The truth may not be enough
In Rachael Toor’s essay “Confessions of a Recovering Admissions Officer” the main point is that the truth is better but sometimes the truth just isn’t enough. These kids have many different that things that take their time away, many things such as visiting grandma, everyday chores, homework, and spending time with friends and family. She finds out that if they told the truth about what they really did maybe it wouldn’t be enough. Or would it? In this essay she tells of many different ways kids write lies and use fraud to try and get into college, this is also a way she uses to persuade you into getting you to do your best and mostly tell the truth.
10 comments:
If students told the truth on applications to universities it would not be enough accoring to the current application process. This does not mean that it could not be enough. If students were able to tell the truth instead of lie about academic achievements that might not be achievements at all would mean that the quality of people that universties are educating would be worthwile. By allowing students to be honest about who they are and what they have succeeded and failed in the universities would be creating and nurturing a society in which its future citizens would be not only contribute to society with intellectual achievements but also morally contributing to a better society.
Colleges these days set their standards so high that most enrolling hopefulls are overwhelmed with the presure and believe they will never get in at any college, at least thats how I saw it. I'm not saying its right to lie on an application but I don't believe there is not one student here who did't "Fine Tune" their application
I agree with Cody...it's very overwhelming with enrolling into college and dealing with the high standards of the colleges, and society in general. The school system in the United States generally sets you up to fail...either you get in and go into debt (unless you have super rich parents, of course) or you don't and you can't get a job. Everyone adds little embellishments to their application, and if you can truthfully say you did not, then I congratulate you.
Toor's main point in this essay is to let hte readers know that students don't tell the truth on their applications. Colleges expect alot out of students, so they are basically forced to stretch the truth. Students don't want to be turned down because most of them are trying to leave home and never return. It's incorrect to cheat, but students are looking for a way to start their lives and careers.
It is the pressure that the Universities/Colleges put on the "activities"/"essay" portion of the application that can so easily lead a student to stretching the truth or blatantly lying. The Universities/Colleges seem to be searching for the student who can do the most things, be in the most allegedly prestigious clubs and activities, WHILE they visit their grandma, have a social life, and be a kid. While the non-academic activies (being a kid, visiting grandma, having a social life)are just as important in a prospective student, those are things that the average John Doe can achieve. It the supposedly above average activities that seem to grab a University/College's attention.
I think that no matter what the case may be, people will lie and cheat to get themselves to the top rung of the ladder they're climbing. If their intention is to fake their way to the top then thats what they'll do. No matter if its a college application, a resume', a poetry contest, they want to make it and thats all that matters to them. I believe that if your goal is to get to a great college then you should probably commit to accomplishing the extraordinary achievements. However, people who cheat will cheat in almost anything.
I agree with what is being said that colleges are picky and want the best of the best to come to their schools but who wouldn’t. Throughout my junior and senior years in high school I knew many students that joined every club and were involved in many activities to make their college applications more noticeable. I also agree that some students do pad their applications but not everyone.
It has been shown that when student do tell the truth on applications they have a low chance of getting into college. Many colleges set there standards so high that the students think they do not have a chance. So some feel the best way to get over on the system is to put a little white lie in also to polish things up.
yea colleges are setting their standards high and everyone wants to be at the top rung of the ladder their climbing but if you really think about what she is saying then you would find out that it is not the fact that they lie on applications, its the fact that if your caught lying you make some people feel bad, that fell for you lies, and usually get knocked down a few more steps on the ladder than if you had just told the truth. I mean yea everyone 'polishes' their applications but usually do not tell all lies, as the anecdote she wrote about in her essay.
Students wouldn't have to go and lie to the extreme on applications if universities were more open to the truth.
Post a Comment