Kwazy Kollege Krap

yes, applying to ivy-league colleges is jumping through a hell of a lot of hoops. hell, so is being a national merit scholarship semi-finalist! it's a whole lot more paperwork for a little bit of prestige and a tiny bit of money that you might not even get. and you have to ask yourself, is it all worth it? if it's not for you, then don't do it. i know david has opted to take a non-ivy route, and i commend him for it. but i love yale; i love the school. what choice do i have but to jump through the hoops?

yes things may change -- slowly. more schools are going early action as opposed to early decision. that's something. but as for the 7 aps....i'm taking 5 this year. yes, it's a lot. but no, i wouldn't be happy if i weren't crazy and stressed out. i think that it's up to an individual student, along with a guidance councillor (THAT'S the place that most high schools are lacking -- i think that's the problem) to figure out what is best for them. for example: i am the editor in chief of my literary magazine. it is a hell of a lot of work and crap, but i love it, and that's why i do it. i'm not involved in EVERY club, and i think that's not the way to go. the way to go (and i think, at least, i hope, that ivy league admissions officers would agree here) is to get involved in the things you care about the most, but get deeply involved.

what else can i say? be who you can be, and colleges damn well better like you for it. don't worry so much; well, let me rephrase -- worry about the things that should be worried about. college maybe, a little, but more importantly friends, relationships, and who you are. worry about the stuff of life, and realize that it's the little things that make it great. college will pass, and you'll be happy, because you are all the kind of people who will make college what you want it to be, regardless of where you go. so don't fret so much, and live a little more!

i love you all.

-- alex