Grandpa used to say that college was a great idea. It helps keep the unemployment rate lower. These days, we need no special help in keeping anyone out of the workforce. But that said, there's some truth here.
This may be part of the reason so many young people jump
through the strangest of hoops to get into the school of their choice, although
many will choose "Any school that'll have me."
They go through high school, sort of learning and sort of
studying what they think or their teachers think will be on the Regents exams
or other statewide tests. They'll join the math club or the debate club
or the football team and do community service. They'll take those awful
SATs. But there's one test they all seem to ignore and it's one that
might help them get into schools.
The Personality test.
At Antioch, most of the students -- graduate and undergrad
-- seemed to have similar personality quirks. It wasn't universal, and
Antioch is a small school with a certain reputation. It might be a good
guess that most of the students at Bob Jones University have the same
situation, only with different quirks.
Now living in a town that is home to a fairly large college,
it's harder to spot these similarities. There are 44-thousand students
attending. Maybe more. And yet, most of those encountered seem to
have, well, similar personality quirks. It differs by major; it differs
by age. But it doesn't seem to differ among genders, ethnic groups or
backgrounds. Many many of those kids are remarkably similar in
personality.
The king of this heap is NYU. There is a distinctive
NYU personality. Once you recognize it, it's obvious. You can spot
'em a mile away. Old, young, recent, ancient, New Yorker, non-New Yorker.
Doesn't matter. Never met anyone from there who didn't have it at
least to some degree.
So now comes the hard part. You have to figure out
what your particular quirks are and where they'd be most welcome. Not an
easy task. In fact, if you actually accomplish this two-parter, you're
obviously well qualified for a higher education anywhere of your choosing.
But if you can do it and land the interview, chances are the admissions
guy will at some level, possibly subconscious, believe you "fit" and
invite you to become a student. “She’s one of us.”
So start those college visits early. Don't go during a
semester break. Don't make appointments. Just GO. And see if
you can find whether the random students you see, hear or meet are "just
like me." If they are, you're likely to get a "yes" on
your application. If they aren't, move on.
Shrapnel:
--Parkinson's Law says work expands to fill the time
available. Retirees and those virused out of work want to know if leisure
activities expand to fill the time available. Seems doubtful.
I'm Wes Richards. My opinions are my own but you're
welcome to them. ®
Any Questions? wesrichards@gmail.com
©WR 2021
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