Is the Work worth the Result?

TheAraus
Thu, 02 Oct 2014 03:37:21 +0000

So I recently found out that I was a Semi-Finalist for Missouri. I was excited, but unsure of what I was winning. On further research, I found out that the National Merit Scholarship was a “tremendous opportunity” I shouldn’t waste. However: I am not convinced. Hear me out.

Neither of my parents are employed at a corporation, so there is no corporate scholarship available for winning.

My first choice school is MIT, which offers no merit scholarships. (Second is Stanford… again no money)

In total, I would qualify for $2,500 at the most, which is a drop in the bucket at those schools. However, this is a prestigious scholarship (or so I’ve heard) which makes winning it have inherent value beyond the money.

Unfortunately, there are issues (because of course there are). The first and most important is time.

In addition to homework, three major clubs, starting my own club, building a part time phone repair business, and studying two standardized tests (ACT+Writing and SAT Subject: Physics) taking this scholarship would throw me into full study for a complete third test which I have never taken before. What free time I use to relax would vanish. Also, because of a very nice score on the ACT+Writing, the SAT, although certainly a wonderful test, is useless to me in any capacity except as qualifying for this single scholarship.

So my question is, as posted above, “Is the work worth the result”?

In my mind, it comes down to trading stress and free time for prestige, which I’m not sure I really need. Let me know if this sounds accurate, or if I should really reconsider. The counselors at my school are ambivalent about wether I should go for it or not, so I really do want another honest opinion (or two, or three, or even more than that!).