Making the Final Decision: If/Then

Written by Lisa Bleich

My daughters and I took advantage of two days off from school to visit Washington D.C.  We saw the new musical If/Then, starring Idena Menzel (who played Elphaba in Wicked).  The show follows Elizabeth or “Liz” and “Beth” on two parallel lives.  At first it is confusing, as we were not sure what was going on, but eventually, we realized that the initial choice she makes in the beginning of the show takes her down a different path and the audience gets to see what would happen “if” she followed one path or the other.

As the story unfolds, it appears that one of the choices seems like the “right” choice, but ultimately we see that each path has great joys and great disappointments.  It is not necessarily the one path that she takes, but rather, how she responds to the situation that she ultimately faces.

This same lesson can be applied to applying to and attending college.  Students often feel as if there is only one path to take them down the road to success.  And there are definitely colleges that are a better fit than others, but at some point, you just have to choose.  You have to jump off and follow your heart, realizing that each choice will bring ups and downs.

Malcolm Gladwell presents a compelling case for going to a school where you can excel and be at the top of the class.  He demonstrates that the key for success anywhere, is not where you are, but what you do when you are there. Click here for Mr. Gladwell’s video.

So as you make your final decision about where to attend college, realize that you can be successful in any number of situations and ultimately, each choice will have positive and negatives.  Good luck with the final decision.