If College Admissions Were Like Tetris, Everything Would Fall in Line

Jamdat

Sush Krishnamoorthy, from New Delhi, is part of a “Choice” class that includes student-bloggers from Nairobi, Kenya; Topeka, Kan.; Seattle; Rogers, Ark.; Las Vegas; New York City; and Hunting Valley, Ohio. Her fourth post is below. - Tanya Abrams

When I close my eyes, a game of Tetris appears. The blocks fall flawlessly. Each one perfectly fits into the contour created by the previous blocks. The structure has no lapses.

When I'm actually playing the game, however, the situation is different. The descending block does not always find its place in the structure I construct. It's usually my fault: I misjudged the situation, failed the plan in advance, or expected something different.

My college application is v ery similar to this game of Tetris. In my imagination, everything is perfect. But I'm smarter than to expect the same in reality.

When I applied under single choice early action to Stanford University, I knew that my chances were low. I'm a relatively ordinary international student who needs nearly full financial aid. Still, I applied, encouraged by the financial aid I was offered for summer school at Stanford earlier this year.

Looking back, it may not have been the soundest decision I've made. One part of me is gathering every ounce of hope possible. The other part is preparing for the worst, lest a rejection should crush my spirit.

With that thought, I began working on my remaining college applications fervently. The other colleges on my list are all equally selective.

I recently completed all my applications and filled out financial aid forms. Now all that remains is to insu re that I've sent all the required materials and requested interviews, if possible. Having crossed the major hurdles, I spend much of my time brooding about the numerous possibilities.

On Tetris, when I encounter too many ill-fitting blocks, when I know I could have played better, I opt for the “restart” at the corner of the screen. In reality, I know that is not an option.

So, I simply hope to able to be to embrace the rejections coming my way. No matter what, the game must go on.

Ms. Krishnamoorthy, a student at Sardar Patel Vidyalaya in New Delhi, is one of eight high school seniors around the world blogging about their college searches for The Choice. To comment on what she has written here, please use the comment box below.