Matilda: I want to go to school.
– Mr. Wormwood: School? It’s out of the question. Who would be here to sign for the packages? We can’t leave valuable packages sitting out on the doorstep. Now go watch TV like a good kid.
Education by many is deemed a privilege, and one that does not come cheap. From work, to time, to money, the cost of getting a good education is increasing year by year.
Today, May 1, marks the first day of Advanced Placement (AP) exams, which are often considered stepping stones in the college application process. Meanwhile, as the road to seeking a higher education begins for some, it is ending for others. Today is also the final university commitment day for the class of 2023. They are on the brink of crossing the finish line for their high school journey, and approaching a new starting point.
However, today, we want to focus on the in-between: college progress. Although the commitment posts on Instagram or the ring of a bell might mark the result, the journey there might vary greatly depending on each person. And as students at Masters, we want to examine the privilege we have, and those that are built into the system which might benefit some who are reading this, while others struggle under the same conditions.
From one-on-one attention by our AP teachers, to the possibility of SAT prep, to the availability of college counselors there to help you navigate the journey, we are given many resources at Masters which others whose applications are competing with ours are not.
After the pandemic, this privilege we gain by attending this school may have become even more significant. In the hopes of decreasing inequalities posed by accessibility to standardized testing, universities have begun to move away from AP, SAT (Scholastic Assessment Test) and ACT (American College Testing) exams. However, we might also wonder, will this make the college process more reliant on GPA’s (Grade Point Average), or place more weight on extracurricular activities that many do not have the time or money to afford? Will the internships your parents can get you give you even more of an advantage than it did before?
That leads to the question: Are we aware enough of our privilege? The preponderance of educational resources we are given can be considered extremely advantageous compared to those outside our bubble wrapped social interactions. As we step into the weeks of exams, into the college process or onto the campus of a new school, let us maintain sensitivity towards our own privilege and view it in the perspective of those around us.
As students ourselves we understand the pressures of leaving a setting that has given us comfort throughout one of the biggest transitions of adolescence. Creating such an open community allows us to turn towards one another for support and guidance.
