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Are Any Of You Seniors in High School?


Hejira
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The Fame Popster 305

I’m asking because college applications are due soon for a lot of colleges and it’s just crazy. :katy: I joined a server on discord about college admissions and everyone’s aiming for Ivy Leagues or “elite” schools just for the prestige. I just feel left out because I never felt the need to create a non-profit or build a robot during high school. Such a need to go to prestigious schools is just a foreign concept to me.

Edited by Hejira
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I'm almost 30 so probably not exactly what you were looking for but it makes me so sad to see that sh!t is still going on.  I was an honors/AP student and so were most of my friends and the amount of peer pressure and pressure from family, teachers and counselors to go to a "big name" school was so toxic.  I only stayed at one of those schools for a year but it absolutely destroyed me with student loans.  I ended up going to a much smaller, less known school after and had a much better education with more opportunities 🤷‍♂️ If I had stayed there for the prestige (and hadn't had my loans forgiven), I don't know how I would've been able to afford rent and necessities with the loan payments and I make good money in tech.

Long and short of it: just because a school has a better reputation doesn't mean it will have a better education and it really makes me mad the way the whole thing is framed.

Edited by NotDoctor
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The Fame Popster 305
1 hour ago, Twitter said:

Even though I am DONE with school. 100% understand what you are going through because I been there. Originally, I had a passion to do business and law. So I wanted to attend Princeton or Havard just to prove I went to a great school. When the reality is most those kids who attend Ivy League schools party too much, grades slip, get expelled, or is paying a LOT of money back in student loans.

Once I started applying. I took the cheap route and went to community college. Most of my former classmates from high school judged me, but were SHOOK when I scored at the top of my class, transferred to a well-known university, obtained my Bachelor’s and Master’s degree. And my student loans are very low in comparison to their $100K+ from attending Ivy Leagues. Goes to show it doesn’t matter where you start and what things look like to others, its where you finish and what you are truly passionate about.

That’s what I’m planning on doing as well. I’m close to finishing my AA degree and I have the opportunity to finish my bachelor’s in 2022. 

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@Hejira if it makes you feel any better, I don't think Ivy League schools are all they are made out to be. I used to wish I could've gone to a more prestigious uni, but after seeing what the culture is actually like at some of them, I wouldn't trade my public school experience for that environment.

Not to mention a discord server specifically for college apps is probably going to be concentrated with people who are more intense about it than the average high school senior. The majority of people out there are probably feeling just like you.

A good quality education doesn't have to come from a "big name" school and it sounds like you have a great plan in place.

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Agreed with all that was said so far. I also know of others who did hybrids of @Twitter's  and @GitHub's routes and are now successful lawyers and accountants! 

@HejiraOn the flip side, don't count yourself out if you do want to apply to a "top school." Yes they can be expensive but some actually offer really good fin aid packages where you can graduate with little to no student loans/debt. And grades, standardized test scores, and "resume" aren't as important as you might think they are. I didn't think I had a chance to get into a top school, but was encouraged to apply to one and managed to get in despite not having the best SAT score or starting non-profits, etc. Your essays and recommendations are good reflections of your potential. These schools like to see genuine people with passion and grit. imo your experience thus far can be in your favor! 

I know it is a nerve-wracking time, but as everyone here has shown, you can get to the same end point by taking different educational paths. It is a matter of what works best for you. Good luck! :gaga-thanks:

 

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16 hours ago, NotDoctor said:

I'm almost 30 so probably not exactly what you were looking for but it makes me so sad to see that sh!t is still going on.  I was an honors/AP student and so were most of my friends and the amount of peer pressure and pressure from family, teachers and counselors to go to a "big name" school was so toxic.  I only stayed at one of those schools for a year but it absolutely destroyed me with student loans.  I ended up going to a much smaller, less known school after and had a much better education with more opportunities 🤷‍♂️ If I had stayed there for the prestige (and hadn't had my loans forgiven), I don't know how I would've been able to afford rent and necessities with the loan payments and I make good money in tech.

Long and short of it: just because a school has a better reputation doesn't mean it will have a better education and it really makes me mad the way the whole thing is framed.

Even if I'm not American I agree with this. I used to be in school for students with special needs and one of those things that were different compared to normal schools were the small classes. Our classrooms never had more than 12 students and that was just great! 

Also, school is a basic, not always the answer. I know many people who are professionals in their degree but never got the studies for it. Experience at work is just as important!

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I'll echo what others are saying, attending a great school is nice, but experience/knowing people is also KEY. If you know what you want to do, find out something that you can start doing NOW to help you down the road. Knowing people will get you into jobs faster than what's on your resume half the time. 

My boyfriend didn't finish high school, got his GED and a TWO year degree at a community college and he now makes 6 figures. He's only been in his career 4ish years. 

I get this does not apply to everyone, but it is important. I wish people didn't stress themselves to the point of insanity just to get into a certain school. Try as hard as you can, yes, but your drive and motivation can be more powerful and look better than where you went to college. 

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