Are You Good Enough?

(Unfortunately, when applying to college, we are often individuals seeking to occupy the same niche, leading to a feeling of never being good enough.)

In today’s day and age, equality amongst men and women is assumed to exist. Many believe we have come so far from male dominance that we do not need to make any adjustments or acknowledgements of the still present gender differences that exist.

Applying for college has turned into one of the most stressful processes that children have to go through. It seems that “being an amazing girl often doesn't feel like enough these days when you're competing with all the other amazing girls around the country who are applying to the same elite colleges that you have been encouraged to aspire to practically all your life” (Female Perfectionism). It is not only a being compared to students in your school, city or state but to students throughout the nation. Who has higher SAT scores? ACT scores? Better GPA? Who played sports and did better in those sports? Who completed more hours of community service? Who was involved and held a leadership position in the most organizations? These are all questions asked by admissions counselors when considering whom to admit to their college or university.

When applying to college, I felt extremely well qualified. I was in the top 10% of my class. I was in Gifted and Talented and Advanced Placement classes.
(This is the girls high school swim team my junior year.) I was a swimmer for 12 years, four of those years swimming for both my high school varsity swim team and my club swim team. I was a cofounder of the chapter of Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) at my high school as well as president. I was a Peer Assistant Leader for 2 years, and the list goes on. I was basically involved in a ton of activities and served in many leadership roles. What school wouldn’t want me? That may sound conceited but in all honesty, that is how I felt.

I have two very successful parents and “admission to a brand-name college is viewed by many parents, and their children, as holding the best promise of professional success and economic well-being in an increasingly competitive world” (Female Perfectionism). My parents were not entirely different from the rest of the parent population. They hoped that I would choose a topnotch school to fuel my education and thrust me into a successful future. I applied to UT, Michigan, Kalamazoo College, UCLA, UC Davis and Berkeley. (Harvard is one of the schools that I did not even bother applying to.) I knew full well that I would not have the money to go and probably would not get into an ivy league considering their ridiculously high standards.

I often wondered what my outward appearance says about me; I “wondered what they saw and what they thought when they looked at her like that” (Kingston 131). Do I appear to be an outgoing and actively involved student who cares a great deal about my studies? The colleges don’t see me. They see a sheet of paper that is supposed to define me—my activities, grades, hopes for the future, everything. My life and college choice are determined by a few sheets of paper.

(No matter where each one of us ends up, we should strive to do all that is illustrated in this picture.) I still wonder what Berkeley and UCLA decided they didn’t like about me when they rejected my admissions to the university. I probably would not have gone to either of those schools, however the rejection stung. Still, being accepted would have put a smile on my face and been a “mental reward” for my hard work. This “never good enough” competition will continue through college and into medical school admissions. I am already working on building my resume for med school and hope that I am competitive when it comes time to apply.