Angel B Perez Summary

Students are taught perfection in school and assume that it is needed for college. This article has changed my views on college by showing me that it’s okay to fail or mess up. Angel B. Perez, Vice President and Dean of Admission and Financial Aid at Pitzer College, explains that finding imperfections in college applications is like “looking for a needle in a haystack”. He states that failure is applauded and cheers when he reads about “defeat and triumph”. Students strive for perfection to a point where it’s difficult for Perez to find any flaws. He constantly reassures the reader that failing is all apart of the process. College applicants often think about two words, professionalism and perfection. Being professional is important, but it doesn’t allow for students to talk about what really is going on in their life and halts them from being creative. The author talked to several applicants and they collectively answered with the same kind of professional response. He asked one student what they did for fun and they said “I thought I wasn’t supposed to tell you that? I wouldn’t want you to think I am not serious

I was afraid of applying for colleges because I was not striving for perfection. Perez explains that “Colleges respond to culture shifts, and admission officers are digging deeper to find out who students really are outside of their trophies, medals, and test scores.” Applicants are able to become more creative with their college applications. According to an article written by the University of California, a freshman application prompt specifically states “Every person has a creative side, and it can be expressed in many ways: problem solving, original and innovative thinking, and artistically, to name a few. Describe how you express your creative side.” This shows creativeness thrives on College campuses. College isn’t about being perfect, it’s about “defeat and