On the 11^th day of Christmas, The CollegeBound Network gave to me…

11 SCHOOLS IN THE BIG TEN

Some things in college just don’t make sense. For instance, the Big Ten athletic conference has 11 schools, not 10, as one might logically assume. Also, Boston College is neither a college nor is it in Boston—it’s a university located in Chestnut Hill, just outside of the city. And don’t even get me started about Miami University in Ohio…

Another thing that doesn’t always make sense is college admissions. In theory, good students should be accepted to good schools, right? Well, theories have a way of disproving themselves. Year after year, students with stellar test scores and phenomenal grades get turned away from their top-choice schools. Are admissions counselors losing their minds? No, they simply have too many students and not enough space for them on campus.

To put it bluntly, college-bound students are definitely on the wrong side of the demand-and-supply. There will always be too many applicants for too few seats–but that doesn’t mean that you’re locked out of a college experience. It just means that you’ll have to find a different dream college.

I know what you’re thinking: find a different dream school? It might not make sense to you now, but it will when you get to college next year, it will. Some students transfer because they are disillusioned by their first-choice schools, while others, like myself, are pleasantly surprised by schools they hadn’t really thought of attending. When I was in high school, my dream school was Skidmore College. Although I got in, I simply couldn’t afford it and had to turn the offer down. Instead, I accepted a large scholarship to Wagner College, a small liberal arts college in my own hometown of Staten Island, NY, and have never regretted the decision.

So remember, what doesn’t make sense to you right now will hopefully pay off with a clear explanation in the end. Except for the Big Ten. Still not sure why they don’t just call it the Big 11.

–Barbara Bellesi