<p>Okay, so I feel like I am letting myself down and that I am becoming an under-achiever.
All throughout middle school was so determined to getting accepted into an Ivy League school, such as Yale or the University of Pennsylvania. But, I recently realized that I have a significantly less chance of getting accepted into those types of schools. I am going to try my absolute best in high school, but the competition is rough, obviously. The competition is so intimidating and overwhelming, and I feel like I have no chance. Should I continue to strive for the Ivy Leagues? Am I just being realistic, or am I setting the bar low for myself? </p>
<p>Also, when I say that the competition is rough, I mean like they have superior ECs, grades in AP, Honors classes, volunteering hours, talents, skills, etc...</p>
<p>I am going to be freshman soon, if that provides any direction for your answer/ advice. Thank you in advance!
By the way, I plan to major in Biology and I am looking for colleges with good Cardiology programs if you have any advice on colleges that are less competitive. </p>
Shouldn’t you try your best regardless of your chances at these schools? How would your behavior actually change if you stopped “striving for the Ivy Leagues”?</p>
<p>Well, I guess my behavior wouldn’t change at all. I just feel like I don’t want to overload on reach schools that I probably won’t get accepted to. I will see have to see how my grades play out to determine what schools will be realistic or not.
I guess I developed this idea in middle school that if I don’t get accepted into an Ivy League school that I probably won’t have a great career, which is absolutely ridiculous. That thought is kind of sticking a bit, I just want reassurance there are really good schools out there for me besides the very competitive group.
I am going to try my best no matter what, but I can’t help but feel like my best isn’t good enough for Yale or the University of Pennsylvania. And, I had my heart pretty set on Yale or the University of Pennsylvania in middle school. </p>
<p>Don’t count yourself out before you even get into the game. And don’t reach for an Ivy and feel like a failure when you don’t get in. There are thousands of amazing kids who don’t get into Ivies and find homes at other great schools with generous merit scholarships. It’s okay. I think everyone’s “Ivy bubble” is burst at some point, when you realize this far-fetched dream is exactly that and getting into/attending an Ivy won’t change your life or that the name of your school won’t build you a career. You sound smart and ambitious, so don’t get discouraged, really. Where you go to college is what you make out of it. You can go to the state flagship/honors college, kick @$$ for four years working hard, participate in internships and research, and build a great career. Plus you’ll graduate with minimal debt (cause you’ve got merit scholarships) and you’ve really got the last laugh over Ivy graduates. School isn’t everything. It’s about what’s best for you and you’ll end up somewhere that’s good for you.</p>
You’re not expected to make your final college list right now. Your first post just gave me the idea that you’re going to stop working hard if you decide that Ivy League schools are unrealistic for you, which is silly because your dream of going to one seems to come entirely from hearing people talk about how prestigious they are and not from any actual research about what kind of college would be best for you. The things people do to get into prestigious colleges (studying, getting high test scores, doing ECs, etc.) will benefit you no matter where you end up going.
For the record, you’ll have to do things like this no matter where you go. Prestige is helpful on some level (I’m not sure exactly how much, and it depends on your field anyway), but it’s not like they hand you a job after you graduate from Harvard just because it’s prestigious.
The need-based aid at Ivy League schools (and similar) is very good in most cases. </p>
<p>@halcyonheather That is true that Ivies tend to have generous need aid (more money they have = more money they give), but I was kind of using the example of a really smart kid who, while they couldn’t quite get into an Ivy, is more than qualified to sweep up merit (not need) scholarships at “less prestigious” schools, like a state flagship or maybe a smaller private (which may be less expensive anyway). You are also right about prestige helping, but like you said the name isn’t going to get you a job. Many get caught up in a name; they forget that there are many paths to success.</p>
<p>I speak from the perspective of someone who has never had a family member in an Ivy League school and quite frankly what I want in a school differs from what many of the Ivies have. Focus on building yourself, finding yourself, and the right school and the good grades will follow. Don’t get trapped into thinking that those schools are the only ones for you, because I know of people who hated them, because they got put into this mindset that these are the only schools for them and the rest are beneath them.</p>