Read the paragraph from “Want to Get into College? Learn to Fail.” Colleges respond to culture shifts, and admission officers are digging deeper to find out who students really are outside of their trophies, medals, and test scores. We get the most excited when we read an application that seems real. It’s so rare to hear stories of defeat and triumph that when we do, we cheer. If their perspectives are of lessons learned or challenges overcome, these applicants tend to jump to the top of the heap at highly selective colleges. We believe an error in high school should not define the rest of your life, but how you respond could shape you forever.

What is the author’s purpose for writing this paragraph?

to persuade students to take a unique approach with college applications

to inform students of the importance of test scores on college applications

to persuade and to entertain students by offering a lighthearted story about a student’s failure on a college application

to entertain students by mentioning specific college applications that admissions officers have seen