Stuff my mom says (about college)

My dear long-suffering mother has dealt with three daughters applying on the highly competitive liberal-arts circuit, and has walked out alive and with a solid family 100% acceptance rate. And now she’s onto child number 4 who could not be more different in his list.

Through her nearly 8 years of children applying to college, she’s gotten some crazy app skills.

So as a late mothers day edition of CollegeApp Chick-Here’s a list of the craziest things my mother has said about colleges, college apps, and college tours, and what you should learn from them.

1.    I want you to go to the best school that makes you happy

Though prestige and academic rigor are definitely factors, they’re not the only factors. You still have to actually attend the school. Your college experience will be a lot better if you’re picking a school you love or at least like a little bit.

2.    I’m not saying that you have to study for your SATs, but I am saying that Nassau Community College isn’t a terrible option.

While I can’t give you super context to this one, lets just say that the point of the statement was definitely that I had to study. That was always the sentiment in my house, college is not a right- it’s a privilege. You have to earn your scores and work for what you get. You have to earn your acceptances. There are places for people who don’t want to work. Good colleges aren’t those places.

3.     (In response to me not liking a school) Well you’re going to apply, so you just have to tour it again when you get in.

In a longstanding family argument, I h.a.t.e.d  a school everyone else in my family is obsessed with. My family wanted me to see the side of the school that wasn’t all Greek life and partying, so they wanted me to tour again and see if a different guide would give me a better impression. Remember that as good as they try to make a tour, not every guide will resonate with every potential applicant. Sometimes you just have a bad tour.

4.    I don’t know why you would take out loans for 50 thousand dollars a year if going in you know you won’t make any money.

Solid life advice in general. Think long and hard about those student loans you’re trying to take out. If you’re planning on going into a major or a career that really doesn’t have jobs or high salary really think about how you’re going to pay them back. College is an investment, but one that you will eventually need to pay off. Be realistic.

5.    They make you take all these APs to get in, but then once you’re there they pat you on the head and say “nice job” and take none of the credits.

Seniors take this one to heart. If your schools aren’t going to take your credits, don’t sweat the exams. They’re really not important. I took a nice long nap on the AP Gov multiple choice, and then wrote a short story and a bunch of jokes on the part 2s and it didn’t kill me.

So take it from a wise woman who’s seen it all. Evaluate fit, the future, don’t think it’s a right, and don’t stress on your APs.