<p>I guess I kind of need some advice to pick me up, but here goes. I'm a junior, and I'm smart and talented by most standards. I have a 4.0 with a rigorous courseload and really apply myself in the community and in everything I do. However, when it comes to crunch time, I always seem to "almost" make it. This seems to be a recurring theme. In middle school, I made it to the final day of lacrosse tryouts, and "nearly" made the select all-star lacrosse team. Freshman year I ran for student government (something I'd been in since 4th grade) and got past the preliminary voting and "almost" became a class senator. I volunteer at a recreational facility for special needs children, and my initiative to get a grant for an exercise program for the overweight clients "almost" got approved, but it was shutdown at the state level. I'm a member of a business competition club, and each time I've made it to the state competition, I've been a "runner up" and "alternate" for the international competition each time, with no success in getting called up. It's kind of like a recurring waitlist with no success. That all led up to today, when I was "waitlisted" by a prestigious summer program. I'm truly a positive person, and this "almost" thing hasn't really struck me until now, but with my luck, odds are I'm going to end up rejected. All of this, I'm hoping, isn't going to carry over to college admissions, the ultimate goal of all of these activities I've been involved with since junior high. I'm applying to some prestigious schools next year, with some fallbacks of course, but I fear this theme is going to continue on. I'd love some guidance on how to deal with this and potentially make it a "yes" and not an "almost".</p>
<p>Stop fishing for compliments and accept that second place is still much better than most people get. You’re not going to win everything; a lot of people don’t win anything. If you base your self-worth on business competitions and summer programs, you’ve got to reevaluate your priorities.</p>
<p>“I have a 4.0 with a rigorous courseload and really apply myself in the community and in everything I do.”</p>
<p>The implication being that therefore you deserve to win stuff, right? Well, you don’t. Most of the time in life, someone will be better than you.</p>
<p>I understand what you mean, but cheer up! You’re doing great! I know life feels like a great big competition, and truthfully, it is. You compete for summer programs, college admissions, and job opportunities. You won’t be the best at everything, and you won’t get everything. I (and many, many other people) have never made to a state/international competition. At all. You need to leave what’s in the past behind, including all of the “almost” and “would be” moments. Don’t dwell on them because in 20 yrs, they won’t matter. My advice is to just move on. It can be hard to swallow disappointment, but it’s for your own good. (Not saying give up, btw. Just keep moving forward ;p). Good luck!</p>
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