<p>Hey guys! I was wondering if any of you could chance me for the following schools (I'm studying international relations and languages, by the way):</p>
<p>Georgetown
Middlebury
JHU
University of Chicago
UCSD
U Penn (Legacy)</p>
<p>I will be a freshman at St. Louis University in the fall. Now, you might thinking: why is this kid asking about transferring before even starting school?! Well, I think my situation is kind of unique. I've included a post below from another thread I started (sorry about posting the whole thing - my phone wouldn't let me link the other thread) in order to give some background. </p>
<p>To be honest, there's a real chance I might end up falling in love with SLU come this fall. On the other hand, I would prefer to avoid a repeat of my first experience with the college admissions process, so I'm planning ahead just in case. ;)</p>
<p>Also, here are the classes (total = 18 credits) I'm planning to take this fall:</p>
<p>Intro to Law
U101
Honors Crossroads
Intro to Forensic Science
Politics of the Developing World
Spanish 315 - Oral Communication
Chinese 110 - Beginning Chinese</p>
<p>Thanks in advance for any advice/recommendations!</p>
<hr>
<p>I want to start off by saying I'm not exactly sure why I'm making this thread; I guess I just want to tell people my story. I hope it can serve as an example for other people.</p>
<p>I began my college search as a typical freshman - naive about what really mattered in a school. I bounced around between several first choices as the years progressed, but I eventually settled on Georgetown University. Visiting the campus only confirmed my hunch - it was the school for me. I convinced myself that was where I was meant to be. I also put together what I thought was a good mix of seven other schools:</p>
<p>Yale
SLU
Stanford
Middlebury
GWU
Dartmouth
Wash U</p>
<p>There were a couple reaches, some matches, and a couple safeties; I thought I was set. I don't really want to get into stats/ECs, but some context is needed; I had a 4.0 GPA and received a perfect score on my ACT. I'm an Eagle Scout, did a varsity sport, and was involved in a good mix of extracurriculars with a focus on politics and law (with a couple leadership positions thrown in there, too).</p>
<p>While I may have been optimistic (as I always am about things), I certainly didn't expect to get into all of those schools. I expected a healthy assortment of rejections and acceptances (and maybe a waitlist or two). However, after the process was over, I found myself with one acceptance - to a safety school (SLU) I liked well enough but never dreamed of attending. My mom cried multiple times throughout the week of April 1st because she felt so bad for me.</p>
<p>Now, you might be expecting this next part to be where I rant about affirmative action and claim I was only rejected or waitlisted because I'm a white male, or where I say my life was ruined because of the admissions officers at <em>insert school here</em>... Sorry to disappoint you. To be honest, from my perspective my life is going great right now. My senior year - regardless of my experiences with the college admissions process - was definitely my best year of high school by far. Due to a lot of different factors - an amazing retreat I went on with some classmates/teachers, naturally becoming more outgoing, growing more in my faith, or for whatever combination of reasons - I met so many great people, made a lot of new friends, and had some of the best times of my life. </p>
<p>I guess the point I'm making is that I value being able to look back on a senior year filled with lots of laughter and nice memories instead of bitterness and regret. You can't let a rejection - or two, or three, or however many - get you down. An admissions decision (as my friends and family have affirmed many times) isn't a characterization of you as person; just because you were rejected doesn't mean you're worthless or not good enough. I want to say again - that is absolutely not the case. We all have the potential to succeed, no matter where we end up. </p>
<p>Perhaps it's a blessing in disguise that my whole college application process turned out the way it did; I'm a big believer in the idea that everything happens for a reason. Even though it may seem impossible, you can't be afraid to proudly accept whatever life throws your way. I think a quote from one of my favorite books, Man's Search for Meaning by Victor Frankl, would be appropriate:</p>
<p>"The way in which a man accepts his fate and all the suffering it entails, the way in which he takes up his cross, gives him ample opportunity — even under the most difficult circumstances — to add a deeper meaning to his life."</p>
<p>Thanks for hearing me out. To any of you who may be in a situation similar to mine - don't let a school (or schools) ruin your life. Enjoy it to the fullest - no matter what it throws at you.</p>