<p>I was so excited when I opened my mailbox and there was a big, fat package from Princeton. I'm still excited but I'm starting to feel a little uneasy too. I feel like I am not really worthy of being accepted, especially when I read the phenomenal stats and accomplishments of so many students who were rejected or waitlisted. Is anyone else feeling like this?</p>
<p>I'm smart, but I'm not a genius, not even close. My grades have always been A's up until this year but this year I will probably get two B's, and not because of senioritis. Science has been my strong suit but AP calculus and physics (regular) are really hard for me. Meanwhile other accepted students finished AP calculus years ago and are now taking advanced math at local colleges and breezing though AP physics.</p>
<p>Also, I come from a pretty poor school system. I am not sure that an A from my high school really means that much. I am sure that most of the other accepted students have been taught things and exposed to things that I am totally clueless about.</p>
<p>I realize that I am freaking myself out, but I am worried that I will disappoint my teachers, my parents, Princeton, and most of all myself. --coldcomfort</p>
<p>Heck yes I am worthy. I played college game so cocky that I was sure to get accepted by one of the top colleges. In fact, my entire resume is sooo stacked I would say "no one" has followed my path of ECs, which I've yet to see while viewing these threads.</p>
<p>I started feeling a little uneasy and got "over" getting into Princeton, but I've literally been on cloud 9 since I got in since it means a ton for me and who I can meet.</p>
<p>I'm not a genius either, but you don't have to be a genius to make a ton of cash.</p>
<p>By the way, did those smart kids in college math get into Princeton?</p>
<p>Given the opportunity, I don't know anyone who would say "no" to Princeton unless they would have to take out a huge loan... even that is short sited though, considering you'll be able to make the 200K probably in a year or so.</p>
<p>Same here. I definitely was an accident... The "we thought very hard about each and every one of you" thing really doesn't ring true to my heart. But hey, we can try, can't we?</p>
<p>There should be something like an Unworthy-Feeling People Support Group. ;)</p>
<p>but seriously, I know how you feel... when I got my ED acceptance package, I honestly wasn't even excited at first, I was just so terrified, because I hadn't expected it at all and was so intimidated by the caliber of the other applicants... </p>
<p>I've since gotten used to the fact that I will never be the Golden Boy whom every admires and has blind confidence in, like in high school, but I think that's a good thing...</p>
<p>And people who take Calculus at local colleges make me sick and I hate them.... because I'm really insecure... so venting like this really helps...</p>
<p>Yeah, man. I'm taking AP Calculus AB right now IN SCHOOL! Bahaha! And I'm also taking a non-honors business course! And I've only had 3 AP's! I'm going to die in college but now I know I might not die alone.</p>
<p>I want to vent too! Someone once told me about his college admissions speech (I dont remember which) where the speaker told them, "I know that you guys are used to being in the top 10-20% of your school. Just know that 50% of you will be in the bottom 50% of the class." How frightening. You'd NEVER think it might be you. ever.</p>
<p>Every once in a while I feel like all my achievements in high school are being acknowledged at last ...but most of the time I'm cowering in the corner of my room with comfort food (figuratively), wondering how I'm going to survive with 1200 geniuses for the next four years. But hey, we got in, right? Out of the massive pool of stellar applicants, they saw something in us that was right for the school.</p>
<p>At April Hosting, one of the staff members said, "You'll probably spend the first few weeks wondering how the heck you got into this school. Then you'll spend the rest of your four years wondering how the heck everyone else got in." I think we'll just have to trust their judgement :)</p>
<p>Oh my gosh... you all have no idea how comforting it is to me that others feel the same way I do. I think I deserved to get in just based on grades, SATs, and recs, but I keep thinking I never deserved such good recs, that I'm just a good test taker, and that my school (a public HS, the only one in the rural county in which I live) isn't that great and that my A doesn't mean nearly as much as an A at a prep school or selective public school. I just worry how I'll be able to keep my self esteem up at Pton. I've been kind of a big fish in a small pond my whole life, but even so, I can't deal with it when the girl ranked 2nd right behind me has some huge success and I suddenly feel lesser... and then at Princeton I'll be a tiny fish in a huge pond, and I won't have my friends and family with me to boost my confidence. I'm sorry to rant like this, but my huge fear has been weighing really heavily on my mind lately, and I'm afraid about how I'll stay afloat at Princeton. But at least some of us will be in this together, right?</p>
<p>OMG I'm not the only one who thinks like this. What really freaked me out was seeing and hearing of all these 8th graders who took the AP Calc BC exam and aced it... and here I am- going to Princeton, and if it weren't for all the study, I'd have quite a bit of a fix going into the test. I wonder "how can I compete with these geniuses".</p>
<p>I don't want to be in the bottom 50% ... although thats not as bad as it sounds since it is after all- Princeton</p>
<p>we should start our own society- the insecures '10 :)</p>
<p>Maybe we can have weekly meetings to share some unexpected success stories, vent frustration, and boost everyone's self-esteem over chocolate ice cream or something. :)</p>
<p>Yeah I definitely agree. I have more reasons to feel unworthy than anyone else posted on this board. As a matter of fact, i'm actually worried if I'll be able to graduate. </p>
<p>I'm just going to take it a day at a time and soak the experience in. I don't care if I fail out, I'm going to get at much out of it as I possibly can. I mean, this is a once in a lifetime thing; i'm just happy to be able to say I was a part of it.</p>
<p>Feeling unworthy now might actually be a good sign. At least you won't walk in cocky and end up with a huge shock. And you never know... perhaps you've underestimated youself.</p>
<p>I'm a junior in a somewhat similar situation to what coldcomfort described. The general underperformance with a capital U at my school makes it rather difficult to figure out exactly what my grades mean. I get an insight into this every once in a while, like at science competitions with top students from other schools, etc., but otherwise it's pretty mysterious.</p>
<p>Some thoughts from a parent:
1. You are worthy. Princeton selected you from among many worthy applicants. In terms of the academic work, if Princeton let you in it means that you can do the work, you can graduate, and you will. After all, Princeton has a 99% graduation rate.
2. It is natural to go in having performance anxiety. That will quickly dissipate.
3. Most of the students at Princeton are very intelligent and gifted, but they are not geniuses. Most of the students are just like you - talented and gifted, future contributors to the world, but not the next Mozart or Einstein.
4. Number 3 notwithstanding, Princeton will be for many of you the first time that you will not be the smartest one in your class. It will be humbling for some of you that you may try your very best in a class and you may have a classmate who does not try as hard and still does better than you. But thats what also makes Princeton great; there are so many people, including your fellow students, from whom to learn.
I think there was a very similar thread last year. There are probably students every year who think what you are thinking now. Fear not. You will survive and you will thrive. I am tempted to close with good luck, but you really wont need it because you already have what it takes to succeed.</p>
<p>I look forward to being around a large, diverse group of smart students who challenge me academically. However good you are, or however much you love what subject you do, there's bound to be someone with greater aspirations who just motivates you to work harder. I think the whole inferiority issue s understandable, but don't get stuck on it because you were accepted after all (i'm a rising junior).
btw, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlzH3Dmm14Y%5B/url%5D">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlzH3Dmm14Y</a>, especially the first minute or so</p>
<p>Hehe I can totally imagine having an insecure '10s meeting... and 600 of the '10s will show up. Some others might be too insecure to show up at the insecure meeting. There wouldn't be enough room or enough ice cream in whereever we decided to have the meeting, so we'll all just be standing there staring at one another. :p</p>
<p>Forget competition. It'll be mindbending just to be there and absorb everything.</p>
<p>I am actually terrified of starting school, but I talked to my brother about the whole situation and he told me, basically, that if you work harder than you've ever worked in your entire life, you'll both be successful and have a great time. There are kids at Princeton who get caught up in drinking or video games or whatever and don't work ... hello bottom 10%. We all got in because we are capable of doing well at Princeton if we care enough to really really work.</p>