The Glee Example: Putting your eggs in one basket

I could write for days about Glee and how it’s portrayals of college admissions make my head spin. But I digress. Today we’re going to talk about one specific thing that Glee does…

Characters on Glee only apply to one college, and if they don’t get in their dreams are crushed.

We see this in season three, when Rachel and Kurt each only apply to NYADA, and Finn only applies to “the actors studio.”
When Kurt and Finn are rejected from their dream schools they are suddenly lost, as they had no backups.

So what can we learn from Glee?  

Don’t bank on one school.
If you don’t have realistic back ups, you’re going to find yourself in a lot of trouble if that dream doesn’t work out.
This is why having matches and safeties is so important, because oftentimes our dreams don’t work out, but we need to keep trekking forward.

While Glee presents a very extreme version of this, sometimes students will fall into this no backup trap without realizing it.

This could be hoping for an unrealistic first choice reach school, and not truly considering any of your safeties. You’re rejected from your first choice, and waitlisted by your safeties because you didn’t express interest or write good supplements. You’re left with almost no options and you’re crushed.

Maybe you need a low-tuition school or a full ride to work out, but you’re not applying to places where you know that you qualify for the full ride because they’re not academically up to your standards. When decisions come out you haven’t gotten enough merit or need aid at any schools, and you find yourself going to community college and working come fall.

 
Or, most commonly and worst of all, you apply early decision to a school and find yourself rejected on December 15^th. You haven’t started any of the applications to your other schools, and now have to fill out 9 applications in 10 days.

When you’re making your list you have to constantly think of the worst-case scenario. If you’re going to apply early decision, make sure to have everything filled out. If finances are going to be an issue, make sure you have real financial safeties that you will be able to afford no problem. Always express interest and have things you love for every school you apply to.

Always prepare for the worst and have well thought out backups. Hopefully, you won’t have to rely on them. But when you’re in the topsy-turvy world of college admissions, a safe plan will help you sleep at night.