<p>“Me neither, but it happens. There’s a lot of animosity - especially this time of year - by parents of kids who have been prepped and groomed to a 2400 sat and think that means they have earned their way to an ivy league admittance.”</p>
<p>Okay, no need to jab at kids who have also worked very, very hard and the parents who support them. And not all of these kids have been groomed. And even if they were, all the grooming in the world wont get you to the top of your class without lots and lots of hard work. Athletes are similarly groomed by coaches, are they not? We can be supportive of everyone without being rude. Rejection is disappointing for all applicants and for most of their parents, who have seen their child work so hard only to fall short. </p>
<p>That said, congrats OP! You’ve certainly earned it. I have a feeling that in spring, as kids start to gain acceptances and pick their colleges, you will feel less bad. No, many of your friends will not gain acceptance to their top choice or to a school similar to the caliber of yours, but life will go on for everyone.</p>
<p>If I were cynical, I’d say, No need to feel guilty now because you may have to pay for it later.
In all seriousness, enjoy it, don’t boast, but also realize that you bring a lot to the table because, unfortunately, on some campuses being an athlete will mean that faculty and peers will look down on you and perhaps even tell you that you don’t deserve to be on campus. You don’t want to let doubts creep into your mind that, indeed, they are right.</p>
<p>I just read an article in SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN by a Princeton physics prof where he dissed athletes (it wasn’t the main point of the article, just a casual aside, which makes me think it’s a common and accepted attitude at Princeton. at least among the science types).</p>
<p>A dear friend of mine who is a Princeton grad had an athlete roommate, and she also told me when my kids were little that I was foolish to allow them to pursue sports, since from her roommate experience, “the athletes all drink and don’t study.” Um, I think she had no clue of what her roommate was doing 24/7, actually, and would have been shocked to see what being an athlete at that level means.</p>
<p>So I do agree with beenthere2…on some campuses you will have quite a battle just to prove you earned the right to be there. Good luck, enjoy what you can…you have your work cut out for you.</p>
<p>Livesin, I’m not sure it’s a common and accepted attitude at Princeton. At least, it’s not our experience. The following is illuminating: not because of the somewhat callow opinions expressed by a rising high school senior, but because of the comments, many of them posted by current Princeton students and alums, many of them heartening.</p>
<p>Livesin, I’m not sure it’s a common and accepted attitude at Princeton. At least D isn’t finding it so, nor have her friends who are athletes, nor did we when we visited her. In fact, a surprising number of the talks and round tables we attended alluded respectfully to student-athletes, their extraordinary time commitments and their place at the heart of the university. Time will tell. With the departure of Shirley Tilghman, a staunch supporter of athletics, this may change.
The following is illuminating: not because of the somewhat callow opinions expressed by a rising high school senior, but because of the comments, many of them posted by current Princeton students and alums, many of them heartening.</p>
<p>“She thought about it, then said she thought it was important to encourage “awesomeness” of every variety, whether musical, artistic, intellectual, or athletic.”</p>
<p>“Just see yourself as one part of the awesomeness of your school.”</p>
<p>Exactly. We get caught in this idea of either wanting the only thing that matters to be what we’re good at or ranking abilities and skills according to some obscure standard. Greatness matters. </p>
<p>The way to deal with your imposter syndrome is to use this opportunity to give back some of what has been given to you.</p>
<p>Think about it this way- If you hadn’t put so much effort into your sport, you could have spent all that effort on schoolwork. It just comes down to time allocation- it doesn’t mean the academic focused people are actually any smarter than you.</p>