Samantha Reed



Student Name

Mrs. Woebel

AP English 11

19 March 2011

What is Really Important?

Losing sight of what is really important seems to be a popular trend in modern society. People seem to forget the intent of their actions and their choices. Christmas has become less about tradition and family and more about presents and food. Writing novels and making movies have become more business and less art. Choosing a college has become more about what the prestige and name of a school can offer and less about what the curriculum and programs of a school can offer.

More people are going to college today than ever before. Colleges are reporting a record number of applications. Highly selective schools, chiefly Ivy League schools, have been receiving a substantial portion of these applications. The admissions process in highly selective schools has become even more competitive. Many people who apply to these schools are only applying there to be a student of a prestigious school. Besides that fact, they have no idea why they are applying there. This regrettable fact has led many students to attend colleges that were not right for them. College-bound students should not choose their colleges based on the colleges’ prestige, but on their needs.

A student, when researching prospective schools, needs to consider other factors besides a school’s esteemed name. The name of a school offers nothing to a student during their college experience. In the realm of colleges and universities, the immensely sought after high-status is achieved in various manners: attaining a high score on the US News & World Report rankings, being an Ivy League college, or being a very selective school. Once students enter college, the high-status of a school will not help them graduate or enjoy their college life. The US News & World Report college and university ranking system uses a formula to rank colleges through a point system and is often regarded as a master list of the best colleges (“World Best Universities”). Richard Vedder of Forbes Magazine believes that this system “ought to get a D” because it leaves out many important aspects of the colleges. Many students center their college choices too much on this listing which provides only a partial perception of the school. Additionally, many students simply apply to Ivy League colleges because they are Ivy League colleges. The same is true with selective schools. These students do little research into the curriculum or the programs of the school. Many students, including Becca Jannol in The Gatekeepers: Inside the Admissions Process of a Premier College, try not to become more concerned with the name and prestige of school verses its programs and curriculum. Becca Jannol admits that she, like many others, “‘totally did’” get caught up in the prestige and name of a school (Steinberg 227). These students understand that the prestige does not offer them anything, but they cannot help but agonize over what others will think if they do not attend a school of high prestige. This is a trend that must be terminated because it does no good to the student.

Many prestigious schools often can do more harm on a student than good. The stress and work load of many of the schools are more than many students, even very intelligent ones, can handle. These schools are often immensely expensive and sometimes offer less financial aid than other schools would for the same student. Many people believe that going to an Ivy League or high-status college is “a primary determinant of success in life” (Steinburg 110). This, while it has some truth in it, is not absolutely true. While going to an Ivy League College may alleviate the trouble of obtaining a job because its recognizable name and the connection its establishes, it does not help people keep their job or perform better at their job. According to one executive, Ivy Leaguers often leave their jobs and have an inflated sense of their importance to the company (qtd. in Lorenz). The stress that these prestigious colleges put on students commonly out weighs many of the benefits of going to that school. Oftentimes the social environment is neither conductive for learning nor healthy for the mental situation. Frequently, this is caused by the stress the school causes or the general attitude of the people going to the esteemed schools.

From an early age, people are trained to believe that schools like Harvard, Yale, and Princeton are the best schools. A 2009 Audi car commercial shows how a school administrator trains a boy to believe he must have an Ivy League education, have certain high paying jobs, and have certain luxury cars. The commercial challenges people to “break the cycle” by buying a different car (“Audi A5”). Although the motivation for this commercial is obviously financial, it secretly sends a worthy message. Just as there are other luxury cars, in this case the Audi A5, there are other schools that provide a great education that are not Ivy League schools. Students need to begin to see for themselves that other colleges may be better for them. The most prestigious school a student is accepted to may not be the one that will be the best for the student. Like each college, each student is different. There is only one college that can be the best match for a particular student, and this college oftentimes is not the most celebrated school on a students list. Out of the approximately 12 different characteristics the College Board suggests students take into consideration when selecting colleges, only one can be associated to the prestige, mainly the selectivity, of a school. The other 11 or so have nothing to do with how esteemed a school is or how high the schools ranks in the Us News & World Report (“Tips for Finding”). Seeing how the College Board is perhaps the most influential and esteemed expert on colleges, this should be a strong indicator for college-bound students that the prestige of a school does not give them what they want or need in a school.

Prestigious schools often times do not have the programs, clubs or types of curriculum that the student is looking for. A student also needs to look at the environment of the school. More students need to be like Julianna Bantes who, unlike many other students, “seemed to pursue her classes and activities for the sheer joy of the experience” (Steinberg 205). If a student enjoys college then he or she is more likely to graduate and do well in his of her career. Many of the high-status schools do not allocate the proper resources to their undergraduate students. This is quite ironic when one considers the immense price of attending many of the most prominent schools. Many analysts believe that the education one can receive at a prestigious, mainly Ivy League, school is very similar to the education one can receive at other less celebrated schools (Koba). A student also needs to find the proper the college with a desirable atmosphere. If a student is unhappy with the environment at the college, whether it is at a revered school or not, then it will be hard for the student to achieve during these years. Some of traditionally larger and less selective public universities can have more programs available to their students than the usually smaller and more selective private universities. If a student likes the environment and curriculum of a school it should not matter how well-known the college is. What matters is the present and future success of the student.

With the number of applicants to colleges steadily rising, it is more important than ever to carefully decide which college is the best for a particular person. Choosing a college that is not the right one can be disastrous. For those who go to college, it is the time that people are able to figure out who they are and what they want to be. It should be the final transition from childhood dependence to mature independence. If this critical time is spent in the wrong place then a person’s life can be drastically altered. For these reasons it is crucial that people stop focusing on the prestige of a school and start focusing on what the school has to offer. If a person does not connect with the school, they will not be able to make the most out of their experience there. People need to figure out what is really important in their lives and how to achieve it. Then, and only then, will people be able to make the most of what could be the most vital part of their lives.

Works Cited

“Audi A5 Break the Cycle.” Advertisement. Winter 2008. Youtube. Web. 19 Mar. 2011.

Koba, Mark. “Are Ivy League Diplomas Still Worth the Price of Admission?” USA Today College. USA Today, 7 Mar. 2011. Web. 20 Mar. 2011.

Lorenz, Kate. “What Does an Ivy League Degree get You?” AOL 29 Jan. 2009: n. pag. Web. 19 Mar. 2011.

Steinberg, Jacques. The Gatekeepers: Inside the Admissions Process of a Premier College. New York: Penquin Group, 2002. Print.

“Tips for Finding Your College Match.” College Board. The College Board, 2011. Web. 19 Mar. 2011.

Vedder, Richard. “How to Choose a College: The Most popular Rankings Use the Wrong Measures.” Forbes 19 May 2008: n. pag. . Web. 19 Mar. 2011.

“World’s Best Universities: Top 400.” U.S. New & World Report. U.S. New & World Report, 21 Sept. 2010. Web. 19 Mar. 2011.

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