College Admissions Today: "The Hunger Games"

It’s that time of year again! Many of the lower class butt heads to add a valuable item to their college resume. Flyers blanket the hallways, each carrying variations of the same slogan: “You should vote for me because I believe in fairness, respect, and empathy.” 

Indeed, the ideal member of the committee reflects the aforementioned qualities. Who doesn't? It’s not like any one person in this school would punish their fellow peer out of spite—not with such high stakes. As a result, we had an extraordinary 31 candidates in the running. So, how does one eventually arrive at the final four positions for the DC board when most of the thirty candidates carry more or less the same ideals? Of course, like clubs, those who are more exceptional than others are generally rewarded with these positions of power. Despite this, if most of the 31 members meet the requirements for four positions, why not choose four at random?

Yes, the DC committee is more than just influencing the futures of their fellow Exonians at their mercy, but from what I hear around campus, people are disregarding the value of these positions: “My résumé’s looking a little empty so I should probably run,” or “I have to get this spot if I want to get into X university.” It seems as if the high school student’s experience, indeed the whole educational system in America, has been reduced to checking off boxes on a list.

The DC race is just one of these many boxes, and, indeed, one of the “milder” ones. There are many others. Let’s start with standardized testing. The self-declared “not-for-profit” organization College Board pried 750 million dollars from American families in 2014 alone, according to their 990 tax exemption form. Although I could not find more recent information, one can imagine the number has grown since. College Board CEO David Coleman takes home a salary of over 1 million dollars each year thanks to the hundreds of SAT and AP books, prep courses and registration fees that families pay for. Academic grades and teachers’ recommendation letters are often inflated and biased, giving rise to the need for an objective standard of evaluation. This is the perfect business opportunity for firms like College Board to pounce on. Because the SAT is, according to the people selling the test, the most “accurate” metric of intelligence, families are more than happy to pay ridiculous amounts to see their children go to an elite college.

Thanks to the structure of college applications, extracurriculars are now necessities for admission into competitive schools. And not just any extracurriculars—“official” clubs like Model UN, Mock Trial, Debate, Student Council, DC and The Exonian are praised by admissions teams for their competitive, hierarchical nature. Or at least, that’s what it seems. On the other hand, support groups and small interest clubs don’t seem to have half as much clout, for lack of a better word. This limits those seeking success to a short list of  “ideal” clubs and discourages many from pursuing their true passions. Don’t get me wrong—many people on this campus are courageous enough to break out of this restrictive college box. It is no use denying, however, that there is a stigma driving many American students to pour their efforts into a handful of clubs.

The college checklist also contains hours of pointless, lifeless volunteer work. Though ESSO has undoubtedly provided opportunities for students to make an impact on the community, the admissions process has diminished good work to mandatory work. Because of this, I see more and more of my peers partaking in ESSO clubs in order to reach a higher position in its bureaucracy; “I have no interest in some of the volunteer work that I do, but I push through anyways with the sole objective of crossing an item off of my college list” is the common narrative. 

College admissions has become a multimillion-dollar industry because college degrees are virtually mandatory to acquire a high-paying job. But now, degrees are more accessible than ever; as a result, those looking to be wealthy must differentiate themselves from others. We are spending thousands of dollars and hours in the hope of obtaining the ticket to “success” in life: a degree from an elite institution. 

Because spots at top colleges are limited, there are many people who are equally, if not more qualified for a position at these colleges. This is an extension of the discipline committee elections, the mock trial board turnovers, and all other competitions that lead up to it. I remember quivering when one teacher told me that after watching “The Hunger Games” for the first time, she was reminded of the college admissions process. There are no guarantees, which is why we never cease trying to improve our chances. Though we know that all of our hard work, time and money may be for naught, we have no choice but to keep feeding this cruel, money-making system.