What College Entrance Exam Scores Don't Tell Us

It was one of the biggest letdowns I had experienced at that time in my life. As I awaited letters of acceptance from various colleges that I had applied to, there was one that I hoped for more than any other. The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign was my top choice, and although I was open to other possibilities, I wanted to be at that school most of all.

The letter of acceptance finally came, but with conditions. My college entrance exam composite score was less than stellar, and I was deemed not quite ready for regular college classes. The letter stated that I would have to take developmental (better known as remedial) classes before I could advance to the big league.

Having always worked hard and excelled in school, this news was a blow to my self-esteem. Suddenly I began to question my level of ability, the quality of my previous education and my chances for success in the future. I was too ashamed to tell any of my friends what had happened, because I felt like a failure.

My parents made all the difference in the world during that time. My mother pointed out that something as inconclusive as a number on a piece of paper was not an indicator of my worth or my destiny. She, along with my father, encouraged me to look into some of the other schools that had accepted me so that time and money would not be wasted taking classes I did not need. Though greatly disappointed, I settled on a medium-sized university, where I majored in journalism, wrote weekly articles and editorials for my college newspaper and graduated with honors.

A year-and-a-half or so out of college, I received another letter of acceptance from the University of Illinois. Ready to try again, I had aimed even higher this time by applying to graduate school there. I was admitted without a glitch. I also received a graduate assistantship that came with a tuition waiver and free room and board. Soon thereafter, I would earn a fellowship, renewable for several years. And I went on to earn both my Master of Education and Doctor of Philosophy Degree from the same institution that had labeled me a high-risk student several years prior.