Commiting Minds to Challenge, Hearts to Success, and Lives to the Admitance of a "Good College"

After discussing the topic in class, I found that I was forced to analyze my own opinon on the intentions of New Trier High School. What kind of institution is New Trier?...well to answer this question, I have to say that I do believe that New Trier wishes to give thier students more than just good grades that will carry them into a "good" college. The problem is, our competitive society has taught us that the true focus is the good grades, transcripts, and colleges. In all honesty, everything that I do at New Trier and outside of New Trier, as well, is for my transcript. I am involved in various extra-curricular activites that I do purely as aids to get into what is believed to be a "good college". I admit that some of these activities add nothing to my personal happiness but the idea that, someday, (God-knows-when) I reach success-whatever it may be. Although I believe that this instituion did have the primary intentions of "commiting minds to inquiry, hearts to compassion and lives to the service of humanity," I do not think that that is still the case, today. But is this a bad thing? No. New Trier's job is to get us ready for the "real world", in my opinon, and it is doing just that. It is pressuring us and challenging us to push ourselves to the fullest of our capabilities, and this is exactly what we are going to face in college and beyond.