The Highlander
www.scotscoop.com
April 2014, Vol V Issue VII
College decisions unsettle students
What’s inside
College Crapshoot Dealing with college rejection By Gabby d’Souza Scotscenter Editor-In-Chief
By Claire Porter Staff Writer
As May 1 approaches, students must decide which school to spend the next four years of their lives at. This year many schools around the country had the most selective admission classes ever recorded, according to Business Insider Magazine. This means that the pool of applicants for the class of 2018 is one of the most outstanding classes universities around the country have ever seen. In order to choose which students will be a part of the university’s student body many colleges boast that applicants undergo a holistic review process. However many cynics believe that the admission process is simply a crapshoot that, at a certain point, is due solely to chance. “Every student is different and each person has so many parts to them that there’s really no way to look at them except on a case by case basis. The review is holistic. Admission officers wouldn’t ask for so many components to an application unless they were going to use all of them to evaluate the applicant. I think ~Continued on pg. 24~
“It is with regret that we inform you that we are not able to offer you admission to our university.” That is the dreaded sentence most seniors must read with disappointment and most egos must endure. As college becomes more enticing and a more popular route to pursue after high school, schools become directly impacted by the influx of applications, and acceptance rates drop by percentages each year. “A lot of kids that didn’t get in were at the top end where there is so much competition. This year is actually the first year that I’ve called colleges and asked them why qualified students were rejected,” said Theresa Torres, one of Carlmont’s guidance counselors. For example, California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly)’s applications have increased from 27,062 in 2004 to 52,000 this year, according to SanLuisObispo.com. During that same time period, their engineering applicants more than doubled. Kiana Ghazouli, a senior who many would agree is perfectly qualified for Cal Poly’s engineering program, didn’t make the cut due
to competition. For someone taking BC Calculus, a programming class at College of San Mateo, and who attended a computer science camp in New York, many were surprised about her rejection. Due to the impacted schools and majors, this year was upsetting for many. Senior Andrew Sohrabi said, “I was frustrated when I got wait listed at my (thought to be) perfect schools. For a few days, it seemed as if everything I worked for during my time in high school went to waste.” Different schools weigh criteria in the application differently. For example, California State Universities only look at grades, classes, and GPA -- essays and supplements are not even an option in the application. “It wasn't hard dealing with the news. I handled it well by telling myself that those who were accepted had worked harder than me so they deserve it,” said senior Parsa Attari. While it is very true that many schools focus on academics and the “well-rounded applicant,” it’s still common for schools to take into account legacy, hardships and other qualities that most applicants simply cannot compete with, regardless of their academic and extra~Continued on pg. 24 ~
Photo Illustration by Veronika Dvorakova
Rooting against your teammates Page 27
iPhone emoji culture sweeps the nation Page 14-15
Alternative posthigh school options Pages 8-9
Modern day’s permissive society Page 12-13
Alcohol snuck onto campus By Josh Fagel Staff Writer
In an isolated hallway during the middle of first period, a Carlmont student cautiously surveys his surroundings and quickly gulps down a liquid from his plastic water bottle. At first glance, the student appears to be strangely paranoid to drink water so surreptitiously, but after swallowing the liquid, one might notice the disgusted facial expressions of the student. I later learned that this student was drinking vodka. While this was the first time I personally witnessed the action of drinking alcohol on campus, others claim to notice it more frequently. According to a Carlmont Highlander poll, 34% of students have witnessed alcohol drinking at school at least once. “I’ve heard stories of people drinking alcohol
at school twice in the last couple of months,” said senior Jessie Real. Drinking at school, according to Administrative Vice Principal Jennifer Cho, is one of the most egregious actions and administration is mandated by law to suspend or expel the culprit, depending on the occasion. In terms of catching students under the influence or in possession of alcohol, administration has a process to catch students who drink at school. “There’s a very low threshold to gain reasonable suspicion. As soon as there is reasonable suspicion, we are legally allowed to search and breathalyze them,” said Administrative Vice Principal Grant Steunenberg. With drinking having dire consequences, the underlying cause, as senior Kalila Kirk said, is that alcohol provides an “escape.” “[Alcohol can be] an escape from the situation at home and a way to avoid trouble with
Water bottles have allegedly been used to smuggle alcohol friends or intimate partners. High school is a place where a lot of these problems culminate, and some people use drugs to cope,” said Kirk. Senior Jordan Thorn, who claims to have friends guilty of this misdemeanor, said, “Many of the students do it because they don’t find the value in education. They simply have nothing better to do.”
Photo by Ryan Freeman
The administrative Vice Principals focus more on the students that Kirk described as “needing an escape from reality.” “While sometimes students are just bored and apathetic, about half the time students will drink at school because they have serious psychological issues and it’s our job as administrative vice principals to check with teachers, ~Continued on pg. 25~