<p>First off, I am a 4.0 student, I received a 2130 on the SAT, I have received numerous academic honors, and my schedule brims with regular community service, leadership, sports, music, and other extracurriculars. I worked my butt of in high school to have reached my level of success, all because I was determined to go to a top college. I applied to, as my hard schools, Stanford, Cornell, Washington University in St. Louis, and Middlebury. I also applied to William and Mary and Colby College as medium schools. I applied to University of Virginia as a fallback, because both my parents are alum, each with 4 degrees from the school, and knowing they give preference to alum I figured I would have no problem being accepted. However, just this week, I received rejection after rejection. I am on the waitlist for UVA and W&M, but no acceptances. I have friends with much lower credentials than I have who got into more prestigious schools, and I cannot understand why I was rejected. Now I don't know what to do. Should I just wait and hope I am accepted from the waitlists? Should I take a year or a semester off and try to reapply and transfer? I know community college is an option, but for how hard I worked in high school I feel like it is far far beneath me. I don't know what to do. Please help!!</p>
<p>You should have picked a school that is not in the top 50 to apply to…
I’m sure that there are state schools with rolling admissions who would still look at you</p>
<p>You and your parents should contact UVA.
As alums, they want to emphasize to Admissions, that if taken off the waitlist, their d would definitely enroll at UVA.</p>
<p>Obvious option: go to community college, do well there, and then transfer to Virginia as a junior. This route is not just for losers; some students doing this route transfer to the state flagship, do well there, and then go on to top PhD programs in the major after graduating with their bachelor’s degrees.</p>
<p>"…I figured I would have no problem being accepted."</p>
<p>Figuring that you will be accepted is a very long way from actually knowing that you will be accepted. A safety school, by definition, is a place where you know you will be admitted based on your grades and test scores because that information is posted right on the website and/or your high school has many many years of records that clearly indicated that no one with your profile from that high school who has applied has ever been rejected.</p>
<p>Tell UVA you want to stay on the wait list, and then pop by your guidance counselor’s office early on Monday to make an appointment to talk about the best ways to identify places that will admit you for certain.</p>
<p>Dean J of UVA on her blog (in the comment section for students who were rejected) has a link to a website that lists schools that are still accepting applications who have openings. If you don’t want to go the junior college route then I suggest you look there. </p>
<p>I would not spend your time focusing on why you got rejected-that event has already happened and it would do no good. As a I side point and I don’t want to verbally “beat” you up since I know you are in a tough situation but your gpa and sat scores do not fall in the top 25% of the schools you are applying to. Plus sometimes gpa/sat may not be the only controlling factor. My DS did not get into this dream schools (many are on your list) but we had him apply to about 5 safety schools(all great schools in their own right) where he could get a merit scholarships. Nothing takes the sting off like getting a full-ride to a safety. My son loves his school so perhaps you may want to take a gap year and reapply next year if money is an issue for you. Good luck. I know you are in atough situation.</p>
<p>You definitely should have aimed lower than William and Mary for a safety. That’s too high. Assuming Alumni connections would get you into UVa was a mistake as well. Your stats are nowhere high enough to make that assumption and not all schools take legacy into strong consideration.</p>
<p>You just need to suck it up and hope you get taken off the waitlist at this point. The “community college is beneath me” attitude should be put to rest. Can’t you see that your ego got you into this mess in the first place?</p>
<p>That is an awful situation you are in, sorry to hear! In case nothing works at the end, the nearby academically ‘Up-and-Coming’ tOSU accepts plenty of top students from Virginia, certainly would love to have you for its Honors Program. The school also gives out generous aids / scholarships to the OOS students. Best of Luck to the OP!!</p>
<p>U. of Pittsburgh is rolling admission system.</p>
<p>[University</a> of Pittsburgh: Undergraduate Admissions & Financial Aid](<a href=“http://www.oafa.pitt.edu/freshadm.aspx]University”>http://www.oafa.pitt.edu/freshadm.aspx)</p>
<p>Don’t panic, but think and act rationally. Accept places on the waitlists.
Community college is a last resort, but you still have time to find a better option, and I think that you will. </p>
<p>These other options come in two forms: Schools whose deadlines have not yet passed (Clemson, some Canadian schools, some in the UK), and schools who will still have openings come May 1. There will be a list that comes out with colleges that still have openings. Every year there are some real surprises. </p>
<p>Apply to Clemson and Pittsburgh right now. No brainer. </p>
<p>University of Pittsburgh is often the highest ranked National University on there. They have rolling admissions and a very nice and flexible honors program whereby if you get accepted, by virtue of your SAT (assuming the CR+M > 1400) you would be eligible to enroll in honors classes. That list also often has some pretty good LACs also. Truman State, a small, inexpensive, public honors college in Missouri is almost always on there and they would probably accept your application now too. Look at their SAT scores and you’ll see that it has quite the accomplished student body and is in no way beneath you. </p>
<p>Can you say a little about what you want in a school, what you can afford, what state you live in and where you’d be willing to consider going? Then people can make more useful suggestions. </p>
<p>It would be good to apply and get into Pittsburgh, Clemson, and Truman ASAP before May 1. Then you can see if there is anything better on the list when it comes out.</p>
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<p>The big problem is that a score of 2130 isn’t that high for top schools. I imagine it is for your high school. It would be superb at the high school where I work and my high school is only slightly below average for stats in our state (meaning there are several like mine). It’s “normal” for kids who know nothing but where they attend to assume they will continue being “the top” and “highly desired” when they move on to their next step. Instead, top colleges tend to look at schools who produce 4.0/2130 (or lower in my case) schools as subpar and gauge their applicants accordingly.</p>
<p>If you had friends at your high school who got into the colleges you applied to then there was also competition. They wouldn’t have selected everyone. Why weren’t you selected? Perhaps they bring different ECs to the pot - not the usual ones. Usual ECs are a dime a dozen. Perhaps they had better LORs. If (and this is a big IF because it might not be in there) you’ve come across as prideful or with a sense of entitlement (“I should get it” attitude), that turns a lot of adcoms and LOR writers off.</p>
<p>Top schools aren’t called lottery schools for nothing. It’s hard to pick who will get in. My son had far higher stats than you and still got waitlisted at WUSTL. </p>
<p>Accept the WL at UVA and W&M. Call these places and let them know how much you would like to attend. Talk with your GC to see what they can do. But also check to see where you could go that has rolling admissions and/or still taking apps. Then focus on one of those. Honestly, quit worrying about the rejections and see where you can go - then be happy there.</p>
<p>Eons ago I made it in to my first choice - and couldn’t go due to finances. My second choice turned out to give me 4 fantastic years and the love of my life who I’m still happily married to 23+ years later. Things happen for a reason. If you remain bitter from disappointment, that can ruin your future. Stay positive (but without entitlement) and enjoy life!</p>
<p>I wish you the best!</p>
<p>If you don’t get off the waitlist, take a gap year.</p>
<p>If you need financial aid or merit scholarships, don’t take any classes next year…you need to preserve your incoming frosh status. Transfers often do NOT get good aid or merit.</p>
<p>Your SAT is good, but not high for many of those schools. UVA is rarely a safety, especially if you’re OOS. </p>
<p>What is your financial situation? Will your parents pay full freight wherever you go? If so, there are probably some mid-tier privates and maybe some publics that will still accept you.</p>
<p>Also…try some of the Jesuits, if you don’t mind Catholilc univs.</p>
<p>Rolling admission schools could be your answer. Check this thread:</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/354075-list-colleges-early-action-early-decision-rolling-admissions.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/354075-list-colleges-early-action-early-decision-rolling-admissions.html</a></p>
<p>Let me know if you have any questions about Clemson! They are still taking applications until May 1st</p>
<p>Before you apply anywhere else that takes an essay, I would have many people read your essays and see if there’s anything wrong with them.</p>
<p>If you have no where to go, your only option is community college. Then you can transfer to a college afterwards. (:</p>
<p>Lots of good advice on this thread. Additional thoughts: The private, independent universities are really big on the personal touch. My son is wait listed at GW, and they have bent over backwards in their letter to him saying in effect, “If you really WANT us as your top choice, fill out the form, fax it, and then call us on one of three days in April and tell us.” Then, I had a convo with an insider who confirmed exactly what I am telling you. So, if you really want a university, find out their appeals procedures (yes, some of the Big Names like Stanford have no appeals, but your wait lists obviously give you an insider’s possibility), and go for it! Good luck and do not despair.</p>