The Art of Selling Yourself

College preparation is difficult, partly due to the pressures of too much homework and keeping up with studies (rawpixel.com)

Being a high school student is no easy task, especially if you are a junior or senior. On top of piles of school work, extracurriculars, and a social life, we have one goal that looms over us and casts a shadow large enough to swallow us whole: college. 

We are selling ourselves for a product that we also have to buy. I am beginning to craft my life to suit the expectations of the college admissions officer who will probably spend less than 15 minutes reading my resume. I am taking every rigorous class I possibly can. I am volunteering with organizations, starting clubs, spending four hours of my weekend poured over ACT textbooks since it feels like my academic worth is defined by the two-digit number that gets stamped as my test score. I study so hard it is as if I am trying to ingrain the material into the folds of my brain like some ancient scripture. I go to every possible meeting for my top schools. I sit in the front and pretend to be completely invested in everything they are saying, even when most of it I have heard before. I ask at least two questions and introduce myself, even though my name will most likely drift like a cloud passing through a busy sky out of their memory the second they step off campus. While I am supposed to be showing them all of the aspects of myself that they want to see on their campus, I have never felt less like me in my whole life, and I sure that’s something other students can relate to. 

For example, if I wasn’t taking three AP classes to have a rigorous enough course load to impress the colleges on my list, I wouldn’t be a guest columnist. I would have leaped at the chance to do journalism and I would have poured so much energy into creating as many valuable pieces as possible, and helping others improve theirs. I would have taken a creative writing class or chorus. If I had time, I would finish the book I started writing. Instead of making plans for three different clubs over the weekend, I would hang out with people who bring me joy. I’d spend more time with my family. I’d go for hikes. I’d reach my horseback riding goals faster since I’d actually have time to fully commit to it. I’d just sit around on my porch outside, and I’d embrace being bored. These things, unfortunately, aren’t necessarily the activities that stand out for colleges. Yet, I am an avid believer that the absence of boredom is the death of creativity. According to BBC magazine, JK Rowling conceived the initial idea for her revolutionary series, Harry Potter, while sitting absentmindedly on a long train ride. If more kids had nothing but time, maybe they’d scroll on TikTok forever but maybe they would come up with stories, write songs, meet new people, go outside, and in general find new things that make them happy. 

All of this being said, I am so grateful to have this problem. For some kids, college isn’t even an option. I was going to write this whole article about how draining it is that we have to sell ourselves to get into our dream school, but then I realized that it doesn’t have to be this way. We can just do our best. Once we realize success isn’t defined by the level of prestige our college has or how low its acceptance rate is, life becomes a little easier. When we realize that we can just attempt to be the best version of ourselves, not some ridiculously perfect “golden child,” we will end up in the right place. At the end of the day, I will never be able to stop stressing and overworking because that’s who I am. But maybe if I start combining “college” me and the real me, I will end up at a school that sees me for who I am.