“Ivy Day”, the day when the nation’s eight Ivy League schools simultaneously release their regular decision admissions result, was on March 26.  According to Crimson Education, Columbia University received 65,000 applicants last year, only for 2470 applicants to actually be accepted.

We treat these acceptance letters as a testament for one’s intelligence by viewing a deferral, waitlist and rejection as a mark of failure. Reducing the past four years of late night studying, and long hours of after school activities, into a simple introduction, “We regret to inform you…” or “We are pleased to offer you..” By doing so we are already leading to a perception of failure. 

You would think by now people are past the idea of measuring someone’s intelligence by a single data point, on a generally vague metric scale, yet we live in a world where everyone wants the short hand answers to summarize someone’s worth. 

This black-and-white thinking cuts the complex characteristics of a human being to be identified in a simple one word description such as “exceptional” or “average.” This quest we have to search for which word suits us takes a severe toll on our mental health. 

However times are changing and we need to start changing our mindset. We need to get comfortable with the “gray area.” This area is where we experiment without the fear of a point deduction. Where we keep creating mistakes to ensure we truly understand the content.  It is where we work around to discover passions that don’t necessarily fit on a resume. 

None of this is to say that those who achieve these lofty goals are in the wrong either, because it is an incredible thing to obtain. It just becomes a problem when you only describe your worth through this limited lens. Self-worth shouldn’t count on the outcomes of things, to which factors you can’t control. It should come from a broader stance, from your growth and  your efforts.  

Real growth will never come from a linear and clean pathway; that’s too easy to be true. Real growth will always be from a rocky road.

The views in this column do not necessarily reflect the views of the HiLite staff. Reach Avani Gupta at [email protected].