Although only seniors have to deal with the madness now, it’s something that will affect every Brebeuf student at some point: college applications. As decision season picks up for seniors this year, it’s important to stop and think about all that each and every one of us has accomplished, no matter what schools we are admitted to and eventually attend. Regardless of the prestige of our schools, we all have a lot to be proud of.

We’re lucky to have tons of help and support from Brebeuf as we apply to schools (underclassmen, trust me, you’ll soon appreciate this). But the one thing that I will criticize about applying to college at Brebeuf is the excessive focus on selective schools. Administration and students alike often fall into the trap of thinking that the more selective of a school you get into, the better.

In reality though, that’s just not true. It’s impressive to be admitted to college regardless of the selectivity. Personally, of the four schools I have been admitted to so far, I was far most excited about the least selective of them, yet that’s the one many people assume I won’t attend because I have “better options.” Actually, it’s the one I’m most likely to attend.

I’m not trying to say that it isn’t a big deal to be accepted into a selective school: it most definitely is. What I am saying, though, is that it’s an honor to be accepted anywhere, whether that’s IU or Brown or Valpo or Stanford. The kids who get into the prestigious schools definitely deserve to celebrate to their hearts’ content. But so does everyone who gets into college at all. When you think about it, it’s kind of incredible that Brebeuf has a 100% college acceptance rate. We as a class have accomplished so much, whether we get into the Ivies or not.

The next time you hear a senior share the news that “I got into [insert college name]!” make sure to congratulate them no matter what school it is. In the wise words of senior Julia Otteson, who will likely attend DePauw University in the fall, “When a college accepts you, they are saying they want you on their campus. They want students to succeed at their school, and they chose you, and that’s a big deal no matter how selective the school is.”

So congrats on all that you’ve accomplished, seniors.