to the seniors
I still stand by what I said a year ago before any “big” decisions came out. The college that you get into does not define you in any way, shape, or form. I still stand by the passive aggressive tweets I made that I’d rather have someone ask me for my name first rather than what college I go to because I am my own person, not the institution I attend.
Today is Ivy Day. A lot of you already knew that and some of you just didn’t care. It’s the day that breaks a lot of hearts and inflates others. I remember feeling really conflicted this time last year. I remember last year I would have given anything to get into ANY college to validate my self worth, but now I know that it shouldn’t mean as much as it does to us our senior year.
The college that you go to does not foreshadow how well you’re going to do in life. Your self worth and your life trajectory will be based upon so much more. Some people might have it "easier" in some ways because they go to an Ivy League, but so much tougher in others. Some people might be having the worst moment in their life as they realize that they won’t be attending the Ivy League school of their dreams but you’ll soon find in a year that it doesn’t really matter. Wherever you go, you’ll meet brilliant people with amazing ideas. Going to college is, yes, about the degree to a certain extent. But more than that it’s about being surrounded by peers that inspire you and make you laugh, and you’ll find them wherever you go because people are inspirational. Period. Not because of their accomplishments or because they are some type of prodigy or because of their parents’ status, but because there are so many genuinely beautiful people out there. Accomplishments and what school you attend do not necessarily provide you with quality people. They might, but it’s a journey in whatever college to find them and to make them your source of motivation and happiness.
If any of you need to talk, I’m always here. Forget labels and forget status. Remember that this is another stage in your life you should enjoy, and that it isn’t contingent on the ranking of your future college or lack thereof.
It’s college. Not your entire life. Life is made up of a series of events, not just one.
With that being said, that does not invalidate what any of you are feeling.
For those of you who have gotten into the college of your choice, congrats :) You deserve all the happiness in the world right now.
For those of you that have not gotten into all or any of the colleges of your choice, do not fret. Have confidence that you will be able to find your place where you land and that you will be able to grow meaningful roots there. It might not be where you saw yourself, but it might be where you need to be.