<p>I go to a small school where nobody else really applied to top schools so everybody was really happy for me. I think one or two people were bitter at first but that’s dissipated and it was really nice to just see our entire school excited for me. We have a very non-competitive environment, and I’m glad to be a part of it.</p>
<p>I think another reason for bitterness is receptivity. When people told me they got into USF or UCF or some other school that they were pretty much guaranteed to go to, I was still very excited for them and demonstrated that. I felt that people tried to reciprocate that feeling because they remembered my positive reactions.</p>
<p>I have been on the receiving end of this bitterness. I was accepted everywhere I applied, Including Brown, Columbia and MIT. There was, of course, loads of jealousy because many, if not all, of the Ivy League and Top University perspective students were rejected.</p>
<p>When kids get jealous, I just simply tell them “Hey, I have been working my a** off for four years to get what I wanted. There really is no need to be jealous, it was not like my acceptances were handed to me.” </p>
<p>I have also experienced the financial aid jealousy. Some kids have gotten into their top choice LAC, Conservatory, university etc. and but then cant afford them. They then get a bit jealous that my top choice schools all gave me great aid packages, and that I can afford to attend MIT.</p>
<p>A lot of my friends got into some absolutely amazing colleges. Was I ever jealous of them? No, I couldn’t be happier for them, they worked hard so they deserved it. I got into the school I have wanted to go to for 5 years, so I am quite happy with myself too.</p>
<p>I really doubt that this is possible. Students do not send out their own recommendation letters. No to mention the fact that any description of activities and so forth would be unlikely to make sense.</p>
<p>I don’t think there’s any bitterness at my school.</p>
<p>The few of us who dared to apply to top US universities all got mowed down…</p>
<p>On the bright side, we all made it to top Canadian universities (which is far easier compared to the US) and no one in the school is bitter. I’m just a bit disappointed that I didn’t get as nice of a scholarship as the other people though :(</p>
<p>Also, the only guy who made it to Harvard, MIT and etc from our school was when I was a freshman. No one was bitter about his acceptance because he worked <em>very</em> hard (as in 1 - 2 hours of sleep EACH night) for his research which probably got him into these great schools. I think he chose to go to Harvard, though I’m not very sure.</p>
<p>I got into Wash U, decent school, but a really close friend got into Harvard out of nowhere. Everyone’s really ****ed at him and I don’t understand why they’re not happy at his good fortune…</p>
<p>Well we had 6 kids get into Harvard in a class of 300 at a New Jersey Public school. 1 was top in the state in wrestling, 4 others were co-valedictorians, and the last applied as a joke. He even wrote “Please take me” as the optional supplemental essay. That’s why people are angry because they had the same stats as him and are ending up at other places.</p>
<p>It’s scary the number of posters on this thread who are whining about other people being angry at someone else’s good fortune, or gossiping about other people whining and hating. The sense of entitlement is shocking. Grow up. Life has plenty more disappointments (and successes) waiting for you. Nothing about life or death is fair. Whoever told you otherwise lied to you.</p>
<p>Plainsman, let’s not be too dramatic here. Some aspects of life are fair, some are not, but in general natural talent, hard work, a sense of humor and tolerance for frustrated desires all increase your chances of success. The best thing that can happen to HS seniors is to learn to separate self-respect and respect for their peers from the results of the application process. I loved the posts here by people who considered how their whole group did, and who rejoiced in the success of their peers. I predict that these will be the happiest people among us.</p>
<p>Is the number of HS students who belong to the Class of 2011 across the nation actually statistically smaller? Does that mean there will be fewer applicants to colleges this coming fall?</p>
<p>There are SO many students on this thread who seem to think that they were granted acceptance to their ivy or top 10 school because they were clearly the “most qualified”. Again, I must urge you to stop for a second a humble yourself. Yes, you did work your butt off, and yes, you had been preparing for this for the past four years. However, do you really, really think that admissions officers line up 20,000+ applications, rank order them, and then select from the top? Do you understand things like geographic backgrounds, race/ethnicity, etc. play a huge role and for every one of you, often times there were 100+ kids who were equally matched (if not superior) who were waitlisted or rejected? Should you be happy about your good fortune? Absolutely! But please don’t make the mistake of thinking you somehow “deserved” your position whereas those who were not accepted/waitlisted simply weren’t as qualified; that simply isn’t always the case.</p>
<p>^ Ditto. You could be Super Man for all we know, but in the application process everyone is a Clark Kent, and even the slightest thing like race and geography could change everything.
Just a note, a lot of posters seem to be angry at other posters who are “whining, gossiping, & etc.” Personally as Senior, its understandable as of why so many think ill of others. Its better to let them be, rather than to point out and claim, " Stop being a cry baby!" There’s no help in that, and sometimes it just makes thing worse. The emotions would subside, the anger would disappear, and with time they’ll be able to move on. I accepted my friend got into B.C, yes I was angry, but there’s nothing I could do now. Now, I celebrate her achievement, and I look forward to the next step. To the rest of my friends who are still bummed, I give them advice and a helping hand.</p>
<p>“There are SO many students on this thread who seem to think that they were granted acceptance to their ivy or top 10 school because they were clearly the “most qualified”. Again, I must urge you to stop for a second a humble yourself. Yes, you did work your butt off, and yes, you had been preparing for this for the past four years. However, do you really, really think that admissions officers line up 20,000+ applications, rank order them, and then select from the top? Do you understand things like geographic backgrounds, race/ethnicity, etc. play a huge role and for every one of you, often times there were 100+ kids who were equally matched (if not superior) who were waitlisted or rejected? Should you be happy about your good fortune? Absolutely! But please don’t make the mistake of thinking you somehow “deserved” your position whereas those who were not accepted/waitlisted simply weren’t as qualified; that simply isn’t always the case.”</p>
<p>I agree but I get sick of people telling me I deserve it less because of minority or gender.</p>
<p>Hrm… Not gonna lie, I’m one of the bitter peoples out here. Mainly because this is pretty much the first time I ever got rejected by anyone for anything. But I’m kinda wimpy in that I don’t go around glaring at people who are going to my dream school. Instead, I just whine to my friends whenever the wave of disappointment decides to pay me a visit.</p>
<p>But you know what? To all those who have been rejected: This is NOT the end. We SHALL work hard. And by the end of these 4 years, when we are graduating at the top of our college classes, we shall pay a visit to these colleges who had the bad taste of pushing our brilliant selves away. Then we shall march right into the admissions offices and wave that rejection letter of theirs proudly. “We did just fine without you.”</p>
<p>This is easy. I act like an idiot in school and people think I’m an idiot. I did it so that no one would come competiting with me and leave me alone when it comes to grades. Did that except in front of teachers. </p>
<p>Haha got into better colleges than them, and now they’re bitter. Guess they’ll never learn to stop juding, uh, people by their cover??? Yeah that clique is good. </p>
<p>Oh, and I don’t go around copying people’s &^%$ or cheat off of stuff and I do every thing by myself. Anything else they wanna say, hmm? Oh, and English is my third language, and never had a formal elementary and middle school education 'cause I was switching places so fast I didn’t know *** the teachers were talking about. </p>
<p>They think I shot them with a squeeky gun, when in reality it was a big shot gun that hit them in the face.</p>
<p>If we (the students) sent in honest college applications, worked hard in school, and colleges offered us admission to their school, shouldn’t we be proud of ourselves?</p>
<p>All of my friends (maybe I just have good friends) think this way and we congratulated each other no matter what happened. No bitterness here (or am I sadly mistaken? haha)</p>
<p>If you’re crying because you and a new friend both applied to lets say. . . Harvard, and he got in you didn’t. I wouldn’t be bitter or jealous. Its called envy not bitterness. If someone acts this way obviously he/she is not mature. My friend got in Brown and I didn’t, I’m not crying. Actually I am happy for him. I know I worked harder than he did, but hey, that’s life.</p>
<p>“The greater part of our happiness or misery depends on our dispositions, and not our circumstances.”</p>