<p>I feel for you. I know what you mean. I was rejected by every Ivy I applied to, and I can’t help but feel very disappointed. I didn’t exactly “expect” to get in, but I guess I did expect to get in to at least one. You would think one of the six I applied to would have wanted me…</p>
<p>But in the end, I realize that I have great options, and for the pessimistic “prestige-a-holic” in me, some of my acceptances are ranked higher than the “lower-tier” (whatever that means) Ivies.</p>
<p>I don’t know what your other options are (you seem to think they are all “bad”), but in reality, no college is bad. Not earning an undergraduate education is bad. An undergraduate degree is so expected nowadays, that it doesn’t really matter WHERE you get it, as long as you DO get it. Perhaps try the Ivies again for grad school, or don’t! Perhaps you won’t go to grad school. It really doesn’t matter! This is the beginning of a new life for you (and for me, and for all of us seniors). It’s an exciting time - don’t let Ivy Leagues and institutions bog you down with self-doubt.</p>
<p>Whenever I feel temporarily disappointed by my Ivy rejections, I think about my life and realize that all of the people that have had the biggest impact on my life thus far did not have Ivy League educations.</p>
<p>OP, excel at the school you’re going to. Be the outstanding student at the smaller college. If you’re going to go for a masters or a doctorate, you could be the incredible student from a smaller college instead of the average student from the great college.</p>
<p>Yes OP and learn a lesson from all of this hurt. You can’t be an island in this world, next time seek out help until you find it. Do not beat yourself up about this just learn from it and in the end that in itself will be brilliant.</p>
<p>Agree in part with with Geekmom63: "So now you realize that your intelligence, the only thing that you thought was special, may not put you in the top 1%. So what? You probably aren’t tall enough to be a basketball player or beautiful enough to be a model or rich enough to take your friends to a private day at Disney World. Why do those shortcomings not make you feel like a loser? They are no more controllable than your IQ, which, as you objectively know, is above average [I’m sure you are not average].</p>
<p>But you do have the ability to stick with difficult tasks, to be kind, and to learn. You do have the ability to help other people, and you do have very high intelligence or people wouldn’t have been praising you for it for so long."</p>
<p>Suggestions:
-I disagree in taking a gap year; Go to the college that accepted you.
-Be the best you can be.
-Learn, study, and learn how to err, accept mistakes, and how to resolve problems.</p>
<p>-The fact that you are so upset tell me that you always wants the "best’…however we cannot have the best always. It happens at work and in all aspects of life…
-It will take you days or weeks to accept the outcome of this ordeal…maybe months…but I can see that you are dealing with your feelings…and that is important. It seems to me you are in the stage of grief; denial, grief…and you one day will reach acceptance!</p>
<p>I understand your feelings and hope you move to acceptance and thrive for your future with understanding and not being so “HARD” with yourself. Best wishes in college!</p>
<p>As long as I know seven is described to be the number of perfection!
“The meaning of seven dealing with perfection can be traced back to the steps taken by early astronomers (and astrologers). These stargazers identified seven dynamic celestial orbs: Sun Moon Mars Mercury Jupiter Venus Saturn. Seven wonders of the ancient world, seven wise men of ancient Greece, seven gates to the other world, seven candles, seven days of creation etc…”</p>
<p>You know who the really successful people are in life? The people who don’t feel defeated at this point in the game. You need to understand what’s really important: individual effort. If you put in a sincere effort wherever you go, then it will take you far. I’ve seen this firsthand.</p>
<p>And where are standards of “good” schools coming from? There are so many great schools in this country! Stop getting caught up in these preconceived notions of “good” and “bad” schools. </p>
<p>You can affect the lives of many people simply with the way you live your life. Seriously, life’s too short. Make the best with what you have. Many of the replies on here offer very intelligent and sound advice…you should listen to them.</p>
<p>Oh, and let me chip in something. My high school coach (for Cross Country and Track), who’s extremely well accomplished and has coached tons of All-Americans and National CHAMPIONS (for the prestige-hor in you :P), always says this about being average. “Your generation [as in our generation] is constantly being told that average is fine. That everyone is special. That everyone is special the day they are born. That’s wrong. Yes, everyone comes with their own special talents, talents that can make that person GREAT. But, if he or she does not fulfill their potential, then they’ll drift back into the general population.”. Listen brah, I know this may be hard for you to accept this, but there is more to life than what college you went to. Assuming you live up to 70 (who knows with the obesity in this country jkjkjk), these letters you’re getting will makes up 5.7 percent of your life. That’s it! What’s important is that you get a solid education, which you can (there’s no such thing as a stupid professor, you’re bound to find one that’ll really help you along!) and something worthwhile with your time at your “average” school. Then, you could reapply to those “top” schools for graduate school, which seems to be the part of your resume that employers look at (confirm anyone?). And remember, going to school is about LEARNING and DISCOVERING WHAT YOU WERE MEANT TO DO. You don’t even have to go to college for that (although it sure does help!).</p>
<p>Every year this sad tale comes in and is posted here. Students who dont listen to advice or parents or had poor advice. They didnt follow the 4-4-4 rule. 4 reach, 4 match and 4 safety. They wanted prestige and applied to 10 or 12 prestigious schools and got slammed. </p>
<p>What can we do? Help them see that there is a way out to rebuild their dreams, but they must do it with two feet on the ground. </p>
<p>Some kids can’t afford college even if they did get in. Some have to join the military. Some have to go to Community College for FINANCIAL reasons. Some are at StateU. What you decide to do is up to you. How you respond to this speed bump is up to you. You can dig a deeper hole and make it worse or you can pull up your socks and put a smile on your mug and say, “okay, I am going to go HERE and do well and have fun and not look back.” </p>
<p>Lesson learned. Now don’t wallow in self pity or beating yourself up. Life is full of disappointments and surprises. Maybe you will meet the love of your life in college? Seriously! </p>
<p>Now stand up, brush off and get on with the show. You will be fine.</p>
<p>" They didnt follow the 4-4-4 rule. 4 reach, 4 match and 4 safety."</p>
<p>I don’t know why anyone would need 4 safeties. Having 2 would be enough so the student had a choice. Most students I know applied to 3-5 schools. This even was true of top students.</p>
<p>You’ve gotten a lot of feedback on this thread and I’m pretty sure it’s running its course. So pick a school and just go.</p>
<p>Will you be happy? Well, you get to decide. What you decide is entirely up to you. Just be able to live with your decision.</p>
<p>Are you intelligent? I don’t know. Are you average? I don’t know. Ultimately, IT DOESN’T MATTER. If you think that intelligence means anything, then you are wrong. If you look down on the cashier who is working to put herself through community college, then you are a pig. If you judge other people on anything other than their service to others (and to God if you are religious), then you are beyond help and first need to fix your mindset. </p>
<p>You are searching for satisfaction in a spurious and ultimately insubstantial place. You will never be good enough there. Accept that or don’t. Again, it’s up to you.</p>
<p>It’s really that simple.</p>
<p>You have received advice. Take it or ignore it. But do one of the two, and do it now.</p>
<p>Why are you so bothered by this thread? Is its existence tormenting you or keeping your from sleep or something?</p>
<p>I understand that you find it ridiculous on principle alone, but you could just stop reading it. (Since that seems to be in line with the advice you’re giving me. “Just decide” is about the same as “just stop reading”.) So… stop reading.</p>
<p>I’m not bothered. I’m genuinely desirous of helping you – a concept I hope you can understand.</p>
<p>You are right now wallowing in self-pity that is getting you nowhere. You are focusing on something that is ultimately irrelevant. Stop it. It’s really easy.</p>
<p>I don’t really feel sorry for myself at all, no. If it’s coming off that way, I’d chalk it up to my inability to articulate what I’m thinking.</p>
<p>I know what self pity feels like (laugh it up…), but this isn’t it. It is easy to stop wallowing. You’re right… Apparently it’s not as easy as I thought it would be to describe what I’m feeling. Eh…</p>
<p>I’m pretty good at dusting myself off. I seem to fail quite frequently at a lot of different things… something about straws and camels, etc.</p>
jkjkjk), these letters you’re getting will makes up 5.7 percent of your life. That’s it! What’s important is that you get a solid education, which you can (there’s no such thing as a stupid professor, you’re bound to find one that’ll really help you along!) and something worthwhile with your time at your “average” school. Then, you could reapply to those “top” schools for graduate school, which seems to be the part of your resume that employers look at (confirm anyone?). And remember, going to school is about LEARNING and DISCOVERING WHAT YOU WERE MEANT TO DO. You don’t even have to go to college for that (although it sure does help!).</p>