Why college applications work (even if you think they don’t) | Shaurya Gulani | TEDxSaintFrancisHS

Key Concepts

• College Applications as a Blueprint for Self-Growth: The central idea that the college application process, often seen as a stressful hurdle, is actually a structured opportunity for high school students to engage in profound self-discovery, develop passions, and build essential life skills.
• The "Garden vs. Butterfly" Analogy: A reinterpretation of the common "butterfly quote," emphasizing that the true goal is to build one's "garden" (self-growth, skills, insights) rather than solely chasing the "butterfly" (external validation like college acceptance).
• Intrinsic Motivation over External Validation: The argument that engaging in activities (extracurriculars, community service, academics) for their inherent value and personal development yields greater rewards than pursuing them merely for resume bullet points or college admissions.
• Reframing High School Experience: Challenging the narrative of high school as "four years of suffering" and instead viewing it as a valuable period for growth, challenge, and skill development.
• Resilience in the Face of Rejection: Understanding that setbacks and rejections do not negate the effort, skills, and insights gained during the pursuit of goals, reinforcing the value of the "garden."

---

Reframing the College Application Narrative

The speaker, a high school junior, challenges conventional perspectives on college admissions, moving beyond the typical biases of top-tier university alumni or disgruntled seniors. Instead of focusing on "what to do for" college admissions, the talk shifts to the process of preparation itself, advocating for an approach that transforms a potentially stressful period into one of enjoyment and profound self-growth. The speaker confesses to "falling in love with the college application process," not for its outcomes, but for its inherent opportunities for personal development.

The Essay Section: A Blueprint for Self-Growth

The speaker recounts an early fascination with college essay prompts, initially pondering typical subjects like sports injuries or family health complications. This led to an appreciation for how essays foster wisdom and maturity by prompting retrospective analysis of life events. This perspective evolved with exposure to social media trends showcasing successful essays based on ordinary moments, such as:

• Costco samples: Representing intellectual curiosity and a willingness to try new things.
• Laptop sticker collages: Explaining different facets of one's identity.

Inspired by these examples, the speaker began to analyze every moment of life for potential essay material. An example given is visiting a Hindu temple and observing the practice of removing shoes. This seemingly ordinary observation was connected to an interest in sports engineering by analyzing the variety of sneakers in shoe cubbies, noting trends, and researching their technical features. While acknowledging this approach might be "excessive" or "superficial," the speaker argues that "constantly trying to turn every moment into a clever, witty hook allowed me to look for, develop, and engage with my passions in times or spaces where I would have never otherwise done." This repetitive deep thinking, fitting life events into a larger story, led to "phenomenal" self-discovery and maturity. The essay section is presented as a "first demonstration" that college application components provide a "blueprint for self-growth," pushing students to grow and transform narratives of loss into empowerment or insecurity into progress.

Community Service: Pursuing Avenues, Not Acquiring Bullet Points

The speaker highlights the "intrinsic merit" of community service, emphasizing the importance of genuine engagement over merely accumulating hours. The speaker actively avoided programs suggested for "easy hours" and instead sought out an organization of personal interest, volunteering frequently and often staying beyond required hours. This dedication led to:

• Conversations with administrative faculty to learn about actual social injustices addressed by the organization.
• Taking on more responsibilities and new departments over successive summers.
• Initiating a project to open sports camps to children with intellectual differences.

This experience fostered managerial skills and injustice awareness, leading to a sense of pride in personal growth. The speaker warns against treating extracurriculars or community service as mere "requirements to graduate" or "bullet points on our resume," as this transforms them into "things to acquire instead of avenues to pursue," limiting potential.

Academics and Work Ethic

The speaker introduces a powerful personal mantra: "Even if college applications weren't a thing, I would still do blank." This principle extends to academics and relationships with teachers. Building relationships with teachers is inherently rewarding, regardless of recommendation letters. Similarly, grades are reframed not as an end in themselves, but as indicators of the work ethic and drive developed to tackle challenges.

Addressing the common student question, "When am I ever going to use this again in real life?" in math classes, the speaker acknowledges that specific problems may not reappear. However, the methods, tools, and tactics developed through solving them become "immensely valuable" for future life problems. The example of Isaac Newton is used: the mind capable of developing calculus also used critical thinking to observe an apple and develop theories about orbital motion, illustrating the transferability of intellectual skills.

Reframing Time and the "Garden" Metaphor

The speaker presents a visual representation of time:

• 438 circles: Representing the total time between 14 and 18 years of age, with each circle signifying 80 hours.
• 58 circles (4,640 hours): Dedicated to spending time in a learning environment (school).

This visualization challenges the common societal narrative of high school as "four years of suffering for 50 years of freedom" versus "four years of freedom for 50 years of suffering." The speaker questions why this narrative is accepted, arguing that the significant time spent in school (8 AM to 3 PM for 720 days) should be seen as an opportunity to "get good at it." Taking a harder AP class, even with the risk of a lower grade, is presented not as a sacrifice, but as an application of oneself, with the real sacrifice being to "stay safe and never truly applying yourself."

The core of the argument is encapsulated in a reinterpretation of the "butterfly quote": "If you want to catch a butterfly, don't chase it because it will run away. Instead, build a garden to attract the butterfly." The speaker adds, "even if you don't catch that butterfly, you still have your garden." The "first mistake" is calling it the "butterfly quote" instead of the "garden quote," which is identified as the "root of all the anxiety we face in high school." If students understood that the "garden we built, your self-growth, was the real goal," then anxieties like academic validation or competition would fade. The work put in defines oneself, not as a competition against others.

Conclusion: The Value of Self-Growth Over External Validation

Acknowledging the stress of potential rejections from dream colleges, the speaker extends this idea to other life setbacks (losing a competition, relationship ending, startup failing). The central message is to "apply ourselves regardless of the success that we will have with admissions." The goal is to "become the best version of yourself," with college acceptances or other external validations being a "pro or side effect of simply being that best self."

The speaker emphasizes that "not everything is an exact science to your self-worth." Setbacks like a bad hair day, a failed tryout, or a college rejection (perhaps due to geographical representation) do not negate the effort, work ethic, skills, or insights gained. "You're not left with nothing when rejected." The ultimate takeaway is a powerful reiteration: "If you don't catch that butterfly, you still have your garden. Rejection only leaves you with nothing if you chased the butterfly." The focus should always be on the internal growth and development—the garden—rather than solely on the external outcome—the butterfly.