The college admission process has become increasingly competitive over the past few decades — especially so in recent years — and incredibly so when it comes to the country’s most elite colleges and universities.
At schools like Harvard, MIT, Stanford, or Yale — among others — fewer than 1 in 20 students who apply are accepted, and many of the students who do not get in were at or near the top of their class in high school. Many of them began focusing on getting into their elite school of choice beginning in middle school.
So, it’s easy to understand the pressures they face and the stress they feel as their high school years wind down and they await word on whether they’ve been admitted to the school or schools they’ve set their hearts and minds on.
On Tuesday, January 9 at 9:00pm WGCU will debut a TV documentary that explores the high stress world of college admissions, especially for students who have their sights set on the country’s most elite institutions.
“Dream School: A Journey to Higher Ed” was produced, directed, written, and hosted by WGCU’s Sandra Viktorova, who listeners will recognize as our All Things Considered Host. She's also a reporter and one of the presenters of WGCU's Daily TV News Minutes.
Sandra followed six high school students as they worked to earn a seat at their schools of choice — and talked to education experts — to shine some light on this high stress world, and the various factors that come into play when it comes to college admissions in today’s world.
“Dream School: A Journey to Higher Ed” is presented by WGCU Public Media and Distributed by the National Educational Telecommunications Association, or NETA.
Guests:
- Sandra Viktorova, producer, director, writer, and host of "Dream School: A Journey to Higher Ed".
- Juan Bustamante is a senior at Florida State University where he is studying International Affairs and Environment & Society. He is one of the students featured in Dream School.
- Mandee Adler, founder and educational consultant at International College Counselors. She is also featured in Dream School.
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