Do or Die: The College Admissions Process

The language is a little rough and the humor is distinctly adolescent, but the message of Do or Die: The College Admissions Process is right on target. Probing the absurd lengths parents and students will go to get into "first tier" colleges, three students from Scarsdale High, in New York, have produced a truly laugh-out-loud "mocumentary" satirizing the absurdity of senior year among the college-bound:

Do or Die: The College Admissions Process

Whether completely finished with the process or just beginning to think about developing that all-important high school portfolio, you're sure to find something familiar in the 65-minute story of two high school seniors competing for acceptance to Harvard University. Totally consumed with Harvard, Nelson sleeps with his SAT review books and studies vocabulary words in the shower and on the toilet. Totally consumed with basketball, Ivan bubbles his name in a clever horizontal pattern on the SAT answer sheet and has difficulty sounding out the words in his communications from the Ivy League. The classic showdown between geek and athlete culminates in a crescendo of Latin as decision letters are torn open by members of the Scarsdale graduating class.

With wit no doubt honed by personal experience, the Scarsdale seniors provide viewers with truly hilarious college admissions advice. For extracurriculars, take up the fife and avoid viola at the conservatory. Don't write about dead grandparents on your college essay, as admissions officers are so over that. Establish a foundation in an obscure South American country and then heartlessly abandon it once admission to college is assured. Do whatever you must, but don't settle for anything less than the first tier or as one parent put it, "The college of my dreams."

Filmed over 3 months as a senior "options" project, the video contains a little bad language and is a little fuzzy in parts because of issues uploading the file on the internet. If you want a good laugh, check out Do or Die: The College Admissions Process as soon as possible--there's no telling how long the link will work.