*While the statistics lessons are no doubt interesting to some, they have wandered off topic in the sense that they don’t really apply to this situation. After all, there is no real data to perform statistical analysis with and therefore we cannot know which of these general concepts apply, if any. So let’s get out of the weeds and back to generalities. Any further statistical lessons will simply be deleted.
FYI, I have been in private discussions with the OP more than enough to know that he is quite real and this is not a prank.*
You actually could have been rejected from your safety as well! Because you were well OVER-QUALIFIED for that school, and are actually lucky (in some way!) to not ending up in a cc with all your academic achievements. I don’t mean to be sarcastic but I really think you could have lost that chance too!
The 911 versus Civic comparison is like comparing a high end specialty school like Caltech or Juilliard or RISD with an inexpensive good generalized school. Most students would fit better at the “Civic” school than the “911” school, but a few will find the “911” school to be optimized for their needs and wants.
One way the Focus feels nicer than the BMW 3-series is that you can get a Focus with cloth seats, instead of vinyl or leather that the BMW 3-series comes with.
@uclaparent9 What you just said makes no sense. With his stats, I would get into one of those “elite” schools. I would easily get into UCLA with those stats that’s for sure.
@PurpleTitan His uncertainty is probably what cost him as I’m sure it showed through his tone. Some of the smartest people I know become engineers and scientists only to work their whole lives for others as just a number, an asset.
Thank you for posting your story and your postmortem. It is critical for future applicants to see that amazing students like yourself can be shut out of whole swaths of schools. I believe it is so easy for prospective students to read that a school accepts 10% of applicants and feel like there is little chance that they would belong to the 90% by justifying to themselves why they don’t belong in that group, so hearing a real story helps.
Again, thank you for your post, and I am sure you will go on to do great things.
I don’t happen to be an engineer or scientist, but this is pretty demeaning. Some of the smartest people I know are scientists or engineers, and are really happy with their jobs. Some people accomplish a lot in those jobs, too. You don’t have to be the boss to be successful in life. I know a lot of people who have become a lot less happy as they have moved up the career ladder away from those jobs, too.
@PurpleTitan Hmmm. With about 10 paragraphs of achievements, I’d be quite certain too. You know that one Rocky quote? I think it applies well here. Do you think that Rocky ever thought less of himself after a loss? No, he got back up and kept going. All I’m saying is that I believe OP can get up and try again and succeed. He has no reason to be uncertain of himself.
Rocky is a movie. It’s not real life.
Based on the OP’s application list and the apparently poor advice from his GC, the OP overestimated his chances of admission. How he presented his accomplishments (in his activities list/resume, essay and/or interview) we do not know. But if he came across in the aggressive way you are suggesting, @mightbecrazy, most of us think that could and probably would backfire.
You indicate elsewhere that you were a middling HS student and took time off from college, with plans to return to a University this fall. Hopefully you didnt use an officious tone in your transfer app.
Hi again everyone, just wanted to respond to an earlier comment that seemed to think I’m saying would have given up some things I loved like playing piano if it would help me for college admits. That’s not at all what I’m saying. If anything, knowing what I know now I would have done more, worked harder on an independent research project and first-author a publication, been more active as captain of Mathletes, become captain of my sports teams - not just for colleges but because I’m passionate about those things.
What I want future readers to take away is that just because you did something for four years and are passionate about something, doesn’t mean you have to put it down on your college app, because you don’t live your life for your college app. It’s OK to leave stuff off. I know the sense of pride and ownership you get of things you’re passionate about and you’ve put effort into and want other people to see that. It’s very satisfying, but that’s not necessarily what colleges are looking for. They’re looking for a cohesive narrative for why they should admit you, and anything that distracts from that can actually hurt your application.
I don’t have anything of substance to add to this discussion but @rejectedlion2016, you sound like an amazing and impressive person and I wish you the very best. That you have been able to experience these denials and instead of becoming bitter, have been reflective, thoughtful, and positive tells me a lot about you. I have no doubt that we will be reading about your accomplishments in the future.