of education and prosperity to franchises interested only in acquiring wealth and good reputations. As stated in this article, the countless fees that are required prior to even attending the school are outrageous. There are fees for testing such as the ACT and SAT (which are generally taken a few times), fees to acquire the scores, fees for actual college application, and many more. Again, these fees are required before the student even chooses to commit to the school.
ReplyDeleteIn addition, the article discusses the fact that many colleges only accept certain students - those who are seen as superior to the rest. I believe that the sole reason for this once again deals with money. If an incredibly intellectual student was to attend a college and prosper, they would graduate with a degree with that college's name on it. If that individual goes on to become an incredibly successful businessman, for example, they would proclaim that specific school as their alma mater. This would do wonders for the reputation of the school, as people would begin to view it as a prestigious school where intellect prospers. In addition, the success of the businessman would reward him with great wealth - wealth that he would most likely donate a fraction of back to the school. Thus, the school would be given a step up in their reputation as well as their financial situation. I believe that this is the main reason that many schools are becoming incredibly particular about the students that they accept.
The article states that students' grades and test scores should be considered less with the application process. The reasoning for this claims, "Colleges don't seem to want to consider that these young people might change as they mature or that they might excel if given the chance, even if they didn't start off in line with the advantages of some of their peers." I agree that students should be given more of a chance in terms of grades. However, I do not think that it is very likely that a 'D' student will suddenly decide to start working hard when he or she gets accepted into college. A student's grades in high school reflects their abilities to think, as well as their work ethic. If a student decides to slack off in high school, it would be incredibly risky to assume that this will change in college. On the contrary, I think that a student should be considered for more than just their grade point average. Assuming that a college was only interested in a student to obtain wealth, as stated above, grades are not the only option. Many students are skilled in other areas, such as athletics, music, or art to name a few. If these aspects were to be considered along with a student's report card, I believe that it would be more obvious exactly what it is that a student has to offer. For example, I recently learned that St. Francis University allows a student to include anything in their applications that expresses who they are. For example, a student skilled in the arts is encouraged to include any paintings, photography, or perhaps poetry in their application. This allows the college to consider the student as an all-around person as opposed to a student focuses solely on school work. I think that this is an excellent idea.
I think that an alternative to the costly procedures of applying and attending college is to simply cut back altogether. I truly believe that application fees are a nuisance, and are unnecessary in the college process. Many times, these fees will limit a student in terms of the colleges they hope to attend. Too many application fees in addition to those fees already present are enough to discourage anyone from applying to too many schools. If anything, I believe that this fee should be lowered significantly. I also think that it would be worth looking into lowering the prices of tests such as SATs and ACTs. It is true that many students will take these tests repetitively, and the prices can add up, especially if there is more than one sibling.
DeleteThe topics that mention applying for college and SAT scores are brought up much too often. This obviously means that there is a problem with how these ideas are handled. Getting ranked, turned down, tested, and tested again is not a good way to view college. It all seems like a torture mechanism, not a road to "the perfect future." Parts of this process are wrong, and applying for college shows that people are not good enough, they are judged by their ability to take tests, and colleges do not see much past the schoolwork that is being done.
ReplyDeleteNearly every person that has enough persistence to finish high school then apply to college is worthy of being accepted somewhere. High school is not easy, and the motivation to keep going after shows that there is potential in that student. It is true that not everyone can take the SATs and get a score that reflects their abilities. This is said all of the time, but what is anybody going to do to fix it? That seems like a great idea because everyone takes the same test, get scored on it, and uses that score to compare themselves to others. After many years of this method, one can tell that it does not work as planned. When accepting students, colleges cannot make the time to interview and meet every student because there are thousands of them. A more detailed application may help, and letters of recommendation seem to be a good idea as well. Any other suggestions would have to come from someone more experienced, or I might come up with more ideas after my own application process is completed. Although I do not see obvious ways to fix this problem, it is easy to see the fault in the college application process.
As Natalie Hackett Abulhawa stated in her essay about applying to colleges, people are more than just a number on an SAT test. At times, it is more important to have different skills than just "brains." Being a well-rounded person is extremely important. When a college looks at a person's SAT scores, how can they tell if that person can carry a conversation, act mature, or look presentable when they need to? These types of questions are important because one must look at a person's all-around character. Look at a doctor, for example. An upcoming college student looking for a college to accept them into their program is most likely very intelligent. They want to become a doctor, despite the many years of hard work. After they are accepted, graduate, and get a job, despite how well they scored on their testing, they will have patients to work with. The patients want to walk in to see a doctor who makes eye contact, shakes their hand in a friendly manner, and looks presentable. Not many people will appreciate a shy doctor with poor hygiene. These things are not shown through written tests. Another test must be done, and at this point, the only real way to know someone is to see them in everyday life.
It is impossible to know every college student when being accepted, but a different way of acceptance needs to be considered. Students have a lot of pressure on them already, and it is a horrific thing to get a below average or even an average SAT score back. This means unless it is paid a lot of money for and taken again, the chances of getting accepted into a desirable college are slim. Studies need to be done and all aspects of human life need to be considered before changing the system of applying to colleges. It does need to be changed however, we just need to find the right intelligent, friendly, kind, and presentable person to do this.
I think that the term "daunting" is a perfect way to explain the college application process. Almost every part of the procedure is intimidating and causes great anticipation. I completely agree with your statement that college, as well as the application process seems to be dreaded rather than eagerly awaited. But it should not be this way. College should be another exciting step in one's life - one that will give them a gentle nudge in the right direction. It should not be a financial trial or a test-taking nightmare. The article stated that a student should be considered for more than simply their test scores. I completely agree with this fact. Some students simply have poor test-taking skills, or cannot afford to take the SATs multiple times. I personally find myself struggling with test-taking, regardless of how well I know the information. I have a hard time relaying my knowledge on a piece of paper containing countless multiple choice and fill in the blank questions, simply because I tend to second guess myself. However, I would have no trouble writing an essay based on the information that I have learned. I think that if different methods of testing were installed, students would find themselves better adapted to their choice of testing. In addition, many students find it financially difficult to take the SATs multiple times. So, if there initial score is very poor, their chances at college are slim. I believe that this needs to be changed as well.
DeleteExactly, there are so many complaints about the SAT's not truely reflecting a persons abilities. I'm prettye positive that soon, they are redesigning the SAT's inorder to make them easier for students. How is that fair to people who do poorly on them now. An SAt score may keep someone out of going to their favorite college, which is sad to me. And now they are finally taking all of the problems into account and fixing the SAT. What about us? What if I cannot get into my favorite college and have to settle for another one,all becuase of my test score that would have most likely gone up if I was able to take the easier test. But of the test gets easier, they will only be taking really high test grades. So does it really make it easier? I don't think so.
DeleteQuite frankly, I agree with this article. This article shows that no matter what you do, when it comes to applying to college, the costs can be, well, costly. In order to apply to college, one must first take some form of a test, most commonly the SAT’s. Usually one does not just take the SAT’s once. Most people take the SAT’s two, three, or however many times they wish until they get a satisfactory score. Once one has an acceptable score, one must then also send the test scores along with a transcript to the college of their choice, and still this does not gaurentee that the applicant will be accepted into the college. One goes through this process of taking tests, sending money, and giving applications to colleges and in the long run, they still might not be able to go to that college. Even if one is accepted to that college, then, they still have to pay a ton of money to go to that college. If college in general is so expensive, then why are studenst having to pay so much money to take tests and apply to the colleges?
ReplyDeleteEven though the process of applying to college is very costly, Natalie also says that when applying to schools, the testing system puts a sort of “number” on someone. This is completely true. No matter what a person is really like, if they fail to pass a test, then they cannot get into a college that they want to go to. Some people, such as myself, can do really well in a classroom, but when the time comes to take a test, they completely fail the test. Some people are completely the opposite, they fail the class, but when the test comes, they pass it with flying colors. I personally find testing really unfair, and the fact that one has to pay so much money in order to take the test, then pay again to send the test scores to colleges is truely unjustified. I believe that students should be judged by their character that defines them, not some number that they receive on a test.
I understand that there must be protocalls to applying to college, but why do they have to be so expensive? Are there any other ways that we could perhapse change the costs of applying to colleges? What about taking the tests? Why do they have to be so expensive as well, especially if one takes the tests several different times? First, I shall make a proposition for test taking. If someone is going to take the test for the first time, then they should pay the full price of the test. After they took the test the first time, if students wanted to take the test any other times, then the student could still pay a fee, but perhaps it could be half of the price of the first time they took the test. Secondly, I will propose a solution to applying to colleges. Once the students have taken the time to do the tests, they need to actually apply to the colleges, which also costs a fee. Since most applications are now electronical, why should they be the same amount of money as before when they were meant to be mailed in? I propose that since applications are electronical now, the fee should be paid only if the student actually got accepted to the school. So that if they do not get accepted, then the student would not be wasting the money that they could be using to apply to other schools. I am sure that there could be plenty more solutions to this problem, but these are the solutions that I have proposed.
When applying to college, it is important to take the SAT and score well on it. It seems as if one test score can change an individual's future and make or break it. Some people decide what they want to study and choose a college from there. They hope to get accepted, and if they do not, they choose a different school with that same major. Others wait for their acceptance letters, look at the possible school choices, then pick their career from there. It is crazy to think about what some people who be if they would have went to a different school.
DeleteI know a few individuals who have had their dreams crushed when applying to college. My one friend believed her whole life that she would go to Penn State main campus all four years of her schooling. She did not have a major set, but surely she would find something to do at a school that big. In the end, she did not get accepted. Her dreams were ruined and she ended up at a small school pursuing a career in nursing.
Our futures can be created or destroyed by our scores on one test, which is not okay. Your ideas for changing the prices of the SAT were thoughtful, but it makes more sense to have the first test be free, since everyone needs to take it to apply to a college. After that, they can pay a fee for the second, third, or any other times after their first, unsatisfactory score arrives.
I completely agree with the statement that colleges often put numbers on their applicants when considering them for their school. I also agree that this is wrong. It seems that students everywhere are being defined by their grade point average, or perhaps their SAT scores. And what is the reason for this? Why do we find these numbers defining us? Learning is not something that comes naturally. One is not born "smart" or "dumb." Everyone is capable of using their brain to the full capacity, if they so choose. However, it is also true that one learns based on their interests. Some students are interested in typical school subjects such as science or math, but some are not. Some students find interest in other activities such as music or art, maybe even sports. These are not unimportant topics, and should be explored just as much as any academic subject. One is just as capable of making a career out of painting as someone who studies healthcare. Just because these topics are not taught in a typical school setting does not make them unimportant. I think that these aspects need to be considered as well when a student applies to college. Perhaps implementing these changes would help more students find their path without forcing the "daunting" process of college application upon them.
DeleteThere must a a better way to apply for a college. The cost and methods do not add up, and there needs to be a change. My uncle has a revolutionary idea for this change. After evaluating the system, he thought, "Why change the system? What if there was a way to bypass it altogether?"
DeleteMy uncle is an algorithm engineer. He graduated from Penn State with a degree in electrical engineering. He works with the government, designing sonar systems for the Navy. (I could be wrong about the true nature of his profession since he cannot actually discuss his job, but this is what I have inferred from what he has mentioned.) He travels extensively, has odd hobbies, and has controversial ideals. His beliefs come from his experiences all over the world, and they are valid and applicable.
In order to understand my uncle's belief, one must look at college and evaluate its purpose. Colleges are supposed to give students the skills they need to succeed in their chosen profession. A potential computer programmer would go to college to learn how to code, different programming languages, and applications of computer programs. A potential doctor would go to college to learn about the human body, diseases, and cures. When one looks at college in this way, one understand its true purpose. College is a method to acquire knowledge and skills in order to apply them to a profession. A college degree in a field of study tells a potential employer that the applicant knows these skills.
My uncle believes that skill base is the way an employer should evaluate someone. However, he believes that the employer should not limit the way an applicant can acquire these skills. Whether the applicant studied for four years at an Ivy League school or watched innumerable YouTube videos, they should be treated as equals as long as they have the same skills. He proposes a simple way to evaluate their skills. When an applicant wants a job, they must undergo a skills evaluation. A programmer may have to write a code to run a piece of software or debug a program. A doctor may have to diagnose a patient or describe a medical condition. As long as the applicant knows the appropriate information, they will be hired.
This alternative may sound ridiculous, but it has potential. Evaluating applicants based on skills is the entire premise of education. College is a way to acquire skills, and so many students see it as the only way to get a job. Sadly, college will remain the only way to get a job until people understand that there are alternatives. Self education is a viable alternative to college, if one approaches it in the appropriate way, because self education and college education have the same end goal: acquiring skills to enable success.
When I started high school, I decided I wasn't going to be one of those seniors who waited until last minute to make decisions about college. Because of this, I began visiting colleges and attending meetings as a freshman. This alone was a very costly. The expense of driving many miles to these various colleges, paying for food that we needed, and other expenses that were necessary was very costly. The sad thing is this was just the start of the college applications process. Every college requires SAT/ACT scores. One SAT test costs fifty dollars to take, and many times this money can be wasted. In my course of the SATs, it was a complete waste of my money. I took my SATs a few months ago, and when many people received there scores, I was unable to do so. Upon contacting the CollegeBoard site via email and phone call, they told me that they could not give me any information about why I couldn't get my scores. So basically that was a large waste of my money. I think that is the biggest problem with the college process, there are so many variables. What one college wants may not be what another college wants, and many times we don't know what these things are. There are so many different things that can happen, so students have to take very precaution to make sure that everything is covered. I have not gone through the entire process myself, but I have helped my boyfriend with it every step of the way. I have seen hoe frustrating it is for him and I can only imagine what it is like for everyone else. This is another reason why this process is so costly, because we have to make sure that every precaution is taken.
ReplyDeleteA student has to consider all their options when it comes to college applications. I completely agree with the main point of the article, because this process truly is daunting. How are we supposed to determine the rest of our lives now? We are going to have to spend four or more years of our lives in one place, so we have to make sure that it is exactly what we want. The first step in this process is to meet with a representative. This doesn't cost anything but we have to make preparation before doing anything else. In these visits, an interested person gets information and statistics from a representative. The next step an individual may take is taking the SATs. ECC opens up after school classes that can be used to prepare for the test, this however also has a cost. As I said before, each time you take the SAT it costs $50. Many people take the test upwards of three times. This step of the process cannot be avoided because every college requires it. Then there is the visits to college. It is illogical for someone to choose what college they are going to without even visiting it first. Many students make over 6 or 7 visits to college. They have to pay for gas, food, and expenses at the school. Many colleges also have overnight visits where students can stay in a dorm room and experience what college life is like. This also comes with a cost. I read a statistic once that in the college application process, an individual spends over $400. There are many factors that make the thought of college so horrifying. Not only is it emotionally stressful, but it is also extremely costly. The sad thing is that this cost cannot be avoided because everyone has to go through this. I wish it could be avoided but a student needs to be prepared to make one of the biggest choices in their life. Not only is this process horrifying for me, but I know that I am going to be costing my parents a lot of money in the process.
I like that you mentioned the emotional costs along with the financial costs. Most people cannot go through college without being in debt, and when comparing it to the thousands of dollars spent for credits, room and board, and a meal plan, the fifty dollar SAT cost does not seem too bad until you take it multiple times. Admitting the fact that a large debt will be in your hands however college is approached fixes some of the problem. The emotional costs really take a toll on the young adults, however, and cannot be forgotten as easily as the money aspects.
DeleteIt is hard to wish for something, dream about it everyday, then realizing that the dream is nothing but impossible anymore. When students are turned down from a college that they wanted to go to, it is extremely upsetting. Colleges cannot accept every applicant, but being declined adds to the stress that was already too plentiful. It is not the fault of the college or the student, but despite who's fault it is or is not, emotions are not fun. Sometimes, being declined does not make someone sad because they have dreamed about that school forever. Sometimes, it is just the fact that the letter is saying "you failed and need to start over" that makes it so "daunting." This aspect of applying for college cannot be changed, but it is terrible. Maybe changing financial stress will calm students down a bit if they do have to start over.
It is daunting! I have tried to pick my career before I went to visit colleges so I could only visit the ones that had my major and not make extra trips. Still, I have more colleges that I want to see which means that I will have to spend more money. Then I have to apply to them (read: money). SATs are just another way for a colleges to judge us. Last year, I did a research paper on standardized testing. Did you know that most people who score these are not people that have education degrees? Barely any of them are even teachers. So, why do they get to judge us? Its wrong! This is why the education system in America needs fixed.
DeleteAbbey, I agree that not only is this process financially costly, but it is also very costly with emotions. Many students feel pressure building up on their shoulders. Not only is it their last year of high school, they have to fill out forms and applications which build up emotional and financial costs. Also, the thought of even going to college is stressful. When I sit back and think, I realize that I have less than two years left for me to make decisions on what I want to do and where I want to go. This makes me very stressed and I am only a Junior.
DeleteApplying to college and taking the SAT's can cause such and extreme amount of anxiety. I find me asking myself constantly when I look at college admissions requirement "Why wasn't I good at a freaking sport?" or "Why was I not a child prodigy?" When we are growing up, we have this ideal plan that we will go through high school with straight A's, obviously not expecting to take AP Lang( I'm just kidding), going to our dream college, getting our dream job, falling in love, and having a family. We do not think that there can possibly be any obstacles in our way to prevent us from the ideal.
ReplyDeleteMy plan was that I was going to attended Boston University or Minnesota-Duluth, but then my mom got her job at Penn State and basically told me that I had no choice anymore. It took me nearly a year to accept that I was not going anywhere but Penn State, and then when I accepted my fate I realized that I would not easily get into that school. I pray so often and study so I can pass the SAT's, but what happens if I don't make it? It is ridiculous to be afraid of college, to be afraid of growing. Then, what happens when we do not get accepted to our dream school and we have to go to our second choice? It really feels degrading. It feels like you are not good enough to achieve anything in life if you are not accepted to the place you feel you deserve to be.
I feel that if schools had a board that were to interview each student that applies to their school they would find a big difference in who gets accepted. Schools need to see that not every kid that takes the SAT or ACT is going to be a good test taker and we should not be solely judged upon our ability to take a test. Some of us work so hard to build a high GPA, just for it to mean absolutely nothing when we take our SAT's. If they could see the potential we have to be great at their university it would be so helpful.
I do believe in everything happening for a reason though. My mom always tells me the story of when she was applying to college and he goal was to attend Notre Dame and how she did not get accepted, but she did get accepted to Holy Cross which is equivalent to a Penn State branch campus. Her dad, however, would not let her go because it was too expensive. She resentfully went to Mansfield University and she ended up loving it there and meeting her best friend would ended up coaching for the Chicago Bulls. She did not throw away her letter from Notre Dame until two years ago. She said that letter did not define who she became. I believe that no matter how hard we work, there is some kind of plan for us and that we will always find a way to find success in ourselves if we work hard enough. Also, there is the situation in which you do get accepted to your dream school. There is a sense of relief as well as pride to be found when we get that letter in the mail and I can only imagine how exciting that will be. Just the idea of leaving Elk county is enough to never ever coming back is enough to make me want to go to college tomorrow.
I agree with you. It is scary. It's terrible to say that some of us are scared to grow up. To see all the debt college has apron us. It is scary to decide what we want to be when we grow up at a very early age. It's hard to understand. It's even harder to think if you are making the rig Decison for the rest of your life. I actually and going on a job shadow tomorrow at the public Elementry school to shadow a 1st grade teacher. This is my back up plan for if something happens with the Navy. It's scary to me to have to decide now at such a young age. I love Notre Dame. It is beautiful and that was also my goal to go. Visiting it was a great expirence that I will never forget. I will most likely not even apply for Notre Dame but only time will tell.
DeleteI agree with you on many of your points. It is a scary thing to stop and think that in two years we will have to know what we want to do with our lives and where we want to go. The point I like the most is when you said that it is hard for a student who works hard for their grades but does not get accepted because of their SATs. The SATs seem to decipher whether or not you are able to get in to a college. Yes, I understand that they can play a role, but I feel as if they should not be placed so heavily. I like the idea you had about the interview. I feel as if all colleges should take part in that. I feel as if they can have the original applicational well as an interview. The applicator could chose students based upon the interview and the application.
DeleteHaha...yes Jenna, I would say applying to college is pretty terrifying. I haven't done it yet, but I watched for many months as my parents and sister were stressing out over what college she would go to. She wanted to go Notre Dame, like your mother, but did not get accepted. Well...she basically stayed in her room for a week. She never came out. The only way I could get her to come out was when I made her a nice pie. Pie is her favorite by the way. She also applied to Penn state. She was accepted there, and for almost a week, she was convinced that was the college she was going to. But then something really weird happened. Saint Vincent also accepted her, and it seemed like there was no way in the world she was going there. She decided just out of the blue she was going to Saint Vincent. She is now a sophmore there, and it seems like she really enjoys herself there. So I feel like there are no wrong choices when it comes to picking a school. Only stressful thing is whether or not you get accepted.
DeleteJunior year is the year where everything counts, and that places great pressure on most students. We are called to draw conclusions on what we want to do for the rest of our lives, take test which ultimately determine where we can go, and what schools best suit us. These experiences scare me in a sense. When I think about figuring out what I want to do for the rest of my life, applying to colleges, and taking SATs, they make me realize that in less than two years I will be, in a sense, on my own. I constantly think about what if I cannot get in to a school because of my SATs. I have not taken this test yet, but I am soon and the idea scares me. I personally am not the best at taking those kinds of test. I do not usually do awful but it does not reflect my grades in school. Even though I have not taken them yet, I feel a little traumatized. In Natalie Hackett Abulhawn's article she discusses a similar issue, but in the opposing way. She says that her grades show that she is barely an average student. When on the other hand, her SATs show she is in the top twelve percent. She states, "I'm a person, not a mathematical equation." This is very true. I feel as I colleges look at students as numbers, yes I believe that numbers do play a role, but where I question is on how much of a role should these numbers play. Again I agree with her because she explains that there should be other ways to determine if a student is qualified for the school. She says that how can the school boards determine on a number system that the student will mature or become a more adequate student. I have witnessed and heard stories upon stories of barely average students shinning in college, receiving good grades and opportunities for a well paying job. Then on the other hand, I have known average and above average students not fair as well. These two examples are defiantly not always the case, but it does show that a person can change, for better or for worse. I feel as if the college admissions do not realize students can change. I feel as if the boards only recognize the ones who are already above. I believe that some students realize when they get to college that this is the time that really counts. The idea of a student being a "mathematical equation" is effective but there are many flaws.
ReplyDeleteAnother point in this article is all of the finances involved in preparing, applying, and the tuition. I understand having to pay small fees here and there, but I do think fees should be fifty dollars or more. I understand that SATs should should have a fee, but what really caught me off guard was the fees for applications. I never realized students were to pay a fee for each school they apply for. I believe seventy dollars for an application is a little extreme, especially if you are not guaranteed admission. This all adds up in the long run. With all of these fees, I am lead to believe that this is just a slight modification from a money scam. These colleges are asking for money and do not guarantee admission for the students. I also agree with the tuition once applied and accepted, but I just do not believe it is right to charge seventy dollars for an application.
I see where you are coming from about the costs, Sydney, but I disagree. I agree with colleges putting a fee on applying, because it makes it a serious matter. If it was free to apply to a college, think of all the random applications colleges would get. If it is going to cost someone around seventy dollars to apply to Hardvard, it is more likely only serious students who have a chance would apply, but if they lifted the price, many students with far out grades would apply just to see what would happen. The prices give the colleges more of a seriousness. Not to mention, colleges do have to take time to review each and every application. As far as SAT's go, I am not fond of the prices, but I do see the point. It costs money for everything in the world to operate. It takes time and money for each test to be reviewed and it takes money to keep creating more booklets and answer sheets. Although it does not seem fair for it all to revolve around money, nothing in the world operates for free, so I understand the monetary stipulations.
DeleteI like everything you had to say. And I take everything you said seriously. But as Lauren pointed out, if there was no fee for applications, colleges would just recieve random applications from people who know they have no chance, but want to apply anyway. The SAT fees however, are a bit extreme. I believe that every student should have the opportunity to take the SAT and ACT. To restrict the ACT and SAT to people who can afford it seems to limit people in their academic pursuits. While college should be expensive, the tests should not. That's just how i think it should be.
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DeleteCollege is absolutely terrifying. It is so scary to think not only of the idea of getting accepted, but also the amount of money that we are forced to spend on it. Schooling is just a way to end up in debt even further than we all are already in. As we grow up, we see how much money school is and eventually we see it add up. When we graduate, we start a job, we get a car, eventually need a place to live, and we start a family. We eventually have no money to spend on anything and it is so terrifying. We also are not taught how to handle debt or anything for that point because no one can teach us. Growing up is awful and I essentially just do not want to do it
DeleteWell, I usually have the unpopular opinion, and I believe that will continue here with this blogging activity. But I think it is alright for colleges to demand so much money and not accept kids who don't meet the standards. Lots of people think that just because they are not smart, they should be accepted into society just like everyone else. This is ok. I try my best to treat everyone exactly the same (I fail many times, but that's a story for a different time). But if a person is not smart, they cannot become an astrophysicist. I'm sorry, but that's just not going to happen. So why is it that if not so smart people are limited in career opportunities, they cannot be limited in collegiate opportunities? Think about it. What would you say if Harvard started admitting kids who had the same GPAs as our class officers? That would probably be great news for all of us, because that means we can all suddenly get accepted into Harvard. But Harvard would suddenly mean less. Harvard is an elite school, and to just get accepted is a huge deal. Harvard is reserved for only the smartest people in the world. If it started letting the not so elite in, it would stop being a symbol of the smartest people in the world. So I do not understand why the author of this piece wants colleges to start accepting everyone, regardless of their IQ, GPA, class rank, SAT scores, etc. I guess I think these factors play a very big part into what university you can be accepted into. The time to get smarter is before college. College is where you get smarter, but this new knowledge you gain won't help you get into universities. But I guess I'll circle back to my Harvard example. Why would Harvard admit someone who has less than stellar grades? The answer is they won't. People feel very entitled in our nation today, and just expect to be given the best opportunity possible. But I'm sorry. If you do not have good grades, you will not be accepted into schools like Harvard, Notre Dame, Stanford, MIT, etc. Heck these schools are so smart, that ESPN reported that the final score of football game between Harvard and Yale was e-Planck Constant. (Half of you probably don't even know what Planck's constant is. But that's ok, you don't really have to. It's just a piece of really frivolous information.) However, if you do have good grades and get accepted into an elite school, it will cost a lot of money.
ReplyDeleteSomething people will always complain about is how much money something will cost. College is no different. Elite schools tuition bills are very high. But that's because they have to pay elite teachers to teach these elite students. They also have to pay to update their facilities to keep them at the highest standards. So...that'll cost a lot for the university. The universities have to get the money from somewhere, and that somewhere is tuition. That's why tuition is very expensive. Of course as you go down in school (I don't want to use this word, but I can't really think of another word to use. So don't hate on me calling a school you want to go to lesser In Quality. Please) quality, the school tuition will go down as well. There are schools out there for everyone. And all of them charge different amounts for tuition. So I encourage all of you to go to college and get a great education. It doesn't have to be some major university, because little schools are awesome too. But I know all of you who will actually read this blog are very smart, and should be able to get into almost whatever school you want. It's a shame there aren't more people like you in our grade.
Planck's constant is 6.63 x 10^-34 joules per second, and since it applies to chemistry, I am not really sure how that applies to the score of a football game, but anyway... You're right about how elite schools are elite for a reason. That is true, and if they did stop only letting the elite in, it would fail to mean something. But people need to realize their limitations. If they are are 4.0, then by all means, apply to Harvard. But if they are a 3.2, they should be looking into a less elite university. It is a waste of both time and money to apply to somewhere where you will probably not be accepted. But just because you're smarter does not mean you should look down upon the people that aren't. They probably are smart too, they just invest their time in other things. To be truly smart, you really have to let go of your ego and just let it roll. Truth of the matter is, the more ego you have about your intelligence, the less intelligent you will be. I learned that a long time ago. And in terms of the class officers, I think that they are good. They can be successful in their own way. It may not be your idea of success, but if they are happy in their own way its okay. Your definition of success is being an astrophysicist, and theirs may be an engineer. Are you going to go different colleges to achieve your goals? Absolutely! But that is not a bad a thing at all. And, as long as you both know that, I would say that the college they choose to attend is fine. Harvard may be good for you, but Penn State or St. Vincent may be better for them.
DeletePart of the reason elite schools cost so much is the opportunity associated with them. An engineering graduating from MIT may be considered for a job before an engineer graduating from another school such as Penn State. This is not to say that an engineer from Penn State will not get a job. On the contrary, they will easily find employment due to their education. However,
Deletea graduate from a more elite school may have an easier time finding employment. Many employers look at well known schools and base their entire acceptance decision on them. This bias can be unfair to other applicants if their education provided them with the same set of skills that the other applicant has. However, this is how the reputation of an elite school benefits a graduate.
Elite schools believe that they provide a higher quality education to their students. This belief contributes to the cost of the school. In order for them to justify their belief, they must provide some evidence that it is true. This evidence comes in the form of brilliant professors and stellar research facilities. Each of these can cost exorbitant amounts of money, and this contributes to the high cost of tuition. However, these facilities do contribute to the education of the students. A professor that truly knows what he is talking about will be more help to a student than one who is unfamiliar with the intricacies of their subject. A lab that can handle the experiments of a biomedical engineer will help them learn their craft. In this way, the cost of tuition can be seen as reasonable.
I do agree with you, Nick. Tuition amounts and low acceptance rates are what set elite schools apart from other schools. There is no way to sugar coat it. They only want the best of the best, and if you are not the best, then lower your standards. Being the best school comes at a price. A school cannot be the best if the professors, technology, and facilities are mediocre. To keep upgrading beyond other colleges takes an obscene amount of money, which is why Hardvard is going to cost tens of thousands of dollars. A good analogy would be paying to go to a concert. If an artist is well known, VIP tickets can be around one thousand dollars, but when the artist is still underground, their VIP tickets can be seventy-five dollars. The considerable difference can be contributed to the fact of their acclamations. A lot more people are going to comment how cool it was someone got to meet a popular artist like Iggy Azalea over an artist no one ever heard of. The same with colleges, employers will be impressed at the accomplishments made at elite schools. Of course small schools can help people excel too, but the point is students paying to go to these elite schools are paying for the name and the honor surrounding these schools.
DeleteWell...Olivia...I must say I was very...uhh...flustered when I read your comment. I understand why, but I must say, in no way was I flaunting my intelligence. I am not that smart to be honest. Think of the dumbest person you know. I hope your picturing them. Look at their face in your mind. Now forget about that person and substitute my face. I am not that smart at all. I am arrogant, ignorant, and do not have a care in the world for really important things. Tell you the truth, that doesn't sound so smart to me. I was just using Harvard as an example of an elite school. It was the first school too come to mind when I was writing this. If I ever get accepted into Harvard, penguins will have learned to fly and Jesus will have come to walk among us before I get accepted. That may be confusing, and I'm sorry about that. The point of that statement though was that I will never get accepted into Harvard. Ever. I would be ecstatic if I ever became as smart as the other students in our ap Lang class. All I do Is just a put on an act. I am not intelligent. So I am sorry if you took my blog the wrong way. I am glad you know what Planck constant is. That was just a stupid attempt at humor in my blog. And also our class officers don't jack squat. So I see why you said the things you did. I said a lot of mean and terrible things in my blog. I will work off this Expeirence and try to better myself in the future. Thank you for calling me out on that. I appreciate your honesty. Oh and thanks for your comment Ashley. I would say something about your blog, but this was specifically addressed to Olivia. Maybe next time, oh well. Anyway, I hope this explains some things and I hope you accept my sincere apologies.
DeleteYour acquaintance,
Nick Gismondi
Nick! I love your comment! And you don't have to apologize, I was just making a statement! I just believe that everyone has a place and has different capabilities and gifts. As as far as Planck's constant, that is one thing I learned last year from AP Chem at public. Its a brutal class, but at least they taught me something(;
DeleteFor most students, junior year is when they get judged by colleges to see if they are good enough to get into them. It’s when students start the grueling application process, and begin to try to discover their future. But like the author in the article talks about, many times the only quality colleges judge you on is your test scores. Coming from a public school, you are only judged on your test scores. You score high, you get high classes, and vice versa. So, when it comes to college time, they do the same action. If you score high, you get into a really good college like the author talking is about with great opportunities. But, if you score low, then you are not going to get into a great college. Last year, all public schools that to take the Algebra I keystones. They are a state exam that will become Pennsylvania’s system of graduation by 2017. This means that if you don’t pass them all, then you will not be able to graduate high school. Last year, I took the Algebra I Keystone and scored a 1496. A proficient score is a 1497. Because of this, they told me that I must not know my Algebra. However I finished my Algebra class with a 94 percent. Surely someone who did not know their Algebra would not have finished the class with a 94 percent. But of course, the state testing system refused to believe that, and made me take the test over, even though I did not need it to graduate! So I retook it and got a 1550, a proficient score. After that, they let me go. But it is the same as the author says. She is considered an average student grade-wise, but an above average student on testing. So why do they test us like this when the scores aren’t even fair? Can’t they just judge us on our high school career grades? Nope! Instead they look only at the numbers. Numbers really don’t tell them anything. For one, they may not even be right! But they don’t tell them what kind of person I am, what my goals are, or what I stand for. For the amount of money you pay, you would think that a college would want to accept students that would enhance their student body in positive ways, but apparently this is not so. Then, they start charging you all these fees to apply to them! The College Board charges around $50 per SAT or ACT test, and then charges you even more to send your scores to universities. Then, there is the dreaded FAFSA form that your parents have to fill out to see if you can qualify for finical aid. You may not even receive financial aid either, but its privilege to pay $200,000 to get your four-year degree! Some high school children are starting to look at college as a waste of time simply because of all the hoops you have to jump through to get into it. As for a proposed system on how to change college application processes, I say this: abolish the SAT/ ACT. If students were judged only on their high school grades, then maybe they would try harder during high school, and we would have more students actually making honor roll. And, these are the actual grades the student received and their actual work. Its not some guessing game on a test that could either be right or wrong. As for college application fees, I do not think they should abolish them entirely, but maybe make the prices lower. I think it would be awesome if President Obama passed a law that all college application fees could only be $10. It would save people a lot of money and allow them to apply to more places. With SAT/ACT being phased out, colleges instead could just have grade requirements that say something like: Need a minimum average of a 90 percent to be considered for acceptance into college X. I hope that the next president looks into education a little bit more, because it is a corrupt system in need of some fixing. Hopefully by the time I have kids this system will be different.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your statement that junior year is everything. Junior year has been by far the most stressful for me and I can't even imagine how hard things are going to become later on in the year. Apparently, colleges look at junior year grades over everything. Unfortunately, junior year is also the year that we have the least amount of time for. We have to worry about confirmation and the bear that is National Honor Society. These things are so important in our lives but they also take so much effort. The college process in itself is so time consuming and horrifying that it does not truly give us a chance to enjoy some of the best years of our lives. I often find myself getting very upset because I'm sitting at home doing homework while everyone else gets to enjoy their life. And for what? It's not like I won't get accepted into college. This sounds very conceited but it is true. If we are taking this class we obviously have done very well for ourselves until this point so obviously we can get in to at least one college in the area. However, we are all striving for excellence and to get in to a prestigious school with a good scholarship. Maybe we are making this harder on ourselves, but hopefully it will eventually pay off.
DeleteOlivia, I agree that junior year can pretty much be torturous. As we grew older we start to see all of the time we put into school fade away and we begin to stress over something that we essentially have no control over. I want to live with the idea that I am good enough to get into my dream college without putting all of my time and effort into getting in there, but I know that it is not the case. Hard work is just as important as anything else as we grow up and put ourselves into any kind of school.
DeleteApplying for college should not be difficult or costly. When one applies for college, they should be able to do so in an easy and free way. Colleges should be places that help students acquire new skills for real world success, not cost based institutions. Students give more than anyone could ask for college, and it still is not enough.
ReplyDeleteThe academic hoops hat students jump through for college are demoralizing. Colleges look for "well rounded" students, and base their qualifications on criteria other than academic success. A "well rounded" student is not the stereotypical nerd that never misses a question in their math class, or can recite millions of formulas. A "well rounded" student is intelligent, social, and altruistic. They have high grades, participate in many clubs, and give their time to volunteering. Schools tell students that if they do not participate in each of these categories, colleges will look down on them. Students give in to the pressure and take on more than they can handle. Between their hours of homework, sports practice, volunteerism, and club participation, it is a wonder students have time to sleep. Students do all this to help them boost their college applications in the hopes that it will help them succeed. However, their lives are full to bursting, and this causes stress and anxiety. One may wonder how this is supposed to help them succeed in their later life.
When a student applies for college, the scores and criteria are sent online. Charging for this service is absurd. No one charges for sending emails or other data through the Internet, and test scores should not be any different. Scores are supposed to help students bolster their applications, and provide colleges with a way to evaluate their academic success and potential. Putting a monetary value on scores downgrades any achievement the student incurred. When a student does well on a test, their first reaction is to show people who are important to them. Their family, friends, and possible college are some of the first people that would come to their minds. Having to pay for this privilege dissuades students from using it, and it could even dissuade them from taking the test at all.
Colleges need students, not the other way around. Many jobs are available for those who never attempted to gain a college education. These jobs may not be high paying, but they are still employment opportunities. In addition, there are many jobs available for those who never completed their college education. College drop outs can become successful. Perhaps the most notable example is Steve Jobs. Jobs dropped out of college and started his own company. He became rich, and provided the world with new technology. His hard work and determination allowed him to succeed in the face of many obstacles, and he did all this without a college education. While not everyone can drop out of college and create a multimillion dollar corporation, everyone has a chance to make the most of their opportunities. If a student drops out of college, no one can say what their life will become.
The difficulties and cost of applying to college are high. Students may even believe that they are too much to deal with. The criteria of a good college applicant can overwhelm students, and sending that information to a college costs more than it should. In the end, their hard work may not grant them the college they want to attend, and they may feel that all their work was useless. However, there are many opportunities available for those who forgo a college education. The cost and difficulty of the college application process may translate to uselessness on its behalf. Colleges can not expect students to conform to their standards when they could achieve success without undergoing such a tedious process.
Albert Einstein once said, "Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid." In order to be accepted into college, students are expected to take universal testing systems such as SAT's and ACT's, but these tests do not take into consideration the individuality and special talents some people possess. For example, while some people may be blessed with the trait of being serious, others are blessed with the trait of being creative. These tests fail to take into account the individuality of the person taking the test.
ReplyDeleteTo me personally, the scariest part of preparing to college is age. As juniors in high school, we are being incessantly hounded and pressured about choosing a career to make us happy and successful for the rest of our lives and choosing a college to attend. Although we are making this life decision, many times we are faced with comments about how we are too young to know anything or do anything. As minors, we can not legally make many decisions on our own, yet we are then expected to make a decision that will be the rest of our lives. It is all a little scary how much planning must be put into our future. Growing life expectancies spurred the evolution of planning for futures, for before long life expectancies there was not any time for planning, but it seems as if planning for futures has evolved into rocky path to failure.
Welcome to America, land of opportunity, but let's give the opportunity to foreigners before our own citizens. I am by no means against allowing colleges to be elite and accept bright students or colleges getting their funds by expensive tuitions, because that is what makes each college unique. I do however not understand why American colleges are becoming dominated by foreigners. I am by no means racist, but I feel as if America needs to be able to educate America before educating other countries.i understand America was created on the foundation of equal chances and I understand foreign students pay more to go to college and often times have better grades so I may be contradicting myself, but I also believe America needs to learn to help its own people. Many foreign students are taking their education and leaving. The American citizens who were denied admission for the foreign student were then denied the opportunity to use their education from that university to benefit America. I understand other countries need help, but I also understand America is nowhere near the ranking it used to be. It is evident America needs to step its game up. We were just surpassed by China for number one economy. This is exactly why America needs to help itself instead of putting itself in detriment by ignoring its own citizens in favor of foreigners. Instead of relying on foreigners to pay expensive tuitions, I think a better alternative would be to rely on alumni who will stay in the country to become successful and give back to the university from donations, because although it is optimistic, it is not at all uncommon. As for costs in general, I do not really have a comment. To me it is common sense. If someone is going to attend Syracuse University, they need to be willing to dish out $40,000, but that is because of the sports aspect surrounding Syracuse and the national recognition of it. It is okay for someone to not want to spend $60,000 a year on an education, but then they should not expect to go into Ivy League or huge sports schools, because those are extra privileges.
I realize how competitive it has become to gain acceptance into universities and how hard it has become to get a job. I'm not in denial about the fact I will probably not get accepted into FIT or Parsons. I am not in denial about the fact the chances of me becoming the CMO of Saks Fifth Avenue will not come quickly or easily, but I know I can do it, because I have the creativity and skill to, despite whatever my SAT scores or a college acceptance letter will tell me.
College is an experience I am very excited for. I cannot wait to go and meet new people and take new classes in a different atmosphere. The cost it is for college is something I am not excited for at all. There were many points in the reading that I agreed with fully. The idea that a person might not be able to go to college is a sad thing to think about. With my dad having Cancer, there is the one saying that his doctor in Pittsburgh always says.. "The cure for cancer is possibly lying in the brain of a person who could not afford college to become the doctor that is needed." This statement tells how it is hard for many to actually afford the college process. Tan other point that stranded out to me was on the statement "I'm a person, not a mathematical equation." This could not be more true to me. When I was at the public school we took PSSA's and 4-sights all the time. It was an endless cycle of these test. One thing that I couldn't under stand at the time was that they were practice test for the actual SAT basically. The SAT is honestly something that I am not that good at. In test where I am pushed for a time limit with a lot of work to do, I panic no matter how much time and how many problems I have. When colleges look at your SAT's its like looking at one test you had the whole year of high school and saying if you are smart enough to get it. That isn't fair at all to me. I don't get how they can just not accept someone because they think they will fail out. If a person is paying for the education they are receiving, and actually paying a lot of money for it, you would think they would try as hard as they can to get the most out of the class. College to me is going to be an expensive experience , a learning one, a fun one, and a stressful one. Wording about money after college will haunt me until I get all of my college debt paid off. A nothing thing that colleges tend to look at is how involved students were in school and in the community. This isn't a big problem for us because our school during service hours. Many colleges love to see that on applications. Applying for the colleges I want to be in my future will be a big and very exciting step for me. Looking at college is something that is very interesting to me.
ReplyDeleteI think a way to get around all of the college money would to be to serve for our country. Which is a nothing option that I have greatly looked into. I was called a couple months ago form the United States Navy, they told me I did very well on my ASVABS. I was honored that they called me to be honest. One of the options I am deeply considering is joining the Navy, to follow in my Grandpa Cashmer's footsteps. I have everything planned out for that experience and what I want to do. On January 3rd, I will be able to call the Navy and actually request information on what I want to do. They cannot talk to me about the Navy until I turn 17. Well I then 17 on January 2nd. So the days are being counted down until I can request more information. While those days tick by, I have to persuade my mother in letting me take that big step into me future.
Maddie, I agree with you because I am also very excited as well. But I also find the entire situation very scary. I am not necessarily a "people person" so I also find the thought of brand new people to be terrifying. My parents have always joked about me going somewhere local, but I knew they have always been joking. The thing is they know that I am destined for great things. They are also trying to get me to experience different events and give me as much opportunity as possible. These events are things like district chorus and jazz band. They have also encouraged me to preform. Not in the play or anything like that, but they have set up chances for me to entertain an audience with my guitar and my voice. This was the most incredible thing I have ever experienced. They are pushing me to be so much in life, and this is scary. I know I am going to fail, because I have before. This failure is heartbreaking because I watch so many people around me being successful everyday. Something inside me just clicks when it comes to music that doesn't in most other people. It has since I was a very young child, it's indescribable about what it even is. And even though this is true, I still fail. However, I also know that while some people are experiencing their success now, that all these failures of mine are building up to something extraordinary that is going to happen. So I am ready to start this next step of my life even though it is terrifying for me.
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