a final warning to high school students in the college admissions game

[Anonymous]

Has anyone seen this video from current Princeton student Quon? The comments from current students at Ivies and other top schools are unsettling and worth reading. As parents, we need to hear this and let it resonate as many of our students approach decision day.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for sharing, OP. It's a mental health crisis out there for sure and the cutthroat college admissions arms race is making it so much worse.

[Anonymous]

Yes, my daughter saw it a few weeks ago and mentions Quon often. I’m sure she probably won’t get in to Princeton but I’m not sure what she would do if she did now. It definitely resonated.

[Anonymous]

So good to remind ourselves of this as parents.

Also a nice salve for kids who are disappointed with crazy competitive admissions. Maybe that rejection letter is actually a bullet dodged.

I hope all the kids find a place that welcomes them and allows then to join and contribute to a healthy community.

[Anonymous]

I really feel for this young man who seems kind and thoughtful and a little heartbroken. I hope everything gets better for him.

[Anonymous]

Could some of this issue (or most of it) be caused by the test optional trend of the last 4 years?

I imagined if you were an average or slightly above average student with an inflated GPA who got into one of these intense schools via test optional, starting behind everyone else from the get go would be very stressful and demoralizing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Could some of this issue (or most of it) be caused by the test optional trend of the last 4 years?

I imagined if you were an average or slightly above average student with an inflated GPA who got into one of these intense schools via test optional, starting behind everyone else from the get go would be very stressful and demoralizing.

Probably it contributed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Could some of this issue (or most of it) be caused by the test optional trend of the last 4 years?

I imagined if you were an average or slightly above average student with an inflated GPA who got into one of these intense schools via test optional, starting behind everyone else from the get go would be very stressful and demoralizing.

Probably it contributed.

Yes, I’ve heard discussions of imposter syndrome in this context. But the problem of mental health on college campuses was been large and growing rapidly for many years before COVID.

[Anonymous]

I admire his courage, but this will affect his future career prospects. Also if he is so unhappy why doesn’t he transfer?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Could some of this issue (or most of it) be caused by the test optional trend of the last 4 years?

I imagined if you were an average or slightly above average student with an inflated GPA who got into one of these intense schools via test optional, starting behind everyone else from the get go would be very stressful and demoralizing.

Probably it contributed.

Sure, there are kids that got in TO that may feel this way but the culture at some of these schools is pervasive. Also, the majority of TO kids are not majoring in competitive majors like TO. He is talking about high-scoring/type-A kids in competitive majors.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Could some of this issue (or most of it) be caused by the test optional trend of the last 4 years?

I imagined if you were an average or slightly above average student with an inflated GPA who got into one of these intense schools via test optional, starting behind everyone else from the get go would be very stressful and demoralizing.

No, I don’t think so, but those opposed to test-optional policies are happy to try to use it as the cause for many long-standing problems in higher ed. Many of the comments to the video are from people who’ve already graduated so they would not have been test optional. These hyper-selective schools have been like this for a long time. I have a few friends who are professors or work in advising students at Hopkins and they all say that the students are miserable. This current generation is, however, more open to talking about mental health challenges- especially because many know they aren’t alone anymore. Or they’ve seen their friends go off the deep end.

[Anonymous]

One of many reasons to be thankful, not upset, when your kid gets a C freshman year of high school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Could some of this issue (or most of it) be caused by the test optional trend of the last 4 years?

I imagined if you were an average or slightly above average student with an inflated GPA who got into one of these intense schools via test optional, starting behind everyone else from the get go would be very stressful and demoralizing.

Jeff Selingo found the thread.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I admire his courage, but this will affect his future career prospects. Also if he is so unhappy why doesn’t he transfer?

Are you new here?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:One of many reasons to be thankful, not upset, when your kid gets a C freshman year of high school.

+1,000