Note: Story contains a misquote from English teacher Grace Ahn. The correct statement is ” I don’t mind it too much…it actually helps me assess their writing and its not like hears an essay they feel a little bit more comfortable and they’re writing about themselves.”
High school seniors face a lot of pressure when college application season rolls around with fall. The college talk present in some senior English teachers’ class quickly becomes overbearing and repetitive. While undeniably helpful for students who are thinking of college, it’s redundant to those who aren’t. Students seeking alternative education to the traditional four year like a trade or community college are often looked down upon in our current ambitious society. Pressures pushing students to pursue this college-bound path began before high school itself as early as elementary.
Some elementary schools in the West Covina Unified School District, one of these being Monte VIsta Elementary, are affiliated with No Excuses University (NEU). A program that influences TK-6th graders to start thinking about college. Each teacher gets to choose what college they want to represent, the classes are then arrayed in the college merchandise and the class has to learn and remember a chant that they will ritualistically shout every first Friday of the month at their NEU rallies.
Despite NEU’s good intentions, their efforts ultimately prove more overbearing than helpful as students grow up with the expectation of going to college. The encouragement turns into pressure when a lack of resources aiding students in chasing a higher education often leads to overwhelmed seniors who feel like failures when they do not know where to start with applications and essays. Instead, students feel pressure from school and parents to start applications even though they are not completely sure what path they want to take.
“It’s an outside pressure in life because you can’t really make money unless you have a college degree,” said senior Victoria Velasco.
Students like Velasco aren’t the only ones facing pressure from both inside the classroom and outside. Alexia Doan, number one ranked in the senior class, also feels this way.
“For me, an AP class should be strictly about preparing students with information for the AP exam or growing skills related for the AP exam,” said Doan.
Even though colleges have begun accepting applications, a majority of students don’t want to feel rushed when it comes to applying in a class and would much rather work on them individually out of a class. If students are hearing this in their home life it’s not appropriate to further ambush their students during an academic class.
“… it feels like they’re rushing me to start applying everywhere,” said Velasco.
Not only do these presentations disrupt curriculum in class, they are fast paced and packed with information to where most students cannot retain all the information they are getting. They overwhelm students who haven’t looked into college applications, and are unneeded from students who have.
The choice to have announcements and other presentations take place during English classes was one made by administration. English teachers are simply informed when and to plan in accordance with their given schedules.
“I don’t mind it too much..It is definitely beneficial to me because I get to assess their work on a personal level instead of reading an essay ” said English teacher Grace Ahn.
Students who are taking an Advanced Placement (AP) class aren’t taking the class to learn how to start applications and essays and would rather have the class be focused on the material relating to the AP exam. In other AP classes they utilize the entire year to prepare for the AP exam, but only in English is where teachers feel the need to intrude.
“ … an AP class should be strictly about preparing students with information for the exam or growing skills related to it… nothing with college prep is going to prepare us for the exam so with the AP exam in mind, I find college prep quite useless,” said Doan.
In order to combat this, there should be a separation of college preparation from actual academic classes. More students being accepted into AVID classes could help or even college advisors reaching out to individual students more often rather than coming to a class and trying to talk to every senior present. If every senior were to have a class dedicated to after high school plans there would be less stress and frustration among them.
