Section B
Directions: In this section, you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it. Each
statement contains information given in one of the paragraphs. Identify the paragraph from which the
information is derived. You may choose a paragraph more than once. Each paragraph is marked with a
letter. Answer the questions by marking the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet2.
In the real world, nobody cares that you went to an Ivy League school
[A]. As a high school junior, everything in my life revolved around getting into the right college. I
diligently
attended my SAT, ACT, and Advanced Placement test preparation courses. I juggled
(尽力应付
)cross-
country and track schedules, newspaper staff, and my church’s youth group and drama team. I didn’t
drink,
party, or even do much dating. The right college, I thought, was one with prestige, one with a name. It didn’t
have to be the Ivy League, but it needed to be “top school.”
[B]. Looking back now, nine years later, I can’t remember exactly what it was about these universities that made
them seem so much better. Was it a curriculum that appeared more rigorous, perhaps ? Or an alumni
network that I hoped would open doors down the line ? Maybe. “I do think there are advantages to
schools with more recognition,” notes Marybeth Gasman, a professor of higher education at the
University of Pennsylvania. “I don’t necessarily think that’s a reason to go to one.”
[C]. In reflection, my firm belief in the power of the brand was naive, not to mention a bit snobby. I quickly
passed over state schools and southern schools, believing their curriculum to be automatically inferior to
northeastern or western counterparts. Instead, I dreamed of living in New York City and my parents obliged
me with a visit to New York University’s ( NYU ) campus. During the tour, tuition fees were discussed.
( NYU is consistently ranked one of the country’s most expensive schools, with room and board costs
totaling upwards of $64,000 a year.) Up until then, I hadn’t truly realized just how expensive an education
can be. Over the next few months, I realized not only could I not afford my dream school, I couldn’t even
afford the ones where I’d been accepted. City University of New York (CUNY), Rutgers University, and
Indiana University were out of reach as were Mississippi State and the University of Alabama, where I
would have to pay out-of-state fees. Further complicating my college search was a flourishing stack career
—I wanted to keep running but my times weren’t quite fast enough to secure a scholarship.
[D]. And so, at 11pm on the night of Georgia State University’s (GSU) midnight deadline, I applied online.
Rated No.466 overall on Forbes’ Lists Top Colleges, No. 183 in Research Universities, and No. 108 in the
South, I can’t say it was my top choice. Still, the track coach had offered me a walk-on spot, and I actually
found the urban Atlanta campus a decent consolation prize after New York City.
[E]. While it may have been practical, it wasn’t prestigious, But here’s the thing : I loved my “lower-tier” (低
层 次的) university. (I use the term “low-tier” cautiously, because GSU is a well-regarded research
institution that attracts high quality professors and faculty from all over the country. ) We are taught to
believe that only by going to the best schools and getting the best grades can we escape the rat race and build
a better future. But what if lower-tier colleges and universities were the ticket to escaping the rat race ?
After all, where else can you leave school with a decent degree—but without a lifetime of debt?
[F] My school didn’t come pre-packaged like the more popular options, so we were left to take care of ourselves,
figuring out city life and trying to complete degree programs that no one was championing for us to succeed in.
What I’m saying is, Iloved my university because it taught us all to be resourceful and we could make what we
wanted out of it.
[G]. I was lucky enough to have my tuition covered by a lottery-funded scholarship called HOPE
(Helping
Outstanding Pupils Educationally) When I started college, the HOPE scholarship was funded by the
state of Georgia and offered to graduating high school seniors with a GPA of 3.0 or higher. Living costs
and books I paid for with money earned during high school, supplemented by a small college fund my
deceased grandfather left for me and a modest savings account my parents created when I was born.
[H]. So what about all that name recognition ? Sure, many of my colleagues and competitors have more
glamorous alma maters(母校)than I do. As a journalist, I have competed against NYU, Columbia,
and Northeastern graduates for jobs. And yet, not a single interviewer has ever asked me about my
educational background. In fact, almost every interview I’ve ever had was due to a connection—one