<p>So, at the forefront of this application experience, I was pretty pessimistic. I applied to a lot of highly selective colleges simply in the hopes of perhaps getting into a few of them. Don't get me wrong, I'm a good student (4.0 UW, 2200 SAT, etc) but I lack those extra experiences that make applicants pop... or so I thought.</p>
<p>I initially didn't even consider myself a top applicant from my school, but now that I've received such good news about being a top applicant/scholarship finalist at USC and Cal and that I'm "likely" to be admitted into a top LAC, I can't help but hoping a bit too much that my luck will continue. And fellow students I considered to have better applications than me haven't received the same opportunities... it's all so confusing.</p>
<p>Should I raise my hopes from my initial pessimism, or do I still assume for the worst? I feel like my hopes for getting into my reaches are increasing as I've been named a "top applicant" at other selective schools, and I don't know whether that's a good thing or a bad thing.</p>
<p><a href=“4.0%20UW,%202200%20SAT,%20etc”>quote</a> … I’ve received such good news about being a top applicant/scholarship finalist at USC and Cal and that I’m “likely” to be admitted into a top LAC, I can’t help but hoping a bit too much that my luck will continue.
[/quote]
Doesn’t sound like luck to me.</p>
<p>Of course don’t expect to get into your reaches, but you shouldn’t be pessimistic.</p>
<p>Yeah, I know what you’re saying. And I don’t deny that I’m a competitive applicant when it comes to academics, but when you get to a higher level, it has to become so much more than that, because there are so many applicants with the same/better stats.</p>
<p>I guess I’m asking the unanswerable because none of us know exactly what adcoms looking for or how they go about finding it, but meh. I just need to sit tight… three more weeks of agony. Haha.</p>
<p>When it comes to an application, how important are certain things? My grades are good, my test scores are average for Ivy’s, the teachers/counselor who wrote my recs are intelligent and kind, and I’ve always considered myself to be a good essay writer.</p>
<p>But what it comes down to is those dang extracurriculars. I’ve dabbled in a few things but I don’t have an impressive list of awards and competitions and official positions in that respect. So that’s gonna be what holds me back. Is there a lot of weight on that aspect of the app in particular?</p>
<p>While activities are important at the “top college” level, they are not as important as grades or scores. I would also venture to say that essays are more telling than activities for most (<em>most</em>) applicants.</p>
<p>Well I danced full time the first two years of high school (6 days/week, at least 4 hrs/day) and that pretty much dominated my life. I actually wrote my essay about finding out I needed to find a more balanced lifestyle and getting more involved and such. Now, I’m a Link Crew leader (leading a class of freshmen for the year), I’m in ASB (which is huge and does everything on campus… big time commitment), and I do a recycling club and Interact and class committee at a lower level of involvement. I’ve been doing these activities junior&senior year.</p>
<p>So they’re somewhat normal, you know? I can’t compare in this arena to people who dedicate their lives to their extracurriculars.</p>
<p>Excuse me but do you realize how stuck-up you sound? are you just trying to show off or something? Sorry if you aren’t, but I just don’t get what the deal is. You are done with all the applications, yes? You have nothing to do but wait, yes? Are you seriously worrying this much about whether you “should be less hopeful” or not?</p>
<p>I still don’t know if you’re just being neurotic or trying to make yourself feel good by showing off on the Internet, but either way, what will happen will happen and there’s not much you can do now, if I understand correctly, so just stop and calm down, take a break, ok?</p>
<p>I think more people get accused of showing off on this website than actually do. The alternative, which I think is true, is that so many people get caught up in the stress of college admissions, they begin doubting everything.</p>
<p>wadawada, you didn’t say what schools you were aiming for, but with everything you’ve said, you’ll end up somewhere good for sure.</p>
<p>I don’t question the OPs motives, but I don’t understand what they’re really asking. Are you too hopeful, too pessimistic, not hopeful enough, etc., etc.?</p>
<p>It doesn’t matter. In a few weeks, you’re options will become clear. There’s nothing you can do now but wait.</p>
<p>As I read through this again, the main worry I had was that I sounded arrogant or something horrible like that, which I assure you I had no intention of doing. This isn’t me trying to “show off” or get pity or get reassurance or anything like that… sometimes stress just gets to people, you know? I was simply thinking out loud through the wrong medium.</p>
<p>It’s always lovely to be called neurotic by strangers… I’ve always been hard on myself, now I just need to relax and acknowledge that everything that remains is out of my control.</p>
<p>So thank you all for your input, whether good or bad.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t be pessimistic about it. While you definitely shouldn’t expect admission to any of your reaches, you shouldn’t be expecting rejection based both on the brief picture of your stats you’ve given and on your success so far.</p>
<p>I’d be hopeful, but wouldn’t let my hopes get out of control. It sounds like you have a chance at your reaches, but with reaches, you never can know for sure.</p>
<p>The last thing I’d do in your position is be pessimistic about my chances. Sure, you’ll probably get some reach rejections, but you probably won’t be rejected by <em>all</em> of your reaches.</p>
<p>I totally understand your confusion. I’m in a similar boat. I’ve got a really good response from Wellesley, which I thought I was in the “what a joke of an application” pile. But still, the waiting. You start reconsidering everything you did, each word you wrote. (At least that’s what I’ve done.) So if you’ve ever thought you’re crazy for being so confused, don’t be.
I’d say you’re in a solid place. I’d follow RedSeven’s advice. Actually, I will be. (thanks Red Seven)
Just keep on trucking. You’ll go where you’re meant to be.</p>
<p>To OP: Sorry if I was a bit harsh yesterday, I was not in the greatest of moods, and seeing you worry about getting into all these top colleges while I’m working my butt off to maintain a C kinda set me off. But I see now I was wrong, I wish you the best of luck wherever you end up going. You should really relax for now, though :)</p>
<p>Thank you all, you’re quite lovely people! It’s just getting so intense at this point… I’ll definitely be following the same advice as clairede, so thank you RedSeven. And BillyMc and all of you.</p>
<p>Happy waiting, and I wish you all the best of luck! :)</p>