We all know and love Harriton.Commits- the famous school instagram account which posts college admissions and decisions.
Despite its popularity, some wonder what its real impact is. Positive or negative? And if it is negative, should seniors be posting on it? Most important of all: when it comes the time, what will you do?
I interviewed the account manager-Arielle Biran-to learn more about the account.
Harriton Commits has been a tradition for at least 5 years, and is one also found in many schools. Harriton instagram users proudly share their favorite seniors’ commitments on their stories. There is a google form in the account’s bio, which serves as the posting submission, and includes university, majors/minors, and a recent and baby photo. Currently, approximately 210 out of the seniors’ class of 330 have posted, so it’s safe to say the Rams are rolling!
Harriton High School entertains a competitive atmosphere under which many students feel the pressure to exceed with flying colors, and many students feel strained by it. Harriton.Commits is a public account which most students can easily view the outcome of seniors’ hard work. Many underclassmen look up to the account and their favorite seniors’ commitments, further encouraging the cycle of work and extracurriculars and “the grind” above all else. Aside from the “LFG”s of support in the comments, there is this sense of competition to show off. From the East Coast to the West, peer pressure is comparing choices to “worth”, and “worth” to acceptance rate.
To many in Harriton’s senior class, the pros outweigh the cons, or as an anonymous senior puts it, “if you don’t like it, don’t look”. Later, I asked Arielle if she has ever gotten negative feedback about the forum from parents or students, and she insightfully answered: “Of course some students think Harriton.Commits is just a bragging forum. I also received requests this year to turn the like count off on posts”.
Everyone loves to show off the future they worked so hard for, but what is the price of bragging? Is it encouraging, or does it create unnecessary judgment? Arielle believes that “the goal of the account is to create a digital scrapbook and time capsule of sorts where we can celebrate our senior year and accomplishments together. I think that people who perceive commits as perpetuating judgment are themselves judgemental, even if they don’t realize it.” She goes on to share a wholesome story about Harriton.Commits, adding: “I know people who have discovered some of the smaller, less mainstream colleges through former Harriton students attending and seeing it on the commits account, and then gone on to attend and absolutely love those schools.”
So what does Harriton.Commits add to the waters of Harriton High School? Is it pride in our peers and joy in their accomplishments? Or is it a way to silently judge those among us in a race to reach the highest acceptance rate? Simply put by the account’s manager: “I know that there is a lot of stigma surrounding it but at the end of the day no one is forced to post and I think it spreads a lot more happiness than it does judgment”.
In interviewing Arielle about Harriton Commits, I know that this social forum, like all our graduating seniors, have a bright future ahead.
