Was anyone else fed these lies?

Question

I used to be told by everyone, teachers, counselors, parents, etc. that if you make straight A's in high school, take honors/advanced placement classes, graduate in the top 10% that I'd be able to get in to any college of my choice and get tons of scholarships so that I wouldn't have to worry about paying for college.

I'm a senior now and I've realized how much of a joke all that was. Pfft...I could never get in to any college of my choice just because of that and I also couldn't just have things paid for through just scholarships alone. I feel pretty mad because everyone said if you work hard, it pays off.

I'm finding that that's not true at all and it just makes me mad that I was made to believe that all my hard work would make everything easier. I'm finding out though, that when it comes to colleges, the best ones are not affordable and I really can't get the money I need to go to them. I could have done half the work in high school and still be in the same position as now.

Well I wanted to go to Rice University. I've found out recently though that Rice is well known for turning down straight A students and want students who are actively involved in lots of extra activies which I just don't have time for.

My back up is Texas A&M, which is really easy to get in to but I think some of you are crazy for thinking I can get most of the money through scholarships. The cost to go to Texas A&M for just a year is still over ten grand and still rising I don't care how many scholarships I applied for and received, it wouldn't be enough.

I gave up on out of state schools last year after looking at the cost...the tuition rates are sky high for out of state students.

I am lucky I'm a female...I wish I were a black female though, I'd be able to apply for more things...which really is so not fair that things are still ethinically based rather than based strictly on financial situations.

Yes, yes...learning is great. Why should you do less than your best? You'd be half as smart, etc. I've heard them all. Although I don't think some of you grasp the concept of what some students go through to learn useless material. For instance, calculus, I'll never use that in the profession of my choice but I learned it and spent many nights studying and doing homework rather than having fun with friends. Same goes for AP chemistry. I should have just taken honors chem, also academic decathlon class seems like a waste too.

If I could go back in time, I would have told myself not to get stuck on taking these difficult classes because in the end, knowing all these useless facts doesn't help you. If I had taken regular classes, I still could have gotten in to a decent college and at least then I could have lived my life a little rather than spending every night in a book or writing an essay.

Oh...and just as a side note. I've taken my SATs and gotten the scores I needed to get in to a good college. Hm...and I was so sure I'd need to take them twice because the first time I took it I didn't study for it and still made well above the average score. It didn't really seem that hard, just the reading parts were too long and boring. And heh..that happened to be my weakest part.

Emil535:
You're an idiot. My back up school is a public, state university. Even with much lower grades I have now I could have still gotten in to it with a lot less effort. Also, it's not ivy league or even that special but it still cost a fortune. A fortune that grows by the thousands yearly.

So you're saying that it's ok that tuition rates everywhere, and I mean EVERYWHERE, even community colleges are rising and it's making it extremely difficult for even the good students to get in to college? That's not something to whine about. Getting accepted is one thing, paying for college is another thing that is impossible to do without going in to an endless amount of debt.

Those were the lies that I was fed. That everything was so easy and if you got good grades everything would end up fine. You seem like your one who feeds lies like that. The truth is, college is too pricey even for the best without going in to severe debt.

Answer 1

Ha! Me, too!

After 10 years, I'm still in college, trying to pay for it mostly on my own.

Straight A's and good attendance are WORTHLESS once high school is over.

Answer 2

No I wasn't fed these lies, but in my day and age........except for the rich parents, we were expected to graduate from high school, get married and have children.
Colleges do ask for your transcripts though, as they did when I finally went to college at the age of 44. I received the Adult Returning Scholarship for one year and my books for free.
While you may not get into a college of your choice, there are so many great colleges out there.
Have you been turned down by any of your choices of colleges yet?
I think you are missing the whole point of learning here. You worked hard and got good grades and that should make you feel very proud. Don't get me wrong......I am all for college, but don't loose your perspective here.
Never did I ever feel that knowledge was just for the ones who go on to college. It will benefit you your entire life.
As far as the colleges, don't give up.........keep trying. Sound positive not discouraged and that will make you interesting to anyone.
Knowledge is an ongoing experience for the rest of your life. Treasure it and use it for good.
If you had done half the work in half the time.............you would be half as smart! I know that in time , you will come to realize this. Go for any scholarship you can get! If Pell Grants are available.......use them too. You don't have to pay them back . I know the County Colleges have them and there is nothing wrong with a local college for 2 years and then go on from their to continue your education. Many local colleges are accredited to some decent and good colleges that will accept your credits.
Good luck and remember there is till plenty of time to still get into an accredited college. I have known so many teens from college who have changed colleges or who just weren't even confident enough to try their best. It's not what college you can afford.......but what colleges will afford you the best education. Many colleges are just about prestige. That shouldn't be the main focus. It should be learning and working towards that degree to get into the working field with a decent salary.
Keep your aspirations high and your grades too. You will NEVER regret it when you can say, "I did my best and yes your best is good enough". Hang in there. It will work out for the best. I have much faith in you and your abilities.

Answer 3

Colleges do offer scholarships to students with outstanding academic achievement - often you also have to demonstrate outstanding extra curricular achievement as well. I don't know though if they offer the scholarships outright, or whether you apply as a regular student and the scholarship comes later. In addition to scholarships, there are all sorts of bursaries and awards that are available but you have to actually apply for them. If you are indeed an oustanding student, you should be able to get a sizable scholarship to a good college. However, keep in mind that there is competition for the scholarships. I think you should look into it further before you get too discouraged.

Answer 4

Here is the real answer to your question, and you should read it very carefully and give it some serious thought.

First, the lie you got was that going to an Ivy League college is important. What is important is to get an excellent education, and you can get that in many places.

So your effort is misplaced. Its not about getting into a top school, it is about getting into a good school and then working hard at getting a good education while there.

Good schools are promotoed the way products are promoted. Harvard, Princeton, Stanford are brand names.... and yes in some fields graduation from those schools will mean a lot. For example, if you want to be a lawyer coming out of Harvard will be more impressive than coming out of Northwestern. But.... and this is IMPORTANT.... coming out of Harvard with average grades will be a LOT LESS IMPRESSIVE than coming out of Northwestern with top grades..... even if you want to be a lawyer.

In some fields it makes no differences what so ever where you went as an undergrad. If you are talented.... work hard, then you create your own opportunities.... and launch your career once in grad school.

I came from a lower middle class background, as did a lot of the bright kids in my neighborhood.... none of us could afford the top schools.... so we went to public universities.... at much lower costs.... but when it came to graduate school... our top grades ... our great under graduate acheivements gave us scholarships to do graduate work at the very top places.... since they just want the most talented.

So stop whining... start working.... get into a good school.... and work towards your goals... its about hard work.... and about creating your own opportunities.

e.

Answer 5

Dear Bitter,
keep the faith and keep applying to the University of your choice. There are plenty of Universities that would love to have an intelligent mind on their campus.

Maybe you could provide more detail and specifics to some of the bigger named schools you have applied to. Like how many? Which Schools? And see if some Y!A could provide some additional insight for you.

Congratulations on your hard work - don't quit now, you have a bright future ahead of you.

Please update this question with more information and/or ask a new one.

Best,
Gerry :)

Answer 6

Why would you want to do less than your best? Why wouldn't you want to learn all you can so that when you do go to college you will do well in your classes? You can get scholarships and grants. Why don't you believe you can? Yes, most of the financial aid is based on your parents income but doing well does help out!

Answer 7

Did it ever occur to you that you learned more than you would otherwise and that's a definite plus. There are a lot of good colleges that are not those Ivy League money pits where you will be accepted, and financial aid is available to all American students. And, there are a lot of scholarships out there, especially for minorities and women. Be thankful you are not a white guy.

Answer 8

when I was in high school, if you completed certain requirements, you got a scholarship from the state. The year my class graduated, they changed their mind, so I took a lot of classes I didn't even need or want. College is a racket, and if you think this is bad, wait until you start buying textbooks. Life is not fair.

Answer 9

Do not base the college you go to on how much it will cost. The great schools that grades like that will get you into are going to cost more. Plan on going into debt in college. My cousin just graduated over 100k in debt. After college you have your whole life to pay it off. Unless you know you are going into a career that will not pay much at all then i cant stress enough that you shouldnt base your college on its tuition.

Answer 10

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Answer 11

you just have to understand, there are at least 20 other students in your school, in your grade alone who are doing the same thing, and just as many in every other school across the country. and all are just as eager to get a full-ride, you just have to stand out to get a scholarship. If money is an object, try in-state schools, and think about just doing master's work at the school of your choice.