College Admissions Squid Game - Reflections on the 2021-2022 Application Year
If you have Netflix, there is a good chance you’ve seen “Squid Game,” the platform’s most viewed show of all time. In this South Korean survival drama, hundreds of cash-strapped people compete in a series of children’s games in the hopes of winning billions of won. I have to admit that I was hooked from the start. Like much Korean television and cinema, the major themes focused on economic struggles and social class, but midway through the series, I was struck with the premise in a much different way. I couldn’t shake the idea that the whole series was a metaphor for the college admissions process.
Squid Game, seriously?
Too much of a stretch? Probably, but hear me out. Start with the participants, identified more often by number than by name, all competing with one another for the same prize. Then consider the games themselves. First was “Red light, Green light,” where the objective was to move without being watched, achieving a result where the caller never observed the work (or shortcuts) that took place along the way. In “Honeycomb,” players had to cut a shape out of a tin of honeycomb as they felt the pressure to literally fit a mold. “Tug of war” and “Marbles” featured direct competition at both the macro and micro level. In the former, some individuals benefited from the strength of the group while the latter presented competition between individuals who were usually quite familiar with each other. “Glass bridges” featured a series of choices that only presented a right or wrong answer with no time for discussion or reflection. And finally, there was the Squid game itself, set up as “offense” versus “defense.” I don’t want to oversimplify this game considering I still have no clue about the rules, but it sure felt like one side was trying to gain entry while the other side was trying to limit it.
For whatever reason, this admissions cycle has felt more Squid Gamey than any other. The competition has increased, as test optional and test blind policies have eliminated a major barrier for some. But with the playing field slightly leveling, that has only increased the unpredictability of admission decisions, not to mention the anxiety level that has always accompanied this subjective process.
Reflecting on outcomes
I used to tell my seniors that the admissions process is not a defining one, but we can control, to a degree, how we react to admission decisions. That has usually applied primarily to those who were disappointed with their outcomes. If this applies to you, I’ll be honest. I’m not that concerned about your college experience. Even if you will be attending your second, third, or last choice college, you can still have a robust college experience if you take ownership of it. Once you start making friends, developing networks, and creating new memories, the stress and disappointment of this process will be long behind you. Easy for me to say? Not really, keep reading.
What if you did get into your top choice school? Does life fully make sense to you now? I’m assuming not. If anything, perhaps you have even more to reflect on. Said another way, you can win the Squid Game, but at what cost? One book that has been influential in my personal and professional life is “Excellent Sheep: The Miseducation of the American Elite” by William Deresiewicz. The title probably speaks for itself and it’s one of the most quotable books I’ve ever read. One passage that has always resonated with me is this one:
“The system manufactures students who are smart and talented and driven, yes, but also anxious, timid, and lost, with little intellectual curiosity and a stunted sense of purpose: trapped in a bubble of privilege, heading meekly in the same direction, great at what they’re doing but with no idea why they’re doing it.”
It is this group I’m a little more worried about. If you won the Squid Game, maybe you can relate to some degree. When I was admitted to college way back in the day, it only served to temporarily stifle my feeling of never being good enough. If this sounds like you, it is my hope that college provides you with a better sense of direction and personal understanding. Unfortunately, colleges are often assessed by their inputs rather than outputs, but I have hope that all students can make the most of their experience, wherever they go. High school may have occasionally felt like a series of tasks and obligations, but that means you can now look forward to taking authentic personal ownership of your college experience.
An Era of Recalibration
Going back to the general admissions landscape, I believe we are in the middle of what I’ll call an “era of recalibration.” I’ve heard stories this year of students with strong enough academic records being admitted to very few four-year colleges (or even just one). The University of California system just read the largest number of applications in their 154-year history. Numerous colleges can also claim that they have admitted their most competitive and diverse class ever.
In my first year of college counseling, most of my students applied to 8-12 schools. That has now increased to 15-20 schools, if not more. The “hooks” have not disappeared as colleges have also strived to increase equity in the process. Future applicants, not to mention parents, will have to adjust their perceptions of college selectivity. I don’t think applying to more colleges is necessarily the answer. It’s more about balance than anything else.
Here’s a quick test: What do you think Barnard College’s admit rate was this year (17th in US News 2022 Liberal Arts Colleges rankings)? What about Northeastern University’s (49th in National Universities)? Here are the answers: Barnard / Northeastern. How close were you?
The Importance of Community
It is not my intention to scare anyone. The numbers are scary enough. But if anything, it is a reminder that there are thousands of colleges out there, most of which are relatively unknown. Future college applicants have access to all the information they need. Take advantage of it, look beyond admit rates, ignore the fact that I just referenced the US News rankings because they don’t matter, and be excited about college and the process that precedes it. There’s so much to look forward to. And if I can offer a little advice on how to think ahead while reflecting on an important issue, it is the community essay prompt that has become a popular supplemental essay topic. Here are a few examples:
“We seek a talented, engaged student body that embodies the wide range of human experience; we believe that the diversity of our students makes our community stronger. If you’d like to share a perspective you bring or experiences you’ve had to help us understand you better—perhaps related to a community you belong to, your sexual orientation or gender identity, or your family or cultural background—we encourage you to do so. Real people are reading your application, and we want to do our best to understand and appreciate the real people applying.”
“A hallmark of the Columbia experience is being able to learn and live in a community with a wide range of perspectives. How do you or would you learn from and contribute to diverse, collaborative communities?”
“Oxy’s central mission emphasizes the value of community amidst diversity. What do you value in a community and how do you see your perspectives and life experiences enhancing it?”
Think carefully about these questions. In the fall, I will write something about how to approach this prompt, but the fact that more colleges are asking some iteration of it is telling. The college admissions process does have a meritorious element involved, which we all know is far from perfect, but it is also ultimately the process of creating a diverse and well-rounded community. Admissions offices have an impossible job that will always leave a contingent of people disappointed. From the applicant side, if you are open-minded about your options and think about the communities you’d like to join, that could help inform your choices. You are not walking on glass bridges here.
It looks like there will be a season 2 of Squid Game, and I fully anticipate another stressful college admission cycle ahead. Just remember that these do not have to be one and the same. You really have nothing to lose.