Echo chambers……

Recently, I taught my Mass Communications’ students about the danger of echo chambers. According to Digital Media, “An echo chamber is an environment where a person only encounters information or opinions that reflect and reinforce their own.” I regularly see these chambers happening with my students applying to college. Oftentimes, the seniors we work with are part of extremely competitive programs, and, more often than not, they are involved in countless activities. Oftentimes, they do very well on standardized tests and their grades are stellar. Many carry double digit AP classes during their high school tenure. As a result, they think they are average. 

This, of course, is far from the truth. 

While high performance matters to many and is always impressive, I remind my students that they are often only seeing a mirror image. While their scores may be “average” in their circles, they are phenomenal when compared to their national counterparts. 

I remind my students that they all have a story to tell. They all have a unique experience that is theirs alone, and that story does not have to be perfect, it just has to be real. I encourage them to step out of their echo chamber. Read about other parts of the world. Recognize that they have accomplished so much at such a young age. Perfection is an illusion. The college essay will never be perfect. There is always something to edit or a sentence to tweak. However, in 500 words they can give a 3D view of who they really are and that far exceeds straight As.