Digging Your Own Grave by Leighann

Digging Your Own Grave by Leighann - March 2017 Scholarship Essay

College: an end destination for some or a distant dream for others. Now a days every news headlines discusses how the admissions rates are decreasing for highly selective colleges, yet no one ever mentions the part about digging one’s own grave. In recent years, colleges’ cost of attendance has increased exponentially. Rising high school students often discuss how difficult the college application process is or where they want to go, however the debt is a giant burden hidden in the shadow. Many young bright minds dream of getting into their dream colleges. They imagine how their heart will be pounding as sweat trickles down the sided of their face and they wonder if everything they have done is enough to be accepted. At last the moment has come; they will find out if their hard work, sacrifice, and enthusiasm for the university has paid off.
Although, getting into a college is a crucial moment, they do not consider the daunting price tag typically associated with a college degree. High school students must consider the enormous price tag that comes with furthering ones’ education from fees to housing and meal plans and be informed. Myths must be busted about financial aid and getting scholarships. People need to be aware of the costs of colleges and reconsider if their college, major, and time would be a good investment. Although it is possible to get loans, debt is still a major issue for most graduates. Therefore, students must reconsider what is the best decision for themselves and plan with their parent how much they are willing to spend. No one is entitled to college. College is an investment and one must decide how they will afford it before creating false illusions. In the end it is a matter of utilizing a cost-benefit analysis with one's own future at stake.