u/SpinachMaterial6905

Haven’t seen a lot of this on Wattpad, so I’m looking for some readers and writers for mutual engagement at whatever level. Just completed posting THE CRYSTAL & THE FLAME, which is part one of a planned dystopian YA trilogy. At a minimum, I’ll match your reading and voting pace, and I’ll comment if I’ve got anything to say :). Link below…

Or are prospective students still actually doing their own genuine research to determine which schools offer the best academic, pre-professional, social and financial fit?

If you’ve seen the viral videos of 1-2 hr lines in NYC to get into overhyped frozen yogurt stores, you know what I’m getting at. Some people are standing in line without even bothering to find out what they’re waiting for. And don’t get me started on all the videos of high school seniors sporting their new school’s swag like four years of college is a fashion accessory.

More and more students seem to care almost exclusively about superficial and fickle metrics such as “prestige” — AKA a school’s perceived popularity and overall “hotness” — rather than which schools will best fit their personal and unique aspirations and needs. I get that some schools offer connections that will facilitate entry into elite “country club” careers such as high finance and top corporate law firms, but that raises another question. How many young people who are blindly chasing those destinations will wind up miserable in 5-10 years because they never honestly asked themselves what they want out of their career and life in general?

Please tell me I’m wrong, but I fear sites like this one are fueling the problem.

It that time of year where A2C is inundated with “Please help! Should I go to school A or school B?” questions. Waitlists manufacture some of this urgency, so here is some generic advice to take or toss:

1. Do your own research instead of putting too much weight on the often unsubstantiated opinions of strangers: If possible, always visit the top contenders or at least talk to current students.
2. First hand research will always be more valuable as only you know where your academic, career and social priorities lie.
3. Please ignore any generic, authoritative sounding advice, such as “no brainer, go to X. Y sucks!” or “School Z is more prestigious.” It’s like taking medical advice. Wouldn’t you want to know the qualifications of the person offering their “expert” opinion? Or the evidence that led them to their conclusions? Some people on this site like to bash specific schools. Hard to know their motivation, but be aware.
4. Instead, filter for comments that offer specific reasons and metrics for why — based on your prospective major or interests — one school sounds like a better option than the others. School subreddits are a decent place to

look for more specific information.

5. Don’t forget about academic flexibility. Just because you think you’re dead set on pre-med or IB or quant or whatever, that doesn’t mean you won’t change your mind. Some schools give you the option to explore and change course with relative ease. Others make changing difficult to impossible. This doesn’t seem to enter the discussion as often as it should.