Forget about college acceptance rates. Here's what should really matter
Editor's note: Every month through August, our Teen Takes seniors will be writing about the final year of high school and their college plans. This is third of that series.
I used to be obsessed with college acceptance rates. As a senior in high school with college on the horizon, the percentages consumed me.
Immediately after my friends would tell me a school they got into, I would guiltily Google the acceptance rate behind closed doors. I would try to not judge people by the percent, but deep down, I knew I was. We all were.
I was told to my face that my top school “was a safety school for everyone.” It affected me so much that I debated even applying there anymore. But the truth that I’m just now realizing is that choosing a school involves much more than acceptance rates.
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These percentages published by colleges show little about a school.
A college may have a “high acceptance rate” but have individual programs or majors that are much harder to get into than the percentage shown. For example, nursing programs are tough to get into, especially this year. Many of my friends have been denied from colleges that they qualify for on paper, but don’t have the grades for the nursing programs. I remember talking to my friend as she expressed her frustrations with not getting into schools with a high acceptance rate, all because she was going into nursing.
A similar situation occurs with musical theater majors. As someone who grew up involved in theater, I was constantly surrounded by people in the process of applying for college as a musical theater major.
When my friend told me that musical theater majors “were equally as hard to get into as Ivy league schools” I almost laughed at her statement. How could it possibly be as hard as an Ivy league?
Looking back at it now, I realized I was judging her based on the school’s overall acceptance rate and not the major itself. Musical theater major programs are incredibly difficult to get into. Not only do you have to get into the college for its academics, but you also have to get in for your talent. There are more hoops to jump through.
Some colleges with a very competitive program require multiple sets of auditions just to be considered. Often people going into musical theater have the academics for the school they are applying to but don’t always have the look, sound, or acting skills the college is seeking.
If you ever meet someone who’s majoring in musical theater, give them some credit. It's hard work!
Emphasis on matching your skills and desires with a college that fits your personality, while still ensuring a challenging collegiate environment, is the best way to choose a college.
As the time for acceptance announcements draws near, try to stop judging students based on where the percentage lies. Instead, ask them what they are studying. You’ll learn much more about a person that way.
Acceptance rates are numbers just like anything else. Just like the numbers on the scale don’t represent how healthy you are, the percentage on Google doesn’t reveal how smart you are. Make an effort to look past the acceptance rates to get a better view of colleges to ensure a better match during the application process.
Vanessa Nolan is a senior at Pennsbury High School. She's a member of a synchronized swimming team and is involved in school and community theater productions.
This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: College acceptance rates mean less than you think
