Are students caught in the race to get ahead?

Julie nodded. “Taylor is an athlete who wants to apply early to Stanford,” she said. Julie’s friend Taylor also was active in school and a good student, especially in math and science. “I guess you can also say Derek.” Rumor was that Julie’s friend Derek, widely considered Whitman’s resident genius, scored his perfect 1600 on the SAT without studying until the night before the test. He had mentioned that Stanford might be his first choice.

Vera said she considered herself a “brutally honest” person, but Julie was nonetheless taken aback when the counselor told her not to bother applying early to Stanford because she was unlikely to get in. Applying early to that kind of a reach school, Vera said, was not a strategic move to make in the game of college applications.

Julie was crushed. She hadn’t been dreaming of the California campus for so many years only to be told that even sending in an application was a waste of time. Applying early to a school she wasn’t in love with didn’t make sense to her. “What ... what would it take for me to get into Stanford?” she stammered.

“You would have to have lived in Mongolia for two years or have been in a civil war,” Vera replied.

Julie looked at her mother and rolled her eyes. I’ve done everything within my power that I can do, Julie thought. It’s not my fault I live a normal life! Vera caught the glance. It was so difficult to get into college these days, she told Julie, that if she didn’t have her lineup of interesting extracurriculars, the best school she could consider was George Washington University. I don’t have a chance at my dream school when I’ve done everything right, Julie thought, feeling helpless. If Taylor and Derek got into Stanford and she didn’t apply because of a counselor’s strategy, she would be angry, because she was just as qualified.

After the meeting, Julie channeled her frustration into a journal entry:

The mix of schools on my list must have been bewildering to Vera because she asked how much prestige mattered to me. Evaluating the importance of prestige reminded me of shopping. Some people only like clothes once they find out they are designer — Seven jeans, Juicy Couture shirts, North Face fleeces — but I get much more satisfaction out of getting the same look (or, in my humble opinion, a better look) from no-name brands. The label matters to a lot of people, but not to me. Unfortunately, I don’t feel the same way about college. I wish I could have said that it doesn’t matter and that I know I can be successful anywhere, but I grew up in Potomac and go to Whitman, so obviously prestige is important to me. As an example, Vera asked me to choose between UC Santa Cruz and Cornell. I deliberated for quite a while, trying to will myself to say Santa Cruz. Santa Cruz is beautiful on the outside, but I hear Cornell is, too. Also, I always hear about the people who commit suicide at Cornell, while everyone is supposedly happy and totally chill at Santa Cruz. However, Cornell is in the Ivy League, which would make it attractive to many people. “They both have their pros and cons,” I said diplomatically.

Vera is also really into the whole early-decision craze. I can’t see myself applying to any school early except Stanford, because how do I know that school is perfect for me? I love all those New England schools except for one thing: the cold. I don’t even know that Stanford is perfect, but there is something about that location that screams perfection. But it’s all a game of odds. I could settle to apply early somewhere else and then be rejected. Or, I could “waste” my early decision on Stanford when I could have gotten into Williams early (especially since I have been in contact with the coach). It is a lot to think about.

After shaking Vera’s hand, I walked out of the office. I felt like I was leaving something behind, but then realized it was only my confidence that she had stolen from me.

Julie had no idea what her college counselor really thought of her. But I did.

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