The Two Faces of College Applications
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is arguably one of the greatest stories to ever come from a human mind.
It takes such a simple idea, of one having two faces, but executes it in a way that allows readers more than a century later to discover parodies and see not only themselves, but scenarios in their lives and others’ lives. The book doesn’t ever label Dr. Jekyll as wholly good or Hyde as wholly evil, instead painting both as parts of the same man, showing that he, as we all do, has urges and desires that must be pushed to a separate persona.
Most recently, the parodies have become apparent to me in the process of applying to colleges. For the past two months, it has been all I’ve heard about, but with good reason. The entirety of high school seems to be leading to that email you may or may not get, letting you attend a prestigious university. College applications seem to be brought up in every conversation, no matter the context. And with it being such a big deal, you can bet people will not only be willing, but actively trying to create a new character: the perfect version of themselves that the admissions officer will fall in love with and beg to have attend their school.
Mr. Hyde likes going out with his friends, skipping classes, and ignoring homework. Dr. Jekyll should study, found non-profits, and be the greatest human the world has ever seen.
I saw people at our yearly college fair being incredibly attentive and curious towards colleges that they were joking about and badmouthing just hours ago. Can you believe people are applying there? Dude, it’s a JOKE!
“Pull quote”
But that fake persona could be towards me just as much as it could be towards the ambassadors. They think telling people about their school will get others to apply, damaging their chances, so they lie. They hear their friends piling onto a school, or making fun of someone applying somewhere, and then join in, knowing that school is one hundred percent on their list. They hear somewhere that showing interest towards the visiting admissions officers increases chances of acceptance, so they collect as many business cards and fill out as many forms as the hour time will let them, but it’s not enough.
Mr. Hyde wants nothing more than to laugh and eat with friends during lunch. Dr. Jekyll should stay at the fair, buttering up representatives until the bell rings.
Then, there’s the required essays. Per usual, I give my essays to my college counselor and my parents to read over and give feedback. But honestly, I like the way I write. I like the way I present my ideas. The structure, specific word choices, the start, the ending, everything. Every time I get advice, especially on something so personal, it feels like a piece of honesty is being taken away, and it feels like it’s not my writing anymore. Ideas that I didn’t think about, and structures that I feel wouldn’t be the way I’d put it. On the other hand, my parents, who have attended college, and my college counselor, whose job it is to improve my essay, must know better than I do, right?
Mr. Hyde wants to let his ideas out as he thinks of them, being authentic and true to himself.Dr. Jekyll should do everything possible to get into the best college, with no remorse about hiding his feelings behind others’ advice.
The final piece to the college application puzzle is the extracurriculars, or ECs. This is one of the biggest conversation topics among students, as almost everyone’s curious what others have that puts them a leg above the ‘competition’. For the most part, however, these ECs are smoke and mirrors. A non-profit organization (funded by parents' money with no money raised to show from it) looks incredible on paper, but what happens when you get into that Ivy League? It’s gone. Forgotten. It’s all a show. Oh, you were in a JV sport? Might as well put yourself as captain on that team, because are they really going to check? You joined a club and went to the minimum required meetings to get credit, but why not embellish your hours a tiny bit on the application? Makes yourself look a little better and hurts no one. Internships and jobs that look amazing, but you have zero interest in. Do you really know you want to be a corporate lawyer at your dad’s company at 16 years old?
Without being authentic, you become a copy paste applicant with a perfect essay and extra circulars, but no personality. Is that all high school leads up to? Are all those red pill influencers right, all high school creates are mindless zombies who turn out the exact same way? Obviously not, but it’s up completely to the students. If they choose to lose all authenticity in chase of that dream school, how different are they from the next person down the line?
I have painted a good side and a bad side. Jekyll and Hyde. But as I previously said, such a complex story cannot be understood in such a shallow and one-sided way. Neither is wholly bad or wholly good, both different sides of a person. The part that he wishes to show (Jekyll), the charismatic doctor, and the part that he hides away from the world (Hyde). I would think the most authentic is the part you hide away, scared of what others would think or the consequences of showing that side.
A balance.
A balance is all that’s needed. A balance between Jekyll and Hyde, between pure authenticity and a perfect self. Promote your strengths and garner advice, but never shy away from who you are and your true interests, lest you lose yourself in the process. There is absolutely nothing wrong with highlighting certain things about your life to give you an extra chance, but if that is all you do and you don’t include honest truths about yourself, it’s not your application anymore. I believe the final words of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde can be read as a warning to what could happen if you hide yourself away in this application, leaving your authenticity with it.
"Here then, as I lay down the pen and proceed to seal up my confession, I bring the life of that unhappy Henry Jekyll to an end."
Don’t lose you in the pursuit of future success.