Can you help me calm things down...

<p>Alright, everyone I know seams to think I can get into MIT. The most skeptical one is my ToK teacher, who says I have a decent chance. (Well, and my EC also said I don't have anything special, but I don't have anything against me either, but then he goes on to say how he doesn't really know how good of a chance I have). And if that is the worst opinion I have, imagine the best. And it doesn't help at all that my mother tells everyone she knows about it (and she likes to romanticize things, slightly).</p>

<p>So, I want to know how I can calm it down, please. It would be like poring salt on a wound to tell everyone I've been rejected (it won't be too bad to tell them I've been deferred to RA). I've tried to politely tell people that I have such a small chance, but many of them don't believe me.</p>

<p>What do you recommend doing? The only thing that I can think of doing is nothing. Just to sit back, and realize that people are people. I'm fairly certain that many of you go through this, so what do you do? Thanks.</p>

<p>lol... just smile and say "thanks for the reassurance but it isnt that easy"... it took me a while to figure out what to say after kids at my school kept buggin me lol</p>

<p>Well you see I've been having the same problem but there's a nice solution: Just get into MIT early action!</p>

<p>It's really quite simple, I'm not sure why you haven't thought about it...</p>

<p>I have. In fact, that's part of the problem. I've talked a lot about how much I WANT to go to MIT. And because I have a large reputation of doing what I want to do, people associate that with my application to MIT.</p>

<p>So I guess you could say that the solution to calming things down is to be less enthusiastic about it. But that's boring :( . Oh well, I guess I'll just have to cross that bridge when I get to it.</p>

<p>Wait, how did you post before my post? But thanks anyway.</p>

<p>I know exactly what you mean; everyone in my school thinks I'm a shoe-in. I try to explain to them that the odds are heavily against me, but alas they persist in their unceasing torrents of optimism. It should be quite amusing to see the look on their faces when I end up getting deferred and then rejected or waitlisted.....hah. Don't get me wrong, I'm usually not that bad of a pessimist, I'm just discouraged by the exceptionally low percentage of acceptance. I like to think I have an pretty decent shot however :)</p>

<p>After this experience, I will be able to associate MIT's application process with pessimism ha. I know exactly what all of you mean. Several people think I am a shoe-in, while others think I'm crazy for trying, and I try to tell everyone there's not much hope. The statistics are so horrific. They pretty much shatter people's optimism. I am somewhat expecting a deferment on Monday, but it really wouldn't affect me too much because acceptance to MIT is such a long shot for someone like me. But if I get in, that will be a huge feat for my school. I would be stoked!</p>

<p>haha, this totally fits me too-- when I try to explain how competitive it is to people at school, everyone's like 'uhhh whatever they're totally letting YOU in.' and I'm just like...'yeah, I wish.'</p>

<p>but, meh, I can't think of anything to do about it either.</p>

<p>Well, if I got in, it would be good for my state, but my school seems to be connected with a large portion of the people who get into MIT from my state.</p>

<p>2 years ago, one of the 7 IB students in that year got in.
Last year, One of the counselor's sons got in.
This year, well I 'hope' I'm in (I really like the connections to FLOSS, which i can't find anywhere else, well I can, but not to the nerdy-ness of MIT)</p>

<p>But ya, I still tell people of my odds, and many of them still think I'm in. :( (or maybe it should be a :) )</p>

<p>My school has been open for 8 years, and none of the students have gone anywhere near an MIT/Ivy/elite school. I'm one of the first to even apply for one, and people almost see me as being conceited or something haha like I'm too good for Tennessee's colleges. I just aspire for more and different things than a lot of the other students at my school, and I actually enjoy mathematics and science, which puts me in a minority group in the school, I suppose.</p>

<p>Personally. I'm taking advantage of the situation by betting money (not much) against myself getting into MIT. Simultaneously hedge against my risk of rejection and take advantage of good odds. :)</p>

<p>Of course, winning a $5 bet is poor consolation about getting rejected by MIT (even if it isn't my first choice), especially considering the application was like $70. But it'll make me feel like a winner :P</p>

<p>I bet a $1 I wouldnt get accepted :)</p>

<p>This is just great...</p>

<p>I noticed today that because of the amount of people who think I'm in, I'm actually starting to believe it myself. I guess this goes to say that giving a compliment really does make the world a better place, and makes more people happy, even if the person doesn't want to be.</p>

<p>LOL @ bets
i bet $200
and 12 cup noodles
that i would not get in
also someone said she would post naked pictures of herself on facebook if i dont get in
and another one of my friends said she would take a virginity pledge LMAO
so yeah
boo</p>

<p>url? haha jk. why would someone bet that? $1 is more practical. Well best of luck to you ana so that your friend wont subject herself to that :P</p>

<p>haha, a kid at my school bet me onion rings he wouldn't get into MIT.</p>

<p>lol. I've got so many ppl telling me they "have a feeling" I will get in or tell me "I have a great chance/shot"...sighs...but I don't know...it's either accepted or deferred..which I will find out tonite. -sighs- I told them "are you psychic?" in response. lol. but I thank them anyway. lol.</p>

<p>I'm dropping in here to express some sympathy for all of you. I remember from when my children were applying to college that perhaps the worst aspect of it all was the weight of other peoples' expectations. Their parents (me), who thought they were perfect and wonderful and that everyone in the world could immediately see that, the kids at school who regarded them with awe because of their academic/test-taking success and their seeming ability to do anything, their teachers who supported them enthusiastically. It's great to have all that support, but frightening too -- you wonder how people are going to treat you if something from the outside world pricks the bubble and sends the message that you really aren't that great after all. For one of my kids -- the one who was always prone to believe, secretly, that everyone was about to turn on him if he stopped twisting himself into a pretzel to keep them happy -- that fear was almost paralyzing, especially in March (after an EA deferral).</p>

<p>There's nothing really to do about it, except keep reminding yourself that it's not true. Your friends will still be your friends, and will still respect you. They know you so much better than any college admissions department could. Your parents and your teachers will still be your biggest fans. They will firmly believe that the college made some kind of horrible mistake. And you should keep believing in yourself, too. Your worth is determined by what you do and how you behave, not whether you are accepted at MIT or any other college.</p>