<p>I applied to three schools.</p>
<p>Rutgers</p>
<p>NYU Film</p>
<p>Princeton</p>
<p>One safety, one match, one reach.</p>
<p>I spent much time researching schools and programs that interested me. In the end, I picked the schools that I felt strongly about attending in every category. I could’ve thrown some apps towards a dozen other schools I was considering, such as BU, BC, USC, Columbia, Penn, etc., but in the end, I knew that I would never attend these schools if accepted/or would grudgingly go. Applying to these schools would increase my chances of getting into a name brand school, not my chances of getting into a school I would really want to go to.</p>
<p>And that’s the big thing, I think.</p>
<p>Kids shovel threw a pile of apps so they can go to a big name school. I’ve seen countless friends, relatives, and peers applying just for the sake of applying, when in reality the schools were terrible matches for them. I could’ve applied to Columbia, and who knows, maybe I would’ve gotten in. But I truly do not want to go to school there.</p>
<p>Propsective students have to start being more honest with themselves and stop seeking big names for the sake of big names. The point of college is not to go to a school that will make people jealous of you. The point of college is to go to a school that you can thrive at on multiple levels.</p>
<p>My friends think I’m nuts when I say I only apllied to three schools. I think they’re the ones that are missing the point. When I hear of kids applying to double digit number of schools to boost their chances of getting in, I really have to wonder if they understand what higher education is all about.</p>