Imposter Syndrome in College Admissions

I used to believe my extracurriculars and awards were unique enough to get me into college. From designing an app to being an Eagle Scout, I thought I was “well rounded” with a spike in engineering. However, as I opened my decisions in High School, I got almost all rejections with a singular waitlist opportunity. This led me to Community College which has been great, but at the time I was very disappointed in myself.

I guess it’s something that every high school senior and prospective transfer has to understand, and it’s that there will always be someone “better” than you. In my case, I might be an Eagle Scout but another Scout probably has all the merit badges. Or in the case of the App I helped design, we made it to the State competition but my competitors made it all the way to international. Point being, there will always be someone better than you, and although it sucks it’s the truth.

The sooner you realize this truth the sooner you’ll do better. I accepted this fate in the summer after my Senior Year, and spent it having a good time but also bettering my resume. This website I created is somewhat just me writing down my thoughts, and the other part is talking about STEM. Although this website isn’t that good, it’s something that I like and have that is special to me. At the end of the day, I believe that’s all that matters in the college admission process.

Even though someone will be better, do your best within the opportunities that arise. I ran for and was elected to be the Student Trustee, the Student advocating for a Community College District. It wasn’t easy to make it to this point, but it’s possible to make it here. In other words, take risks and do your best to make your extracurriculars the best you can.