Editorial Cartoon: The “Ten Rings” to college

Editorial+Cartoon%3A+The+Ten+Rings+to+college

Senior year: the supposed last year of high school. Yet, it only signals the beginning of the college application process. The “perfect applicant” is required to jump through many “rings” in order to produce the “perfect application.” In the clockwise direction, the rings of the cartoon range from the easiest hoops to jump through to the hardest, with the colors changing from green to yellow to red. If one looks closely, however, only nine rings are shown. The tenth “hidden” ring represents the hidden struggle of a senior to balance their time between school, college applications, spending time with loved ones, and relaxing. The question is, Is there such an applicant that can successfully clear all of the rings without a scratch? While some may believe there exists such an applicant, the truth is that perfection can never be attained. Rather, instead of counting the number of rings one has successfully jumped through, applicants should focus on their passions and activities that showcase who they are. The perfect application may not exist, but striving for the betterment and cultivation of one’s work ethic, passions, and who they are as an individual should always be the goal.