Verity Lister

Verity Lister is a great student but has fears about getting accepted to a college since she isn’t a genius.

I’m about to finish the tenth grade and I’m already worried about college. Though I have a 4.0 grade average, I’m afraid it won’t be high enough. My sophomore class is known for having some of the smartest students at school, so the competition is fierce. I’ve been watching the elite group of scholars in my grade. They participate in the debate team, mock trial - the works. But that’s just not for me. I don’t think I am the Harvard or Princeton type: I am more of an artsy kind of student. I am passionate about my fashion design and my painting. I have a creative and imaginative side, so no one has ever said to me, “Wow, you’ll make a great doctor or lawyer”.

Sure, I’m happy for my classmates who are already getting scholarship offers to prestigious universities… but I’m also a little anxious. They have set the bar so high, and I’m getting acrophobia. In comparison to my classmates’ test scores, grade point averages and extracurricular activities, I’m afraid that college admission’s offices will just look over me.

Some students are pretty hardcore about doing well, and I wonder if the economy is making them feel more competitive about the limited numbers of college scholarships and even slots at schools facing budget cuts.

Though I’m not wanting to lower our standards, I just hope the bar is moved a little to the side when I apply to school — and that more schools recognize that not everyone is a genius at math or science.