College application season is in full swing. Following the Early Action and Early Decision rounds of applications, which closed on Nov. 1, seniors eagerly await their application results while continuing to craft and edit essays for the Jan. 1 Regular Decision due date. This process has ignited a debate within the class of 2022, as students take contrasting stances on an essential part of the college search: school merch. While some seniors believe wearing college merch for a school jinxes their chances of getting in, others see the clothing as a way to bring their acceptances into fruition.
Some seniors believe representing a school through their merchandise helps manifest an acceptance letter, as it can become a form of day-to-day motivation. “I think wearing college merch is essential because it provides motivation. When I wake up in the morning and I see I’m wearing a sweatshirt from a school I really want to go to, it makes me want to work harder to achieve my goal,” Thomas S. Wootton High School senior Eknoor Kaur said. “It acts as a reminder that pushes me toward my goal.”
Others are more skeptical of the alleged benefits that wearing college merch provides, as applicants to a school are yet to receive an admissions decision. “I think that wearing college merch does jinx your chances of getting in because if you’re not going to the college and haven’t been accepted, you have no right in wearing their merchandise,” Winston Churchill High School senior Kayla Mao said.
Some seniors even try to avoid buying college merch because it can place pressure on students, acting as a negative reminder as opposed to motivation. “I think [wearing college merch] would put too much pressure on you in addition to all the other responsibilities you have as a senior, causing you to be too overwhelmed,” Mao said.
Those who keep away from donning university merch cite past experiences as evidence of the jinxing effects it can have. “One of my friends who used to wear a Boston College shirt every single day to school got rejected by Boston College. Therefore, it looked really stupid wearing a Boston College shirt every single day to school, so it jinxes your chances,” Mao said.
Some seniors take a more neutral stance and believe that the effects of wearing college merch is an issue of attitude. “I think as long as you don’t brag about it and you’re not saying you’re absolutely getting into a school just because you are wearing the merch, you should be good wearing it,” Thomas S. Wootton High School senior Abigail Turner said. “As long as you’re respectful about it, there’s no reason for there to be bad karma in wearing the merch.”
Written by Hannah Rah of Thomas S. Wootton High School
Photo by May Pham of Walter Johnson High School
College application season is in full swing. Following the Early Action and Early Decision rounds of applications, which closed on Nov. 1, seniors eagerly await their application results while continuing to craft and edit essays for the Jan. 1 Regular Decision due date. This process has ignited a debate within the class of 2022, as students take contrasting stances on an essential part of the college search: school merch. While some seniors believe wearing college merch for a school jinxes their chances of getting in, others see the clothing as a way to bring their acceptances into fruition.
Some seniors believe representing a school through their merchandise helps manifest an acceptance letter, as it can become a form of day-to-day motivation. “I think wearing college merch is essential because it provides motivation. When I wake up in the morning and I see I’m wearing a sweatshirt from a school I really want to go to, it makes me want to work harder to achieve my goal,” Thomas S. Wootton High School senior Eknoor Kaur said. “It acts as a reminder that pushes me toward my goal.”
Others are more skeptical of the alleged benefits that wearing college merch provides, as applicants to a school are yet to receive an admissions decision. “I think that wearing college merch does jinx your chances of getting in because if you’re not going to the college and haven’t been accepted, you have no right in wearing their merchandise,” Winston Churchill High School senior Kayla Mao said.
Some seniors even try to avoid buying college merch because it can place pressure on students, acting as a negative reminder as opposed to motivation. “I think [wearing college merch] would put too much pressure on you in addition to all the other responsibilities you have as a senior, causing you to be too overwhelmed,” Mao said.
Those who keep away from donning university merch cite past experiences as evidence of the jinxing effects it can have. “One of my friends who used to wear a Boston College shirt every single day to school got rejected by Boston College. Therefore, it looked really stupid wearing a Boston College shirt every single day to school, so it jinxes your chances,” Mao said.
Some seniors take a more neutral stance and believe that the effects of wearing college merch is an issue of attitude. “I think as long as you don’t brag about it and you’re not saying you’re absolutely getting into a school just because you are wearing the merch, you should be good wearing it,” Thomas S. Wootton High School senior Abigail Turner said. “As long as you’re respectful about it, there’s no reason for there to be bad karma in wearing the merch.”
Written by Hannah Rah of Thomas S. Wootton High School
Photo by May Pham of Walter Johnson High School