Getting into College

So college decision came out last week (at least most of them by email did), and as a junior about to enter the college admissions process (oh, if I could count the amount of times I've heard that phrase in the last week alone), it's scary as well as exciting to watch this week of joy as well as tears for the seniors. The scary part really, is discovering how arbitrary the college admissions process is. Plenty of seniors I know who are intelligent, talented, and well-rounded didn't make it in to their top colleges. It's sad to see people who deserve this so much not be able to reach their goals. It's also scary to think that if some people like that, who come off pretty near perfect on paper, are getting rejected or wait-listed on Ivy League colleges, then what hope is there for the rest of us? That's not to say this week was completely depressing, a number of very deserving seniors got into their first choice colleges, or many other excellent schools.
It's just interesting to see how this has affected everyone. One of my friends in particular has spent his entire four years of high school trying to achieve his goal of getting into a certain college. Now that he has been accepted, while he is very happy that his four years of hard work has finally paid off, he has to reevaluate his life, and reorganize the rest of his lives. It's just amazing to think that his entire high school life was consumed with that one goal, and now that it has been achieved, he feels kind of disoriented. While it is disappointing to see some amazing people not get into their first choice of colleges, I still believe that they will be successes, no matter what university they attend. Not to endorse the whole "you have to find the right college to match you" stuff the college counselors are spouting and that everyone thinks is bs, but I think smart, motivated people will do great wherever they go, because of their personalities. Sure, being at that Ivy League school might have given them an edge later on in life, but the fact is, if a person is dedicated and diligent, they will find a way to succeed in their life, no matter what.