A better depiction of college applications in the media would be showing a sincere reason for the character’s choice of school and a more personalized college search. If producers lead with characters’ genuine motivations rather than sticking with the tried and true big-name school, it will give way to a diversity of acceptances and more realistic representations on what college is truly like.

Classical musicians and composers are often ruthlessly committed. No one would be able to play Chopin’s “Revolutionary Etude” or Liszt’s “Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2” after a day of practice....