Indian students may apply in throngs to foreign universities annually, but U.S. universities seem to account for the largest share in this vast applicant pool. Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Stanford, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Columbia (fondly shortened to HYPSMC) can easily be found on every Indian student’s college list. And why not? These varsities have certainly established themselves as pioneers in undergraduate education. Whether inclined to the field of engineering or arts, everybody wants a spot at an elite institution. Princeton, in fact, is a name very recognizable to every Indian applicant. Each year, Princeton is bombarded with a massive pile of applications from India and accepts but a handful of them. The low admission rate of Indians to Princeton (listed as around 3 percent on College Confidential, a forum for prospective students) makes Princeton’s overall admission rate of 8.8 percent look like a cakewalk.
But this low admission rate only fuels a self-perpetuating cycle. Everybody wants to be a part of the exclusive Indians-at-Princeton club, and of course, everybody wants the quality education that the varsity promises. I don’t intend this remark to come across as snide or sardonic, but clearly the fact that admission to these prestigious universities is nothing short of a herculean challenge seems to attract students almost instantly.
To Indians, the most impressive and striking aspect of the admissions process as followed by U.S. colleges is the absence of a “minimum” or “cut-off” requirement for admission. There is no “standard” SAT score or grade that can assure you a ticket to Princeton. There is no particular position or extracurricular activity that can guarantee you a sunny future at Harvard. This very aspect is what attracts a lot of students to the United States. Struggling to keep up with the rigid cut-off system followed by colleges in India, students develop an instant liking for this refreshingly open system. Moreover, the evident lack of space at top Indian universities to accommodate the mammoth student population in India fuels most students to apply abroad. Take the case of the Indian Institute of Technology, the chimerical dream of every engineering aspirant in India: This revered university network enrolls about 15,000 odd students from a colossal batch of almost 500,000 that applies. Do the math, and you’ll figure a measly 3 percent admittance rate, about the same as an Indian’s chances of getting into Princeton. In fact, the entrance exam is so grueling that true aspirants begin preparatory courses from 10th grade. By contrast, the admissions process followed by U.S. colleges is extremely unpredictable and elusive. And believe it or not, Indian students find this to be a very appealing prospect!
Sadly, what many don’t realize are the rigors associated with the “post-admission life” at college. For most anxious applicants, admission in to a good university seems to assure a luxurious future. It seems as though getting in to Princeton guarantees executive positions, billionaire mansions and magnificent yachts almost immediately. This isn’t true at all. A bright future doesn’t show up at your dorm doorstep; you really have to work hard and earn it. “College life is very hectic, spaced with intermittent moments of fun,” says Prerna Ramachandra ’14, a graduate of my high school who is currently studying at Princeton.
Whether you’re at Princeton or IIT, life after admission isn’t all that beautiful. Courses become more challenging, time management becomes all the more importunate, and your troubles seem to multiply with each passing day. Attention fellow Indian applicants: Despite what you’ve probably seen on television, college is hardly about perpetual parties and booze nights. It is when you actually face the severities of college life that you begin to miss your time at high school. I wonder what the makers of the “American Pie” and the “Harold and Kumar” movie series would have to say to this.
Remember the idiom “all that glitters is not gold.” Somehow everyone forgets this basic, elementary moral while (and after) applying to colleges. A delusional and naive attitude seems prevalent in today’s overachieving, overaspiring class of Indian applicants.
Srijit Ghosh is a high school senior and Princeton applicant from New Delhi, India. He can be reached at ronng93@gmail.com.
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