The famous line from Gossip Girl, “Well I know you may find this hard to believe but not everyone wants to go to Yale because not everyone wants to be Blair Waldorf” has reminisced with all of us throughout our school years. Blair was an overachiever to some, but to others she was an inspiration. Not to stereotype, but students who go to public schools usually don’t aim for the Ivy League schools. They’ve had it placed in their heads since the dawn of time that only rich kids who go to private schools can go to the big leagues. This is definitely not true but society has made it out to be. Public schools don’t offer the kinds of classes that are needed, or at least, favored for a high schooler applying to have. You look at Bourbon for example, who has the basics and a few honors/AP classes, compared to a big school such as Lexington Catholic who has all sorts of classes to offer. Bourbon has one foreign language class while other big schools in Lexington have at least a few to offer. It’s hard to get into an Ivy League in the first place, but I feel it’s more of a struggle for a student who has been going to public school. It is possible for any kind of student to achieve an academic goal but it’s going to be difficult- some more harder than others.
Small town schools expect the minimum, so when word gets out that a student is applying to a big school it’s mind blowing. Local colleges are the most popular schools for our students to attend after graduation, which isn’t bad but it’s been like that for years. The education at these small schools doesn’t provide enough knowledge for students to succeed at big colleges that expect sharp, witted students. It’s nobody’s fault; students who are used to a laid back style of school can’t wake up one day and change their school routine. It takes hard work to focus on grades, come up with a study plan, and maintain all A’s. Ivy Leagues don’t always look for the smartest students however. They want someone real, someone who is involved in their community and quite frankly- has a life. Students should be involved with clubs, sports, or after school activities to be considered for an ivy.
The students claimed to be overachievers, like Blair Woldorf, are the ones that are going to succeed. These kinds of students are applying themselves and working towards goals they set long ago. Private schools tend to provide for students who are trying to achieve academic goals by signing them for more advanced classes, whereas smaller schools on a budget don’t have the opportunity to do that. Staff members at Bourbon are working together to create classes that will be engaging for both students and teachers. They hope to have them up and running next year.
