Dead End..

Applying to College
1

<p>This will take some time to explain, but please bare with me.</p>

<p>I'll start with freshman year I suppose. Enrolled in mostly standard classes (the lowest tier offered by my school) and at most 2 honors classes, my grades were horrible (B B B B B B C; the C was in gym after I gave a friend a push which the teacher took for violence/horsing around). Sophomore year I was in all honors classes and my grades were fairly better (A A A B B B C; C in Spanish).</p>

<p>Then junior year started. I had some ridiculous notion in my puny noggin that I could handle a course of 3 AP's, a very large step in perspective with my previous course loads. I ended up garnering massive B's and C's again. However about half way through that year I unexpectedly left for Korea. I stayed there for 6 months and enrolled in a private school. I won't go into detail about the experience, but it was, to say the least, life-changing. </p>

<p>I came back to America and enrolled in:
AP English Language & Comp.
AP Computer Science
AP Economics
AP U.S. History
G/T Physics
Honors Tech. Ed. (required course to be coupled with physics)
G/T Precalculus
(I had to restart my junior year and make new friends). I salvaged my grades and received 6 As and 1 B (computer science). I didn't take the CS exam but got 2 5s and 1 4 (English)on the other tests.</p>

<p>That junior year summer I got an internship at the University of Maryland under Dr. Colin Stine studying the viral tendencies and distinctions between several strains of Vibrio Parahaemolyticus and cholera. Along with two peers, we were planning on submitting our research into the Siemens science competition but decided against it after realizing that our fruitions weren't up to par. On a side note, I'm not quite sure why I took this internship because I have always leaned towards economics/business (maybe it was cause one of my peers was a good friend). </p>

<p>I also juggled a summer course in health to finish the graduation requirement and another course at Hopkins in Calculus I to get up to par in math at my school (I got A's in both).</p>

<p>My senior year course load was:
AP English Literature
AP Calc III (I skipped Calc II by the way)
AP Chem
AP Statistics
AP Euro
Fundamentals of Art (I needed this to graduate -.-)
I self-studied for the AP Microecon exam. My grades for the first quarter were A A A A B B. My final grades are A A A B B B (senioritis was an extremely effective disease in my case)</p>

<p>Anyhow, I was awaiting my college acceptance/rejection letters like everyone else. I guess I'll post my stats here:</p>

<p>SAT M: 780
SAT C: 760
SAT W: 730 </p>

<p>SAT U.S.: 780 (I took this a year after I had taken the class, so my memory wasn't pristine)
SAT Math II: 780</p>

<p>ECs:
Key Club: from sophomore to senior year; Board member junior year
FBLA(Future business leaders of America): Placed 3rd in the regional competition and then 4th in the State Leadership Conference under Business Procedures. I was invited to the national conference but I had my aforementioned summer classes. I also placed 2nd (regional) then 4th (state) in Economics.
Tae Kwon Do from 9th to the summer of 10th and quit after I broke my wrist
Church/Community Service (typical, I don't think I need to clarify)</p>

<p>My teacher/guidance recs were good I suppose. They all detailed my amazing growth and change in academic vitality after I came back from Korea. My guidance counselor also explained my "un-befitting" grades from 9th and 10th grade and explained how my class rank (which wasn't even in the top 25% at the time) and GPA (3.4something if I remember correctly) were not indicative of my true intelligence.</p>

<p>I applied to:
Upenn
UC Berkeley
UCLA
U of Chicago
Boston College
NYU Stern
Duke (cause my friend told me to.....don't chastise me)</p>

<p>When college letters came rolling around, my friends were getting into Yale, Stanford, Harvard, etc. My first rejection letter came from both UC Berkeley and UCLA. I was generally mortified because I had considered UCLA as one of my safety schools, although I was out of state, but I wasn't worried because I still had 5 more schools. Then eventually came the rest: Duke, NYU, UPenn, Chicago. All rejections, and I was waitlisted at BC, another school I had considered a safety. Ultimately I was 0/7 in my admissions game. When my friends asked me where I got in, not only could I not face them, I ended up joking about working at McDonalds instead of going for a degree. I guess this is the part of my story which I can't fully explain in words, but if I were to epitomize those couple of weeks in one word, I would have to use death. My dreams after coming back from Korea were entirely shattered. I wasn't sure what I had done wrong and what to do as a high school graduate with no future in college. Not only did I not get into college, but all of my friends were going to the top universities(not exaggerating, most are going to the Ivies), which made me feel all the more inferior. (As a matter of fact, my friend who did the internship with me is going to Princeton this fall). I finished out my senior year as best as I could, but senioritis already took its toll before my rejection letters came out.</p>

<p>So, here I am now writing this verbose explanation of my situation and I'm not sure of what to do. I applied to the City Year program after reading it on CC and I thought I'd give it a try, but watch me not get in (no surprise). I've gotten a job as a Vector sales rep. for the summer. All in all, I'm not sure what my immediate future is. People have told me to go to community college for a year, travel abroad, work for a year/get an internship, etc. But I don't feel like I can go on with the same enthusiasm as junior year. I need suggestions for this fall and for the next bout of college applications. I need suggestions to prevent this experience from becoming some miserable dead end....</p>

<p>Thanks for your time</p>

2

<p>Yeah, it’s kind of important to do more research on the schools you’re applying to. It’s really important to see the admissions rate and know your basic statistical chances of getting in. </p>

<p>Don’t feel bad about not getting into a top-tier school. You have to realize that most people don’t get into top schools and a lot don’t even go onto college. </p>

<p>My suggestion would be to apply to your state university (and if you want, others, but especially a very large safety school, preferably with an admission rate >70%) the next time you can and keep your job for the year. You can save up some money to attend college- think about not going to college for the first year as an investment. Of course, I can’t decide for you. You’ll have to decide what you want to do yourself.</p>

3

<p>If I were in your shoes, I would plan for the gap year completely, so as not to get sidetracked and depressed. A clear plan to better your upcoming applications to colleges is extremely important. </p>

<p>I would start by picking a list of colleges, including, as atrophicwhisper said, state colleges, or safeties, match colleges, and maybe even a few reaches from your original list. The key is to make sure you will have a guaranteed acceptance letter by the end of the application cycle, even if it is from a safety.</p>

<p>Then, I would find meaningful things to do, such as what your friends suggested, including internships, jobs (can help pay for college), and travel. I would also choose to enroll in a local CC, to acquire college credits, perhaps enough to gain sophomore standing when you apply to college, to save you a year. </p>

<p>Most important of all is to keep clear goals and clear plans to achieve these goals, which will provide you motivation to work hard. Seriously, reading your stats, I’m suprised you were turned down by some of those colleges, but as atrophicwhisper says, you can never be guaranteed a spot at a top college (such as UCLA). Just understand what your realistic chances are going to be for particular colleges, and always have a backup college. Good luck.</p>

4

<p>Apply to ASU (it accepts 95% of its applicants)—and gives a TON of aid, merit and need to. They might still have some spots left for this year if you call them. </p>

<p>ASU might not be “top-tier”, but you will get an education and a job in the future if you work hard there. It doesn’t matter where you go as much as it matters how well you do there (and the field you chose). And if you’re still thinking “top-tier”–there’s always graduate school too. </p>

<p>But even if you decide not to go to college this year, and apply next year instead do something this year that will truly impact your life so you can use it for your “hook” next year. </p>

<p>Good Luck!</p>

5

<p>atrophicwhisper-I think you hit on one my key mistakes in my admissions process. Although I “researched” my colleges, I didn’t really “research” my universities, if you understand what I’m getting at. Mind you, my rejection from UPenn was not entirely a shock, but in the scheme of things, I suppose that’s where I felt the jolt. Next year I’m definitely applying to my state school.</p>

<p>skp-I underestimated the competitiveness of this year’s applications. I think I was disillusioned because I was in the same classes and getting the same test scores as our HYPS, and in some cases, even better (the Stanford kid but I’m not pointing fingers). </p>

<p>spiralcloud-I’ll definitely look into ASU and hope for the best. However I’m not sure if I should call them or take my City Year course and wait for the BC waitlist. Actually, should I enroll in BC or go to City Year and reapply for next year?</p>

6

<p>^ Oh, you could call up and ask if there’s still space left at ASU. :)</p>

<p>[NACAC</a> 2008 Space Availability Survey Results](<a href=“http://nacacnet.org/MemberPortal/spaceavailabilityresults.htm]NACAC”>http://nacacnet.org/MemberPortal/spaceavailabilityresults.htm)</p>

<p>According to that, ASU still does. :P</p>

7

<p>Wow there seems to be many colleges with spots left…even BC lol.
Do you happen to know the cost of tuition?</p>

8

<p>^You can find that at individual college websites as well as [url=<a href=“http://collegeboard.com%5D::”>http://collegeboard.com]::</a> College Planning Made Easy | Inside Source for College Admissions Requirements<a href=“just%20use%20the%20college%20search%20tool”>/url</a>.</p>

9

<p>yikes i hope everything works out for you. Really if theres one thing ive learned its that everything has a purpose and everything works out for the best in the end (not that it may be what you want). Just beleive in “rugged individualism” and nothing is gonna hold you back from your dreams. The best i can say right now is pursue the BC waitlist vigorously and maybe enroll in asu then transfer, not the end of the world you’ll end up in HYPS sooner or later.</p>

<p>cheers,
Mike</p>

10

<p>Haha thanks for the encouragement, but HYPS was never on the radar(and probably never will be). </p>

<p>I’ve called BC admissions but they said that their class will be finalized by mid June (if I heard correctly). However it says on their site not to send in anything additional. The transfer option is always available too if I go to community college. </p>

<p>cheers!</p>

11

<p>You have done nothing wrong, it’s just that the colleges you applied to are all outstanding, and I’m sure you’ll find your passion and discover what you really want to do. I know it hurts, I can sympathize with you, I am waitlisted at my dream school, I know how it feels to see all your other friends succeed and get into the schools that they want to. No matter what anyone tells you, that it’s going to be better for you in the long run, it wasn’t meant to be, etc. etc. it still hurts emotionally. However, you just have to pick yourself up, I mean I just moped around for weeks and weeks after I got the waitlist letter, but now I am trying to make the best of it. There’s nothing you can do about what has already happened, but you can find a way to get out of your dead end and succeed. I mean look at your amazing SAT scores, you obviously have the potential to succeed, it’s just that you made a few mistakes your 9th and 10th grade year so your GPA is low, the colleges you applied to didnt see that, but one day someone will see your talent and you will be rewarded for your hard work and potential.</p>

12

<p>This is tragic, but not the end of the world. Don’t lose your focus and you will be successful.</p>

13

<p>

I feel bad for you until I read this. For someone with your GPA, even in state, would be rejected immediately.
UCLA might be safety school for instate kids with GPA and SAT for ivy.</p>

14

<p>Yes I wasn’t aware of how strictly the UC’s acted upon GPA alone, although I was aware that it would be difficult to get into any UC from MD. I finished my interview with City Year today so wish me luck with that!</p>

15

<p>Hope you survive this…I’m truly sorry about what happened to you, but if it makes you feel better, I have a friend who is quite bright like you (multiple APs) but still didn’t get into college and is taking a year off. Best of luck.</p>

16

<p>What are his plans? </p>

<p>I’m currently thinking about talking to Pitt, Goucher, and possibly BC (if I ever get off their blasted waitlist), or even my local community colleges. And there’s always City Year. Ironically, both the City Year decisions and the final decisions for the BC waitlist come out on the same day…</p>

17

<p>ok first thing first, don’t take the job at vector, its basically a scam.</p>

<p>after that you basically have two options. Either take a gap year doing a bunch of academic stuff and apply to more reasonable better researched places next year. Or go to a community college, do well, and transfer.</p>

18

<p>Well I’m making money as of now so it’s not so bad?</p>

<p>I might just go to U of Pitts if I make it in and transfer later</p>

19

<p>well if you’re making money at it then thats fine. It is possible to do so, its just that that most people don’t, and they do some deceptive things to entice people to take the job.</p>

20

<p>You don’t need to apply to a top-tier school – you can apply to a safety sort of school like ASU, do really well, then transfer.</p>

<p>My friend chose ASU over UChicago mainly for the cost (which matters a lot for a premed like him) – but you can see that ASU must have been good enough to make such a decision like that.</p>