The author argues that colleges are looking for students who can be honest about their failures. How might this approach to college admissions change the way high school students approach their education and extracurricular activities?

Answer 1

If colleges prioritize honesty about failures in their admissions processes, high school students may approach their education and extracurricular activities with a greater focus on growth and resilience rather than just achievement. Here are several potential changes in their mindset and behavior:

1. Emphasis on Learning from Mistakes: Students might become more inclined to take risks in their academic and extracurricular pursuits, knowing that what they learn from setbacks is valued. This could encourage experimentation and exploration rather than sticking only to safe or proven successes.

2. Development of a Growth Mindset: High schoolers might adopt a growth mindset, which emphasizes effort and learning over innate ability. They may be more open to seeking challenges, viewing failures as opportunities for personal and academic development.

3. Increased Transparency and Reflection: Students might become more reflective in their approach to their experiences. Reflective practices, such as journaling about their failures and what they learned from them, could become common, helping students articulate their journeys more effectively in applications.

4. Diverse Pursuits: With an increased acceptance of failure, students may choose to engage in a wider variety of activities, including those that they are less likely to excel in initially. This could lead to greater diversity in college applications, showcasing interests beyond high achievement.

5. Encouragement of Mental Health Awareness: As students become more open about their failures, there may be a corresponding increase in discussions about mental health, stress, and the pressures of academic success. Students may prioritize maintaining balance and well-being over solely striving for high grades or accolades.

6. Collaborative Learning Environment: Students might foster a more collaborative atmosphere in schools, where sharing struggles and learning from each other's experiences becomes supportive and normalized. This could lead to stronger peer networks and less competitive environments.

7. Honest Self-Assessment: Students may practice more honest self-assessment of their competencies and areas for improvement, leading to more authentic presentations of their capabilities in college essays and interviews.

Overall, if honesty about failures is valued in college admissions, it could lead to a shift in cultural attitudes among high school students, promoting resilience, vulnerability, and personal growth over the pressure to present a flawless image.