Читать книгу Accepted!. Secrets to Gaining Admission to the World's Top Universities онлайн

24 страница из 68

The biggest mistake made in the Western world, which I suspect will have more of an impact on why countries like China continue to grow in prominence at mind-blowing speeds while countries like the US appear to trend sideways, is hiding from the competition that made these nations great in the first place. The classic story of the child at his weekend soccer game who may lack talent in that particular sport but is given a participation trophy for turning up because no one would want to shake his confidence seems kind and encouraging. But ultimately we have to ask if this approach leads to a false perception of reality, and more importantly, if it might dilute that child's ability to engage with the real world.

The real world is competitive. Colleges assess you on paper and look at your personality, extracurriculars, academics, and references to determine whether they will accept or reject you from their gates. Employers offer generous salaries to those individuals who pass this initial college admissions officer assessment—those who get in—effectively handing these students access to jobs and post-graduate degrees others will simply not have access to. Venture capitalists will invest millions behind a few select young people who have risen to the top of a competitive hierarchy and have identified trends in the market others haven't spotted.