Ok, been meaning to do this for about two years… And finally got around with it.
THIS POST IS DEDICATED TO THE HIGH SCHOOLERS FREAKING OUT OVER COLLEGE BECAUSE OF THIS WEBSITE (caps for emphasis - sorry y’all):
Just like you, I was freaking out about whether I was getting into college, what my future was going to look like, [and more nonsense can be inserted here]. Chances are, if you are on this website, you’re above average. Truly. You care about your education and you’re worried about your future. But, then comes College Confidential. If you don’t already have enough stress on your plate, you’re now worried whether you have the “right” extracurriculars, how to write a great essay, getting into HYPSMNOPQRSTUV because Krishna forbid, you get into a “lower-tier” Ivy. Margaret and David, your parentals, will never live down the shame and most certainly can’t boast about you getting into whisper: Brown at the country club. I will let you in on 2 tips: 1) colleges/universities are businesses and 2) it does not really matter where you go for your undergraduate experience. If you remember those two things, you’ll see why I think a lot of the hype created on this site does more harm than help.
Regarding 1, colleges need your money. At the end of the day, they need students to fill their spaces. While some colleges have a plethora of potential students to choose from, most colleges depend on people applying and accepting their offer. Keep that mentality in mind: schools need you more than you need them. Our society has reversed that thinking and unfortunately, our generations is literally paying for that type of thinking with extremely high student loans and debts. You have more leverage than you think, especially if you’re a great student with potential - remember that.
Regarding 2, some people on here are narrow-minded. Ivies do not always equal success. In fact, plenty of research has been done on how much of an advantage a college degree from Harvard, Yale, or Princeton has on potential future earnings than someone who goes to a state school and does the same thing. The answer that you find time and time again is there is no difference. Everyone ends up the same for the most part. Maybe you can get some great contacts through networking at an Ivy, but your undergraduate degree does not mean much. Graduate school a is different story, but we’ll stick to your next 4 years. Not to mention, there are more scholarships offered from state schools and even highly ranked liberal arts or research schools than the Ivies.
Some posters on here act high and mighty, and I want to tell you that no one is perfect. Colleges want to see a human being. An intelligent, quirky, talented, relatable, bright young person - and those traits can be applied to many different walks of life.
I will openly admit that I got a 2, multiple 3’s and 4’s, and two 5’s on AP tests. It took me three tries to get the SAT score I wanted: a 2170. I got a D and an E on a final and mid-term exams respectively and had 2 C’s on my senior year mid-term report. I’m not proud of some of them, but it’s life. You learn from bad experiences and keep pushing forward.
I ended up with a 3.96/4.67 GPA, I was 7 out of 400+ graduating seniors, I was a senior Girl Scout working on my Gold Award, I was drum major of my high school band and 1st chair flutist, I was a member of 5 honor societies, president of my improv club, volunteered my time during the summer and school year to local organizations, 1st place two years in a row for county science fair, 1st place in my category for my state’s National History Day competition… I am proud of those. And for me, it was hard and uncomfortable to brag about myself but you need to do it a bit in the college process. Be your biggest supporter and number #1 advocate. You are much more than just numbers and class ranks. You’re a flippin’ human being with ups and downs, but you do have accomplishments that you should be proud of so own them.
In the end, I applied to 11 schools and was rejected by 1 (which for some reason, people on here think they’re superior or greater than for not getting rejected anywhere - get off your high horse Sally). Those schools included local state schools, out of state public universities, private liberal arts or research schools, and Ivies. I don’t really recommend applying to a lot of schools but I wasn’t sure what I really wanted - and that’s ok. I was humbled and blessed to receive multiple scholarships and good financial aid packages and chose the school that was right for me.
I go to the University of Richmond on a full-ride. I have a twin sister who is at Princeton. I have an older sister who is at Washington University in St. Louis. We all did very well for ourselves, but we didn’t succumb to the elitist attitudes that some people espouse on this website. Nor did being black and female solely contribute to us getting into these schools (which is a whole 'nother novel) - we worked our butts off and didn’t simply send head shots to the schools we applied to (although I acknowledge being an underrepresented minority is a privilege in the admission cycle).
My advice for you is whatever you’re doing is fine. Keep up your grades and commit to the activities that you’re good at and that bring you joy. Most importantly, get off this site. Please, for your own health.
I didn’t like any other the SUNYs very much so I’m glad that they made my decision to choose private colleges easier 