Acceptance (2009)

Acceptance is a movie based on Susan Coll's novel of the same name. The movie, which closely follows the book, focuses on three high school students who are applying for college.

Set in a wealthy suburb of Washington, D.C., the quest for being accepted to college is seen through the eyes of three students- the pressure of AP courses and exams, living up to others' expectations, finding the "right fit," and being comfortable with who they are. The book also incorporates other factors that are known to impact college-going: parents' expectations and aspirations, advice from counselors and teachers, performance on AP exams, admissions policies, campus visits, peer influences, and so on.

While Acceptance depicts many aspects of the college-going process, it focuses on the lives of privileged families who reside in an upper-class neighborhood. However, despite their background, upbringing, and what is expected of them, the students struggle to find the right college for them. Their parents, not the students, are the ones who debate which Ivy League is the best college, and are convinced that without an Ivy League education, their children will amount to nothing. In Taylor Rockefeller's case, her mother won't even hear of her daughter thinking of going to the lesser-known Yates College, where Taylor truly believes she will be happiest. For Maya Kaluantharana, her father tells her she has a learning disability because her GPA is 'only a 3.75.'

Although the experiences of the students and their families are not the norm for most high school students in the United States, the movie does incorporate small but important criticisms of college and the college admissions process. For instance, a meeting of the admissions officers at Yates College is used to question the legitimacy of the U.S. News and World Report college rankings. Although the admissions officers acknowledge the rankings are a farce, the instant they find out they are (erroneously) ranked, they are thrilled. Not only do they embrace their ranking, they are excited about the prospect of having an increased applicant pool, from which to reject more students, thereby increasing the college's (perceived) selectivity.

As researchers, the movie also gives us a friendly reality check in terms of the reasons students select their colleges. We can run regression models day and night, but sometimes it is things that don't appear in datasets that explain why a student attended one college over another. And in the end, we find that Acceptance, isn't just about getting accepted to college, but also about being accepted for who you truly are- with your peers and your family.

For an easy and entertaining read, or for a light movie, check it out. As a bonus, Joan Cusak plays the eccentric Mrs. Nina Rockefeller, and gives a humorous performance, as usual. To see her take on the movie: see this short video.