<p>Keep this thread alive it is very therapeutic!</p>
<p>It's true. </p>
<p>It can feel really unrewarding, to work your butt off throughout high school, waiting for the day when it all pays off, and this is what you get.</p>
<p>But remember, after college, you enter the real world, with a job. You have a better shot at getting a job you love by taking the right classes and internships at a 'reject' college than going to a big-name college and ending up a spoiled, arrogant brat (not saying that all top-tier kids are that, but some are). You'd have earned your spot in society, proving yourself to everyone that you don't need a 50,000 dollar college a year to show how spectacular you are.</p>
<p>It depends what your outlook was going in. I'm from the Midwest, so we're probably different than the East Coast people, but I grow up as the top schools being Wisconsin, Minnesota, Northwestern, Duke, MIT, Stanford, and Michigan. Yes, we recognize Harvard, Yale, Princeton etc. as top schools, but there is no real urgency for anyone to want to go to those places, or even apply for the most part. I swear, people here don't even acknowledge places like Washington University or University of Chicago as great schools like people do here. Not that they think they are bad, but for the most part, no one really knows about them. When people think of University of Chicago...they'll be thinking about University of Illinois - Chicago....and hear about those crappy dorms.</p>
<p>When I started my college search, I looked for the top schools in my major. I only applied to 4 schools...looked at five. Applied to 3 state flagships (Wisconsin, Missouri, and Texas) and Northwestern. Got into the three state schools, and waitlisted at Northwestern. I am very happy about my college options. Nothing against schools like Harvard, Columbia, Washington University, University of Chicago, etc....I'll be looking at them for grad school, definitely. But I'd rather pay a lot for grad school, than pay a lot for my undergrad. I'm going to be happy going to a state school, receiving a scholarship from them, and having a good time in a less cut throat environment.</p>
<p>Just be happy where you got in, don't dwell on where you didn't get in. Just use the places you didn't get in to put a chip on your shoulder, to drive you to do better at whatever school you do end up attending, so you can prove them wrong, and get into a good grad school, or be in a good position for a job after your undergrad experience.</p>
<p>Dude, I feel ya I was one of the best applicants of my class, worked my butt of maintaining a perfect GPA and 1510 SATs, did tons of activities, not because of college, but because I truly enjoyed them. And now that all has been said and done, I've been rejected from all of the colleges I was "supposed" to get into, and now I'm left with no choice but to go to Penn State. Don't get me wrong, its a great school, but its so hard telling everyone who expected so much from u that the best u could do was Penn State.</p>
<p>1520/1600 SAT
34 ACT
National Merit Finalist
Top 3% of class
4.2 GPA
1200+ hrs/year of ECs
2 HUGE leadership positions</p>
<p>Rejected at:</p>
<p>UCB
UCLA
Stanford</p>
<p>Waitlisted at:</p>
<p>Reed College (***?!?)</p>
<p>I feel like I got screwed. I mean, no one deserves to go to Stanford, but waitlisted at REED? What the hell is that?</p>
<p>I am going to sound like a total and complete brat right now, but I don't care. I skipped a flipping grade. I am the youngest in my class by at least a year and still managed to be in the top ten percent, and was elected class president for all four years - and I wasn't even always a member of their class! I get about six hours of sleep a night, if I'm lucky. I work two part time jobs and take all honors and ap classes. I have one of the highest SAT scores in my school (which, at a 1980, doesn't say much about my school) and volunteer my butt off on the weekends. I do the most ECs out of everyone in my school by far. It's horrible to know that I can only go to a waitlisted school if enough of the kids they actually wanted decided to go to a better school.</p>
<p>Top 3%
ELC
4.2 UC GPA
9 APs
Too many awards to name
4 years of XC / Track
3 Volunteer Clubs
Acadec Decath
30 ACT</p>
<p>Yet, I still get beat out by sub 1700 SAT, 3.8 W, no EC peers.</p>
<p>Rejected at:
UCLA / UCB</p>
<p>Yeah, I feel pretty robbed considering I basically slept at school for the past 4 years. I suppose its only undergrad.... but still that bitter feeling of rejection leaves a nasty taste in my mouth.</p>
<p>Counselors at my school especially stressed how getting this GPA with those ECs and that SAT score would guarantee me into a certain school.</p>
<p>If paying $3000+ for a professional college applicant specialist is the only way to guarantee acceptance into a top school, is it really worth it? Are students really so horrible on their own, doing the best that they can, that they aren't "good enough"?</p>
<p>Top 5%
ELC
4.1 UC GPA
8 APs
Full-time IB student
Several local/school academic awards
School Sports (Baseball, Basketball, Track)
President/VP of a club
4 yrs ethnic club
NHS
Academic Decathlon
Summer Job at biochemical laboratory</p>
<p>People with zero clubs, zero sports, lower SATs, lower GPA scores got in at UCLA/Berkeley, Northwestern.</p>
<p>I just don't know how to feel :/</p>
<p>I agree with pample but would like to offer insight.
Yes we've worked our butts off, sometimes missing out on fun hs experiences because we were so driven to get into a great university that would accurately reflect our work in hs. </p>
<p>And we don't want the world to judge all our work on our college choice. The way I see it, which is a terrible way to think, is if 'joe' got into university A with doing half the work as me I shouldnt go there because I have worked harder. And I hate how I think like this. It's just, in hs (public hs namely) we are all there by law and the name of the hs doesn't necessarily associate all the kids who go there as smart or otherwise, but after hs,, we have the opportunity to go to a place of higher learning that we can proudly say we attend. </p>
<p>I feel us hs-ers(myself included) get so caught up in attending a university that is WELL WORTH our work that we lose track of things like which university we will be happy at. Screw what everyone else thinks and try to choose the college that you will be content with. I wish everyone the best of luck and share in your frustrations.</p>
<p>In short, college decision week is the worst time ever to get PMS =/</p>
<p>i feel like i used to be really smart before the admission notifications started rolling in. but now I feel like crap.</p>
<p>kamalb90, what on earth are you worrying about??????</p>
<p>I just replied to your thread about civil engineering. You got into MIT!!! How on earth can you feel like crap??????</p>
<p>Additionally, you got into the top school for your major, UIUC.</p>
<p>Really now, you're admitted to the most prestigious engineering school in the nation and the highest ranked civil engineering school in the nation. Feel good about yourself!</p>
<p>I've been rejected, rejected, waitlisted, and deferred to schools I considered safeties and matches, no acceptances yet. I should just drop out and become a drug dealer...</p>
<p>Prothero I know its hard to receive rejections- I just got another rejection letter today- but u have to try and stay positive. Each rejection probably feels like somebody is kicking you when u r down but u will get through the admissions process. U probably have an acceptance letter on the way right now! Hold your head up high and just reach down deep inside of yourself and bring out any positive energy that u have left. U WILL BE SUCCESSFUL IN LIFE! :)</p>
<p>Omg, and I thoguht I was the only one feeling like this this week. For the past two weeks, I have not been able to sleep, eat, or concentrate in school because I am so anxious about decisions. The more I think about them, the more I start to feel like I overestimated my potential and aimed too high. I know i'm capable of going to a really good school and such.. but I'm not quite sure now if a simple application could represent all of me =/ Which it obviously can't.. I've onyl been rejected from one school so far.. Rice Univ, but being rejected is about the worst thing in the world >.< Sorry for my exaggeration.. but it is to me =/ I have no hope or confidence for the remaining 8 colleges I applied to, all of which are extremely hard to get into. I've been on College Confidential constantly these past few days and checked my mail a few times each day. I wish I didn't live so far from all these colleges, so I could get the letters earlier lol.. Like you all, I worked so hard these past four years to end up going to a state school and calling it quits. I cry every time I think of what would happen if this does happen, and I'm not really quite sure if I'm able to take it. Alas, the waiting and agony continues and when Monday reaches around, I hope the best for all of you.</p>
<p>one acceptance at safety, one rejection, one waitlist...I'm going to feel a lot worse after Mar. 31.</p>
<p>Guidence counselors really let me down. Said I had a very good list. 3 reaches, 4 good matches and 4 safties.
So far I was waitlisted at 2 safties, denied at 2 matches and rejected by my number 1 school. It didn't help that all of the schools had a record number of applicants. Makes me mad a disproportionate amount got in ea. I'm honestly crushed and am expecting rejections from my last 4 schools and not getting in to my top 3 or my dream school after all the work I put in and have lost hope. I guess I'm just not ''special" enough...</p>
<p>To some people who are wondering why they weren't accepted: often colleges are looking at things besides statistics, so... An impressive GPA and SAT score doesn't mean you're automatically a fit for the school.</p>
<p>Well, so far I've been accepted by 2 schools, both safeties, and waitlisted by one. The school that waitlisted me actually was a surprise, considering my weighted GPA's only 3.2 (much lower than their average) and I only have one AP (Studio Art). I'm grateful that they didn't reject me!</p>
<p>Remember, there is always the option of attending a good state school (saves money), and transferring into your "dream" school after two years. There are definite advantages to this if you are committed.</p>
<p>-Gives you time to mature
-Allows you to find out what your interests really are before you commit to a larger, more expensive university. You will enter that school with more focus.
-If you are at the top of your class and active on campus, it shows your "dream" school that you are serious about your education</p>
<p>If you don't get into your top schools, don't fret. Your dreams are not over. You may even find in a year or two that your "dream" school is not even where you want to go anymore!</p>