Grades and Extracurriculars Are
Keys To College Acceptance.
While most kids are out partying on the weekends, Lizzie Brewer is at home diligently finishing homework for Monday.“I’ll regret that I was never a kid,” says the Saguaro High School junior.
Many Arizona teens can relate to this feeling of giving up free time to do homework or study for exams. It’s not always fun, but the grades pay off when college application time rolls around.
In order to get accepted into most colleges, a student must be on top of their academic game as well as being involved in extracurriculars. This can lead to some serious stress, but for most students the workload is worth it to get into their dream school. “The high expectations of college affect me wholeheartedly,” says Saguaro High School junior Ashley Potter. “The whole reason I’m in honors classes is to get into college.”
Although most students feel overwhelmed by college preparation, Arjun Chopra, a junior at Saguaro High School, has a slightly different outlook. “Kids freak out about college and they shouldn’t be as stressed as they are. If I’m good enough to go, then I’ll go. If not, then I’ll try harder.”
Either way you look at it, college preparation is not something to be taken lightly, but that doesn’t mean it should take over your life. Colleges seemed to have realized this statement to be true over the past years, and in turn have adopted a “holistic” approach to looking at potential applicants. A holistic approach means that the applications department will take the time to thoroughly evaluate all aspects of a student’s body of work. Not only is your GPA considered, but also the comments made in letters of recommendations and the contributions you have made outside the classroom.
“I think this is a good idea because your grades don’t show who you really are. You shouldn’t get into college based on numbers and statistics,” says Mountain Ridge High School sophomore Allie Lake.
Not all colleges are using this approach, however, but hopefully one day they all will so every student can have a fair shot at higher education. Getting into college is certainly important, but having some free time to celebrate the dwindling days of your teenage years is a good thing too.
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