<p>this is SO true. As a hs senior taking classes at a local community college, I have encountered people and profs from all walks of life who have differing levels of enthusiasm for what they do.</p>
<p>for example, my organic chemistry prof was a high school dropout who later got her Ph.d from Caltech. My microbiology prof writes the standard text in her field(which we used in her class)</p>
<p>My lab partners/ friends from cc have all been very hardworking and deserving. one of my best friends is an immigrant from Myanmar who is taking a 20 unit courseload and maintaining a 4.0 while holding down a job to pay for all his expenses. As an international student, he gets no fa. It really heartens me to see people working so very hard. It goes to show that acceptance to an "Ivy" is not necessarily a guarantor of anything past the four years that you will spend there.</p>
<p>The aforementioned sentiments of being successful no matter at which college one has chosen to attend were expressed to me by all my alum interviewers. And to tell you the truth, when I looked up the bios of the alums, they were much more detailed than simply "attended HYP". It shows that these alums actually used their education and contacts</p>
<p>one of the most welcoming tidbit of information I found browsing the rhodes scholar website is that a lot of the scholars were from non-hyper selective institutions <em>gasps</em></p>
<p>As for me, I'm looking forward to Duke. Every time I visit their website, I am more enthusiastic about attending.</p>
<p>As for connections, I have cultivated a few ties with local and state politicians such that I have a standing offer to intern any time I choose to. I also cultivated a connection with my congressman(Chairman of the Rules committee and a big honcho) which allowed me to get a job offer from the State Department because of my unique language(Armenian( I initially tried to intern at the US embassy but was dissuaded when I found that security clearances couldnt be given to 16 year olds :D))</p>
<p>oh well, as boston globe editorial about the rejection letter noted. "I have a life to live"</p>
<p>PS. I have become more cognizant that I have to watch what I write because a future political opponent might find these threads..... lol :D</p>
<p>I think that's definitely true. There are many bright, promising, amibitious students who don't go to elite, highly-selective institutions. Perhaps they wanted or needed to stay close to home, or maybe for financial or other reasons accepted a free ride from a lesser-name school eager to have them.</p>
<p>I think sometimes people get a little too wrapped up in the mean test scores and gpas when looking at an institution. The mean is a helpful measure, but it's incomplete.</p>
<p>So true...
A cousin of my brother in law was always a top student. Graduated #1 in her HS class, had 1560 on her SATs and had all honors and AP classes. She was also a classical musician. She was accepted to Princeton, Yale and many other top schools. Her mother became very ill during Sr year of HS and since she was a single mom with only 1 child, her D was all she had. D decided to stay close to home and take care of mom. Went to Rutgers on a full scholarship while living at home. Graduated #1 with all kinds of awards and honors. Went on to grad school, just finished, and again graduated at the top of her class. She is now a molecular bioligist with a top pharmacutical company. No matter where you go, you get what you give. A good student will shine anywhere and doors will be open to them. BTW..she never felt like she was intellectually above her peers in college, she made many friends and was quite happy.</p>
<p>Beautiful success story with a heart - thanks for sharing Yankeegirl.</p>
<p>The whole concept of finding an intellectually compatable base of friends anywhere - in school or out - is an important one to remember. It can be done - there's almost always a kindred spirit or two out there, if one is willing to put oneself out a bit to find them. :)</p>
<p>Ditto Hoedown: about mean SAT's gpa's not telling the whole story about what type of students inhabit a college campus.</p>
<p>I'm amazed that parents/students think that if they take the fantastic merit $$$ at a "lesser" school that they won't find adequate numbers of similar students or that they won't be academically challenged enough. I don't know how they "know" this? Do they think they will be the only one accepting the merit aid or joining the honors program? And unless you attend an extremely small (<2000) college, do students really feel that they will know each and every student in their college, let alone their class yr, & discover them all to be intellectually beneath them?</p>
<p>I don't think most colleges below the Ivy's & top 25, fall into such a deep trough, with regard to academic rigor and intellectual challenge - they are not the "desert" as ifly stated so well.</p>
<p>i think it's a little funny too, when some parents will encourage their kids to "go off across the country","go to some state/region you've never been before for your college experience..." but just make sure that eveyone there has the same type/style of academic achievement and ambition as you do.</p>