Personal PSA
- Frances Lee
- Apr 24, 2016
- 3 min read
I am not going to Harvard because my parents want me to or for the name brand value. That is the most ridiculous idea I have ever heard. I'm sure it happens and I feel so bad for the students who are subject to that kind of force by their parents and that lack of support. But I for one am not going to Harvard because my dad has somehow coerced me into going across the country for my education. And no I did not get into Harvard because it was my parents' lifelong dream. If anything, my parents weren't even expecting me to get into Whitney, let alone an Ivy League college like Harvard.
No I did not spend all my time studying, holed up in my room. I mostly spent time in my room watching American and Korean dramas.
No I was not a valedictorian.
No I was not the smartest in my class.
No I did not get a 2400 on my SAT.
No I did not get a 800 on every single SAT subject test I touched.
No I did not cure cancer.
No I am not smart BECAUSE I am Asian.
No my parents did not lock me up in my house and make me study with the idea in their head that I would go to Harvard: every "Asian parent's dream."
Yes I am aware that I will not be the "smartest person in the room" at Harvard.
Yes I am aware that Harvard will likely be difficult.
Yes I am aware that the H-bomb exists and I cannot say the name of my OWN school without feeling guilty that I suddenly seem like I'm pretentious and snobby and overly intelligent.
Yes I am burdened by the fact that everyone has a strong opinion about my school although they have never been there or attended one of the classes or got to know the people for even a second.
Yes I understand that the next 4 years of my life will be challenging, but so were my years at Whitney.
I am not going to Harvard for the name or the ranking. I am going because I felt comfortable there. I suddenly felt like I had found a place that I wanted to call home instead of felt a need to call home. I saw that the people there were so supportive and no one cared who was #1 in the class. We are all the top of what we do. It didn't matter if we were going to beat each other because we all understand that we have our own places and our own places in this world. So what does it matter that we're no longer in the top 10% of our class when we are happy because we are surrounded by people who will inspire and challenge us? Isn't that what life is all about?
When I stepped onto campus, I didn't have to think about whether I wanted to be there or not. It was fun, it was quirky, it was weird, it was inspirational, it was intelligent, it was motivated. Everything there was what I had hoped to find in a school. No I really didn't expect it to be Harvard, but I am so blessed and so lucky that a school like that wants me to join its community of thinkers and doers. But please know that I am not going because it's "Harvard" (dun dun dun) or because my parents want me to go. I am attending and will commit because it is where I want to be and somewhere I can actually see myself going. It felt like home and it will be my home for the next four years.
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