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| Ah, the rigorous intellectual life that college fosters. |
Ladies, gentlemen, variations thereof, and none of the above, it's that time of year again. Parents are looking worriedly at their bank accounts, students everywhere sport the thousand-league stare of a soul that has endured too much, and high school teachers across the nation avoid with the gaze of the hunted any slacker who so much as breathes the words "letter of recommendation". Yes everyone, it is time for high school seniors to apply to college. Of course, the process comes with its own little problems to those in the queer community, but the rewards (bi-curious coeds, more alcohol than can be fully comprehended, no parents) are sweet indeed, and I shall be your intrepid guide through the trials that await.
This may be the blind leading the blind here. I'm in the same boat as most of you, and I am only the second person in my family to attend college. The first graduated Class of 77 (probably literally 77 BCE), and much has changed since then, including the integration of technology in the search for colleges, characteristics colleges look for in applicants, and the types of anti-psychotics used by those driven mad by the application process.
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| "Spoiled brats with yer fancy loony pills. Back in my day, all we had was Thorazine, and we liked it!" (S) |
Add to that the fact that I am a less than stellar student, and you've got a recipe for disaster. Add to that the fact that I'm a closeted lesbian and my family and I have very, very different tastes in campus climate, and baby you've got yourself a college trauma stew going. Now, when a potentially difficult and involved task presents itself, I have a habit of sticking my fingers in my ears, humming my favorite Scissor Sisters tune, and ignoring it until ignoring it further will pose a threat to my health and happiness. In keeping with this fine tradition, as of today I have almost decided which universities I want to apply to. That's progress!
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| Behold, the sacred mating dance of my people. |
Navigating the dazzlingly complex world of college applications alone is a daunting task. Luckily there exists a group of people who have guided terrified students through this process for years. They have watched, calm and wise, over the emotional turmoil, noting what works and what doesn't, and they're generally willing to share all that carefully gained knowledge with you. They're your teachers, bud. If you are super lost, just buck up and ask them for help. What's the worst that can happen?
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| High School Teachers: Good for more than babysitting sullen teenagers. |
Now let's say you are closeted in a not particularly safe environment. What then? You turn to an entity that has your back no matter what: The Internet. It didn't judge when you surreptitiously Googled cute boys/girls/gender non-conforming people in various states of undress. And like the wise, cranky, perverted old man in many a coming of age movie, The Internet is coming through for you once more. Campus Pride has a lovely little service called Campus Pride Index. You sign up to receive info on scholarships, LGBT friendly schools, and so much more. Like, I'm signing up right now. Taking control of my future and all that. CPI rates campuses on a 5 star system. Their ranking system is very thorough and takes into account academic life, student life, policies, safety, housing, counseling, and other metrics. You can also look up books having to deal with LGBT college life once (not if, be optimistic!) you're accepted.
Now, as our patron saint Liza Minnelli sang, money makes the world go round. Paying for college, at least in America, is a nightmare, especially if you want to go to a more accepting school than your guardians approve of. There are also really big LGBT financial aid organizations. The Point Foundation sponsors national, very competitive scholarships. How competitive? Well, about 2,000 people applied last year, and 29 people were selected. On the other hand, Point fills in ANY blanks left by other financial aid. It could potentially be a free ride.
Not up your alley (ally?)? The Human Rights Campaign, the famous LGBT lobby, has an entire database of national and state based scholarships, ripe for the searching. Some of these scholarships are awarded by need, others by academic merit, and there are some that are major-dependent, or require some kind of competition. It's all but guaranteed that you're eligible for at least one!
But let's say you seriously cannot pay for college. Maybe you got kicked out of your home or some shit. Almost every university offers generous need-based financial aid packages, even the elite ones that don't offer merit-based scholarships. I mean, think about it. The guys in charge of admissions at Yale must be sick of all the rich prats they're sure to get. I'm sure they'll think about helping the not so rich guy out, if only to relieve the monotony.
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| Although what could make up for this? (S) |
As one of my teachers told me, "Give them a good story, with evidence to back it up. The better your story is, the more likely you are to get something". If you're emancipated or are otherwise no longer legally connected with your parents, be sure to include that documentation. If all that happened because you're gay, even better. Liberal guilt is a wonderful thing, and you can make it work for you. For example, I was talking to a recruiter from Rice University in Houston when I asked about the LGBT services at the school. After confirming that, yes, LGBT stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender, his eyes widened and he practically tripped over himself in assuring me that Rice is a very, very, tolerant school with an excellent support network for queer students. His earnestness was reassuring, and it rather reminded me of the panic that older white liberals fall into when they are suspected of being racists. Being a person of color, I've had the opportunity to see that as well, and let me tell you, it's way better than blockheaded entitlement or balls-out (labia-out?) racism. Some of you might feel guilty about "using" your LGBT status this way, but remember that as an LGBT person (no matter how understanding your parents are), you are marginalized in today's society, at least things like job and housing discrimination, not to mention marriage and other benefits, and when the compassionate part of society tries to compensate you for it, there's nothing wrong with that.
I'm gonna go mentally prepare myself to start applying. Good luck!
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| Remember what's at stake here. |
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