How high do you rank?

Do names like Harvard, Yale, Stanford or Duke ring a bell? They should. These colleges are the best in America. This is where you find the most successful, top-notch, cream of the crop people who are noted for their achievements and excellent academia. Prestigious and selective, these universities get students nationwide and worldwide competing for admission.

Lately, the question I am asked most is, “Where are you planning to go to college?” Just the thought of college gives me anxiety, but I usually answer, “The best school that will take me.” In all honesty, my list was ordered based on how U.S. News ranked the schools to which I applied. This is bad considering some of them did not have strong programs in my chosen major and I still placed them higher on my list because of their prestige, though they aren’t nearly as acclaimed as any Ivy League universities.

My heart goes out to my fellow seniors. The past months have been filled with crushed hopes and dreams as I hear one person after another receiving multiple college rejection letters left and right. Many tears had been spilt over hours of applications, essays, and taking chances to stand out. Many feel that their efforts have gone to waste, including myself.

With a change of heart, I have come to realize these applications were not a waste, but rather an investment for a chance to gain an education that paves the way for a better future; each and every one of them being another opportunity that someone, somewhere, would kill for. To be able to take the SAT, to fill out an application and to actually qualify for higher education is a privilege in itself. We should be grateful to be granted with the education that kids in other countries fight for from the day they can hold a pencil.

My point being: the name of a school should never matter, only that you take the best opportunities in your path and never let a rejection block your way. To bear the name of a prestigious school is like wearing a fancy brand name. Whether you attend Harvard Law School or Las Positas Community College, keep in mind that hard work and dedication beats talent any day.