Let’s stop making elitist college decision jokes

“I’m going to community college!”

Whether in response to a college rejection or a bad grade on a math test, these common, sarcastic jokes frame community colleges and other high-accepting schools as last resorts in an academic career. These jokes only work because we have collectively decided that four-year, name-brand universities sit at the top of the pyramid while everything else is a step down. However, constructing a culture, whether intentionally malicious or not, in which community colleges are placed at the butts of jokes and looked down upon causes students undue stress and shame while leading people to overlook their benefits.

In the long span between September and April, we hear about many college acceptances publicly announced through Instagram posts and merchandise. These moments should all be treasured as celebrations of hard work finally paying off, yet they are often scrutinized, spiraling into unsolicited discussions around an applicant’s portfolio and abilities. For many, attending community college is the most realistic and affordable path to receive higher education, costing, on average, one-third of in-state tuition at four-year universities. For others, community college is where their parents earned degrees after immigrating, working multiple jobs, or returning to school later in life. When we decide to make a mockery out of these institutions, we are not just insulting the institution; we are reinforcing elitist values and disrespecting the effort and sacrifice behind the people who walk through those doors in the hopes of appealing to something greater.

Of course it’s okay to have different standards based on our unique circumstances. However, our words don’t exist within a vacuum — they are heard, echoed, and internalized by countless others beyond our initial milieu. We don’t know who will hear our words and how they will interpret it. Referring to a school as “mid” or joking that you are committed to a low-ranked school simply tells those who choose to attend these institutions that their goals, finances, and futures are worth less than yours. These harmful remarks ultimately instill an elitist mindset into PHS’s culture, not only discouraging disadvantaged students but also perpetuates a stressful environment for all college applicants.

You never know how life will turn out. College admissions work the same way: none of us fully controls which schools accept us, how much financial aid gets allocated to us, or which campus will actually feel like home once we live in it. If the process itself is so unpredictable, framing certain choices as inferior starts to look pretty shallow and naive. One person’s “backup” might be another person’s dream school, or the loving place that lets them stay close to family, hold a job, or graduate without decades of debt. When we make fun of particular institutions, we are truly revealing how limited and cursory our own definition of success really is.