College Climate on Campus Examined

With college application due dates fast approaching, an air of tension blankets campus. Many seniors feel uncomfortable sharing their college choices; some think the silence alleviates the pressures of the process, while others believe it has created an unhealthy, competitive culture at Exeter.Thinking about college can consume students of all grades, according to senior Hiro Kuwana. “Everyone at Exeter has the word ‘college’ wired into the back of their mind,” he said. “Even when we say we don’t worry about it, most of us are afraid because we see it as a path to safety, to a secure future.”

“I like the way people don’t talk about college apps.”

Because Exeter is by definition a preparatory school, there is an expected rigor and competition to the nature of the process. As a result, English instructor Becky Moore said that the thoughts of college are inevitable and that Exonians must remember that they have entered into a system where rejection should be expected. Further, she praised the enthusiasm for hard work that the college process urges. Moore said that the process is “a driver for all of this brain power that we have, and it’s terrific to have it.” However, she stressed the importance of keeping the topic in perspective when placing value in the name of schools.Kuwana’s idea stems from the known prestige that accompanies attending the Academy, according to upper Grace Pratt, who feels that students operate under the belief that “everyone goes to an Ivy [League college].” As a result, many students feel pressured to attend or strive for certain colleges that, by popular opinion, properly correspond to an Exeter education.English instructor Christine Knapp echoed Pratt’s comments and said that the Academy has “a really talented pool of students who all have really high hopes.” Because the student body is comprised of ambitious individuals, many students are disappointed with results that, outside of the prep school realm, would be “really good news.”Senior Angela Song pointed out a dichotomy that this competitive mindset creates, because some students have also faced criticism for applying to the most selective schools.“People aren’t allowed to aspire to top schools because they seem cocky and arrogant,” Song said. “They are shamed into thinking they won’t get in.”The constant focus on college, which has seemingly invaded even the younger classes, coupled with the idealized need to attend more prestigiously-named institutions and the associated competitiveness and shaming it causes, has affected Exeter’s campus culture.While there exists a silent acknowledgment to refrain from inquiring about early decision choices, many students and faculty feel that conversations are positive and don’t appear, at least on the surface, to be competition-based.Moore characterized Exonians as “remarkably uncompetitive, outwardly. I think they keep their college plans quiet and do not seek to compete overtly,” Moore said.Senior Chris Lee said that, while it may be “hesitant,” students do frequently ask their peers where they are applying. He said there is an air of cordiality around the conversations. “In my experience, people are generally quite polite about it and respect the wishes of others if they choose not to reveal where they’re applying,” Lee said.However, the intent behind the questions is not necessarily genial; Song feels there might be underhanded motivations. “Most want to know only so they can figure out who they are competing against,” she said, criticizing the mindset of “beating” other students as a contradiction to Exeter’s value of collaboration.Senior Kendall Kuzminskas agreed that Exeter’s values are lost within the pressures of college. “Although Exeter encourages discussion and knowledge and goodness, we fail to apply these ideals to our college application process,” Kuzminskas said.Lee elaborated, explaining the negative tension between students applying to the same school. “We are all directly competing against each other, so it’s a little threatening when you hear that someone else is applying to your favorite school,” he said.Senior Michaela Kivett agreed that it is intimidating to learn where others are applying, because students place value in the names of schools. She said some might ask themselves, “‘They’re applying to Harvard, and I’m not? Am I inferior to them?’”Although students continue to ask where people are applying, the sensitivity of the college process causes many to feel uncomfortable sharing their choices.Kuzminskas said that she only started to feel comfortable sharing her choice with her friends after deciding her Early Decision choice, because she knew that the outcome was in the hands of the college. But she still feels a reluctance to be open.“I hesitate to share it with most people because I feel like there is a lot of pressure to go to a ‘name brand’ school,” Kuzminskas said.Pratt agreed that the pressures of the process cause a silence. “I have two friends who got recruited, but made me promise not to tell anyone because they are afraid the seniors will hate them,” Pratt said.Song said that the “hypersensitive” culture surrounding college adds to the stress. She would favor a more open environment, where conversations are not so “taboo.” Lee agreed that a secretive mindset adds tension. He said that although people will judge others based on where they apply, hidden information creates stress because students then “don’t know who [they’re] up against.”Some Exonians believe that having the correct information, when shared openly, would lessen the negative air of secrecy and mystery around the topic.Kuwana said that he dislikes the rumours that circle around the college process and would rather communicate decisions in person than have gossip spread. Even if people aren’t directly open, he said the community will find out the outcome of the decisions. “If we get rejected, everyone knows we got rejected,” Kuwana said.However, others still believe Exeter’s current culture of privacy is for the better.“I like the way people don’t talk about college apps,” Marlin said. “I don’t think we’ll be able to ever completely get rid of the competition here and this method keeps everyone’s stress levels down and makes the environment on campus less hostile.”