Breaking the Rules: How I Defied Educational Norms and Won
The bad college advice that fueled my scholarship book-writing.
As I was drafting my book and creating marketing materials, I used an exercise called the "Mr. Should Exercise." It's a technique that challenges conventional wisdom, countering the pervasive "shoulds" that often limit potential. I referred back to these lists of proven falsehoods to craft my book and it’s marketing materials.
1. "You must start early to succeed." "Mr. Should" insists that if you didn't start focusing on school in early high school, you don't stand a chance. This is simply not true. My academic journey only began during my freshman year of college.
2. "Community college is just a money-saving step." Wrong again. Community college can be a strategic move. It’s easier to fill power vacuums to get great extracurricular and leadership opportunities. You’re also an unusual unique candidate for top universities.
3. "A high GPA requires immense effort." Yes, effort is necessary, but it's also about strategy. Checking in often on your grades, avoiding professors that rarely give out As, and doing schoolwork daily, etc.
4. "School is just about signaling anyway." While there's a grain of truth here, you also get access to once-in-a-lifetime fellowships, summer programs, internships, etc. to test out career choices. School is more than just a signaling game.
5. "Only those in financial need get scholarships." Not anymore. More institutions now offer scholarships to families with incomes up to $100,000.
6. "An average SAT score is a dead end." Absolutely not. An average or OK score can be overcome, especially since getting a few semesters at a college pretty much erases high school records.
7. "Decide on your focus early." There's no need to rush specialization - I didn’t have a major until my junior year of college. And, I still got a job working in my major! Pursuing a wide range of internships and showing an upward trajectory can be more impactful than a narrow, specialized focus.
8. "Your choice of major can make or break you." Choose a major that genuinely interests you. Enjoyment often leads to success. Most people won’t work directly in their major anyway.
9. "You should only go to college if you have a career path in mind." A lot of people, like myself, weren't exposed to many professional fields growing up. I didn’t know what I wanted but I knew I wanted the type of careers that college facilitates. College can be a time of exploration and discovery.
10. "Balancing school, applications, and work is superhuman." Not true. With focus, time blocking, and commitment, it's entirely achievable. Especially since there’s typically a reward of $150,000+ in scholarships if you apply to full-need-met universities.
I'll keep using "Mr. Shoulds" to bust myths in my writing, offering fresh, no-nonsense perspectives. I narrowed down exactly what I wanted to debunk - and it led to much better text for my book’s back cover and description page!