<p>Oh, I just realized I'm example #3 on your list. No wonder that sounded so darn familiar. ;)</p>
<p>Competition's getting insane. Yes, these days it's much harder to get into the elite schools, like the others said. And I happen to be a perfectionist who won't settle for less, so I get all worked up when I realize that OTHER people are doing more and doing so well. I start worrying that I'm not good enough, not worthy, not accomplished enough. That's when I start panicking and trying to find ways to bring myself up. </p>
<p>Well I don't know, it just didn't seem as if a black belt in Karate could compare with kids who have like 3 patents, were finalists in some insane contests, went to Africa to help the AIDS kids, etc etc.</p>
<p>So, do you think I can add to my college resume the fact that I get about 8.5-9 hours of sleep every night? I don't understand how people can only get four or five hours of sleep because of the school work. Do they really think they can improve their work by depriving themselves of sleep? Here's a tip: Make yourself stop and go to bed. You might find that your grades improve. I know from experience.</p>
<p>Most kids on this board just study. That is why they get good grades. American schools are too easy. I am a lot dumber than my parents, but I still pull of straight As and decent SATs. </p>
<p>YAY for not thinking this all matters!!! Honestly, I've watched way too many of my friends burn out!!! Have fun!!!</p>
<p>At most, go to college and have fun!!! I never thought about going to any Ivies or anything because to me, the fun part of college will be the last few years of...coolness before I have to grow up...</p>
<p>YAY!!! </p>
<p>ps. I am addicted to exclamation marks, sorry...</p>
<p>I'm glad some of you agree with me. However, a large percentage of you remind me of the freepers at freerepublic.com. Panning the "Ivy or bust" mentality here is like posting "Ann Coulter sucks" on freerepublic.com. Just as freepers include people who would still support George W. Bush even if he ate a baby live on TV, there are people here who would STILL participate in the Academic Performance Cult even if the presidents of all the Ivy League colleges set their college libraries ablaze live on TV.</p>
<p>PLEASE save the repressive anti-freedom Kool-Aid for Ann Coulter, Bill O'Reilly, Rick Santorum, George W. Bush, Darth Cheney, Jim Nussle, Alan Keyes, Trent Lott, and the Saudi Dakota legislature.</p>
<p>jhsu, you are my hero, and seemingly one of the few voices of reason on this board. I just wanted to say that, because all of the students so few people seem to realize or even agree with all of the 14 points you brought up.</p>
<p>Thanks for making this thread, and I hope people posting here really consider the previously mentioned concerns.</p>
<p>Heavenwood -- Where did JHSU state his HS GPA? I only see him saying his College GPA in his original post...</p>
<p>To the poster crying over a 3.7 GPA -- People have been known to get into Ivies with GPAs of 3.7. In fact, 18% of Columbia's most recent class had unweighted GPAs between 3.75 and 3.5, with others having even lower scores...obviously you should work hard, but a 3.7 isn't something to cry about.</p>
<p>For some of us, Academic performance is key because we intend to go into Academia. So, your assumptions about prozac taking money hungry fascists(???what's with the comparison to "darth cheny") is condescending and wrong. </p>
<p>While I agree that the people you listed probably have some anxiety issues, I don't think that generalizes. For example, no one I know takes prozac or anti-anxiety medicine due to class rank. </p>
<p>Also, I don't agree that being top 10% is good enough(I am not generalizing here, just saying). I don't think there's any reason I should give that up. Maybe I am a workaholic. Why should I be stopped? :P I think the problem with this thread is that you are trying to impose your particular conception of the best way to gain utility upon other people, or at least advocating it as superior. For me, and I am sure others, doing additional research, reading and math is fun.</p>
<p>My high school GPA was 4.56 weighted. The unweighted GPA wasn't included on our report cards, but I estimate mine was around 3.8.</p>
<p>It's one thing to take AP classes in subjects you enjoy. It's another thing to take AP classes because you're afraid of alienating Harvard admissions officers. You can't just let Harvard admissions officers run your life. If Harvard announced tomorrow that they preferred students with green hair, the world would run out of green hair dye by noon. </p>
<p>Ivy-type schools don't need you, but you have even less need for them. In the unlikely event that the head of admissions calls you tomorrow and tells you that you need to solve world hunger, earn a Nobel Prize, AND be class valedictorian, tell him/her to shove that extremist agenda somewhere that the sun doesn't shine. (In actuality, the head of admissions doesn't know you and doesn't care about you anyway.)</p>
<p>I realize some people do want to work in academia, but the key to that is doing good research, which can be even more important than GPA and is far more important than the selectivity of one's school.</p>
<p>I realize some people want to become doctors, but look at the number of students who leave the pre-med track, the number who stick with the pre-med track but don't get into medical school, the torrential workload of medical school (which makes engineering school look like a lazy day at the beach in comparison), the 36-hour workdays in residency, and the problems doctors are encountering (stress, malpractice lawsuits, HMOs, etc.). I'm surprised ANYONE can make it.</p>
<p>These boards are full of worthwhile questions, helpful information, and friendly encouragement, but for every positive word it often seems as if there are five unnecessarily negative ones. I'm all for a healthy dose of realism, but sometimes I can't even respond.</p>
<p>Of all the people I've met in college, I can name the SAT scores of maybe 2-3 of them. Work hard, do your best, stay on top of the game, but seriously...take the process with a grain of salt or you'll get where you want to go and (a) feel pretty silly about your unnecessary stress, (b) be too burnt out to really enjoy it.</p>
<p>This is far from a foolish argument. Nobody's saying "slack off...why shoot high?" Just keep things in perspective (for the sake of yourselves and those around you as well as for any relatively-level-headed fellow CCers who are reading along and trying to help you out)! Anyone intelligent enough to maintain the stats and dedication of many CC posters is someone intelligent enough to understand that in some cases, less is more.</p>
<p>Oh no, the reason I get little or no sleep is not b/c I'm studying, but rather, I procrastinate my assignments for so long, that the moment a five page essay is the due the day after, I choose to begin it at like 9 pm and finally finish around 2/3 am. That's basically why, and personally, I'm all about short-term studying, you know, the twenty minutes before the class, that's about it.</p>
<p>As a non-partisan (but very politically active) centrist, I laugh at your leftist rantings. What does this have to do with college admissions? Whether we're Democrats, Republicans, or independents, (btw, just because someone is a Republican, that doesn't make them "evil,") we all need to go to college.</p>
<p>Yea, have to agree with HeavenWood, your ridiculous rant and outburst has basically defeated the purpose of your post and now your argument fails due to your ridiculous analogy as well as the fact that this is not a political board. I mean you had a good point going, but oh well...</p>
<p>My DS did not, and will not, retake the SAT. He had to take the ACT for a scholarship at his high school and did (35). From a purely admissions strategy point of view, I think there is something to be said for taking the test once and saying "I did my best and I'll stand by it".</p>
<p>His current debate is whether or not he wants to take any SAT II's or just pass on applying to those schools that REQUIRE SAT II's.</p>
<p>Interesting post jhsu. I, for one, hear loud and clear what you were saying in the #8 thread.</p>
<p>The way I see it, college is what you make of it no matter what school you're at. Your success ultimately depends on what YOU do outside of your college. A Harvard, Yale, Princeton etc. degree isn't an automatic ticket for success. If you're ambitious and intelligent, you'll go a long way regardless of what college you attended. Success rarely comes from the school you attended. </p>
<p>Plus, I bet most people on CC want to go to grad school. I would rather go to a less-than Ivy league school for undergrad and go to an Ivy league grad school where I know exactly what I want to do (instead of wasting money in undergrad floundering around with diff majors). I think the Ivy grad school diploma looks far more impressive and typically matters more.</p>
<p>it's not about the prestige of the college, but rather whether the college matches you. However, the case with that is that smart people rarely match community colleges or defunct state schools.</p>
<p>jhsu, I'll tell you what you are..You're someone who thought they were "big ****" growing up, and when you got into the real world, probably away from some small town upbringing, you found out that your brain wasn't as big as the brains at Ivies or even other worldly successful people....This is why small town nobodies get an ass beating in the real world...Come to the suburban/urban world, and you'll find out quickly that you have to perform or else. Peace!</p>