<p>To answer the question, YEAH. definitely. I thought the people I surround myself with were intense (many of my friends are getting-into-college-crazy like me), but when I joined this site...dang.</p>
<p>You guys make me want to study harder so I don't have to compete with people like you! lol... :)</p>
<p>Opportunity never knocks on your door. You have to go out and strangle it.</p>
<p>I agree with drsarah...she is a doctor after all. I thought I was hardcore with my 1350/1600 when I got here. But I think it is incredibly important to surround oneself with those that motivate. At my current school, I had no motivation to do much better as I thought I was doing fine. When I got here, I realized how much better I could and should do.</p>
<p>I think this should be an EC. :) On our apps, we should be able to put how many posts we had on College Confidential to show how passionate we are about college. CC has been recognized in the media now, so they'd probably know what you're talking about. That'd be funny - just randomly mention how obsessed you are and that you should be accepted because you cared that much more.</p>
<p>lol,that's such a good idea brand_182 This website has definetly motivated me to work a lot harder but my friends think it has turned me into a psycho lol.</p>
<p>Perhaps some of it has to do with the schools that many people on these boards are applying to. People who are applying to an Ivy or a well-known school will find other people who are applying to the same school, and they can talk and share experiences. However, people who are looking at some state schools aren't likely to find as high a number of people on this website looking at the same schools.</p>
<p>If I apply to Columbia, there are loads of other people on this board who are applying there too. But if I am applying to SUNY Purchase or the local community college, there are going to be far fewer (if any) people who are looking into the same schools.</p>
<p>In addition to what ChickenSoup said, people who are applying to state schools don't need to look too hard to find others who are doing the same.</p>
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Opportunity never knocks on your door. You have to go out and strangle it.
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<p>That's hilarious. I would include stalking and strangling.</p>
<p>I'm taking a summer course with UC Berkeley's ATDP, and it's an afternoon class. that's why it doesn't start til 1
normally my school starts at 8 or 8:45, then I'm in bed anywhere from 2 to 4 on a late study night</p>
<p>some of us can't fall asleep early anyway</p>
<p>I went to sleep last night at 3am ( or would that be this morning? whatever) and slept until 2:30pm....but I have no excuse, I'm on vacations hehe :)</p>
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Yeah MrMatt im with you. My gpa isnt great (3.0) and Im here. It seems like most people on this site have to be the best at everything and stay up till 3 every morning doing homework. They cant think about being in a school outside the top 25. Honestly, who wants to take 13 APs. Some people here need social lives.
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<p>Most of those people like myself appreciate knowledge and like to learn. People like yourself are those that care about getting drunk, high, and doing stupid crap.</p>
<p>Secondly. I only stay up to 1am or so because I want to. I get my work done efficiently and in a timely manner because I'm not watching Oprah on how not to gourge myself and how to loose weight.</p>
<p>I consider myself a pretty good student, (alright, alright, quit shutting me down!) but ever since i came to explore all the things that one student can do in a 24 hour period every day (as in looking at "can i get into HYPS?" chances post) made me both sick and worried.</p>
<p>is this what I come to? a bunch of lists of things i did in high school, what i got on my APs, what my SAT scores were? is it?</p>
<p>yes, actually, i believe it does. now i do. which is why i think i've gotten a bit depressed that i actually found this site. but you know, what can you do, right? i just have to apply now, and see what happens to all of us....which one of us has better "chances".</p>
<p>i don't know. maybe i'm just speaking on behalf of all of us hopeful, never-enough-for-ivy-schools that stare at the chances post and wonder what the heck i've done with my life the past 4 years.</p>
<p>a good way to think of it (if you're going to school after undergraduate) is that you've got another 4 years to get into a great grad school, and it really isn't THAT big of a deal if you go to a second or even third tier school. Just keep that determination up, have fun in college, and you can always go to one of the great graduate schools with your new record.</p>
<p>Yes this site is generally depressing to look at, every one seems stellar and ready to conquer the world, but at least you know that there are people like that out there. Though at the same time, when you apply all you can do is expect the worst and hope for the best, at least that's how I went into it, but oh well, I promise you once April 1st passes everything that you ever worried about will be forgotten and for that you can be thankful. So good luck and reach for the stars.</p>
<p>stop blowing everything out of proportion, people. </p>
<p>CC only attracts people who are motivated and concerned about college admissions, because those who don't care wouldn't be interested in this site. it just so happens that most strongly motivated people are bright and excel academically.</p>
<p>moreover, it's totally rational to be concerned about getting into elite colleges, because it's really hard to do so. if you wanted to attend HYPS, wouldn't you try to maximize your chances? these forums are a great place to find advice on how to do so.</p>
<p>furthermore, it's ridiculous to get upset when you meet people who you consider to be more accomplished than yourself. it's not only arrogant, but ridiculous to deem yourself to be "the best" and then get mad when you meet someone who makes you reconsider. personally, when i meet people who i think are smarter/more motivated/whatever than me, i strive to improve myself instead of throwing tantrums and wasting my time wondering why i can't be like him/her.</p>
<p>finally, doing well academically and having great extracurriculars doesn't necessarily mean that one can't have a social life. besides making lots of good friends in school, one can make friends within an extracurricular community. some of my best friends are debate or physics enthusiasts like myself, and i find such relationships with those kinds of people much more enjoyable and rewarding than friendships with random people in my neighborhood. my neighbor is a high-school dropout who has been in jail a number of times for vandalism, and i certainly wouldn't want to spend my weekends spray-painting obsceneties on mailboxes.</p>
<p>the dichotomy between school and "social life" is a false one, and anyone who has invested a significant amount of time in an activity knows that the two are miscible.</p>