<p>^ Haha - I bet! We Americans don't know how good we have it. But my guess though, is that you didn't apply to any safety schools or were unrealistic about your matches. Admissions for international students IS insane, but you can bring some sanity to the process by applying to true safe schools.</p>
<p>A bit of perspective from a college grad here:
Yes, it is obviously horribly frustrating to work so hard for so long for something and not have it turn out how you want. It is even more frustrating to see people that did not work as hard getting what it is you wanted. </p>
<p>But in addition to remembering that there really are factors that colleges look at that you have absolutely NO control over and could not have anticipated or changed if you had it to do over, there is something else I wish people were thinking about here. Why did everyone here want to go to these great dream schools in the first place? I'm assuming because you value education and learning right? So don't regret that you could be going where you got in by working 3/4 as hard, or taking easier classes. By doing those things you were already getting a good education and learning an awful lot. The point of high school isn't to get into college, the point is to learn. The point of college isn't to brag where you are going to college, the point is to learn. And you can do that wherever you go. There are people at automatic admission state schools using their initiative and getting a much better education than some kid at the ivies who worked so hard to get there that they are too burned out to get anything out of it.</p>
<p>And if you truly regret working so hard to go to a prestigious school only to not get in, you probably wouldn't have liked it as much as you thought, since frankly, these colleges are just a lot more work in a different format. Your future isn't over. The best years of your life are just beginning (no matter where they are going to happen).</p>
<p>Sigh, join the club.</p>
<p>As a poor, asian international student, I was entirely screwed.</p>
<p>Rejected/Waitlisted at HYP, MIT, and Caltech.
Cried myself to sleep for a week.
Then, I got the good news and get into Stanford, but realized that I couldn't pay it.
Then AGAIN, I get into Dartmouth with enough money, and find out that I don't like it and it doesn't really do much for my future career.</p>
<p><em>bangs head into wall</em></p>
<p>It sucks that you guys didnt make it, but theres the most valueable lesson i learned when i was in the 8th grade: Life is not fair.</p>
<p>ya, i didn't get into any of the schools that I was even considering. But, that is what transferring is for.</p>
<p>^^ You're right - it isn't. BUT we can always * hope * that fairness is just a part of the admissions process and should have no reason to doubt it. After all, college admissions is * supposed * to be a meritocracy; it's disappointing when that hope doesn't always prove to be true, at least from the applicant's perspective.</p>
<p>well, i think the problem is that there are just so many qualified applicants.
the only difference is that now there's the common app which lets you apply to 15 schools at once. most of, if not all, the ivies had record number of applicants, and consequently record numbers of rejections.
we're just THAT lucky to be the kids of the baby boomers.</p>
<p>Every kid who gets rejected talks about transferring. We're going to have a storm of transfers next year if this is true...</p>
<p>Kiss,</p>
<p>There are not many careers that Dartmouth doesn;t set you up amazingly well for. If you want banking/ finance/ consulting its hard to do better. What kind of career are you looking for? What don't you like about Dartmouth?</p>
<p>Very well stated LACalum. Far too much emphasis is placed in a name, a status or a title. If these students are all so great, talented and gifted, they too should be able to go anywhere and shine, thus elevating some of these so-called "less than desirable schools" to the upper ranks. </p>
<p>This silly notion that people believe that they are "entitled" to something in life is the primary reason for the shift in attitudes. Face it people, Americans are cocky, arrogant and self-centered. Is this the proper direction that the academic community must take to reshape society so that all people are equally valued, appreciated or respected? Attitudes and the way that people viewed things once upon a time ago have changed dramatically over the years and are not necessarily likely to go back to that way of thinking. </p>
<p>Think outside of the box because everything in life is not necessarily found in a book! Sometimes it is a good thing to close the book, find a quiet seat away from all others and reflect on life; past, present and future. Look at what is going on around you and ask yourself why things are as they are and where are we trying to go in the future as a society. Thus, you just may embark upon one of the greatest lessons you we ever learn in life, provided that you are open-minded, honest and sincere with yourselves.</p>
<p>Who knows, years later you just might come back to review your own post and ask yourselves, "What was I thinking back then?" Many great minds have been extremely instrumental in the overall destruction of society that we all must somehow correct today.</p>
<p>This has been a very interesting year at my daughter's school. Her class of 180 had lots of rejections/waitlists ... more than similar students in previous years. I guess that is a reflection of the population jump for this age group, the increased interest in selective colleges, etc. My D doesn't know anyone who was accepted to an ivy; usually there are quite a few ivy acceptances. Last year, there were several WashU acceptances; this year, there were only waitlists. She had a couple selective acceptances, but also two selective waitlists. At first, she was disappointed in the waitlists --- after all, no one wants to be "not accepted." But she is over it now. There is no point in dwelling on why these things happen. They do, and that's the way it goes. </p>
<p>A couple years ago, a young man I know didn't get in anywhere he'd applied (even our state flagship u, which should have been a safety for hiim). He lived at home for a year & went to a decent local university. He hated it, but he made the most of it ... got to know profs, excelled in his classes, etc. He transferred to the state flagship the following year & is doing great. There's hope for all of you, especially if you were a strong enough student that you figured you'd get accepted by a selective school. Take advantage of your opportunities & you'll do very well.</p>
<p>For all of you juniors, realize that this is a tough process. If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen before you get burned! You have to be prepared to be rejected, because it can happen to ANYONE. Just have a nice selection of schools ... reach, match, safety ... that you would be okay attending (don't choose safeties you don't want to attend). You will be covered if things don't work out the way you want, and you'll be pleasantly surprised if they do.</p>
<p>To give a slightly different perspective, there are some kids from my school who applied to 'somewhat' selective schools (60% and up) schools only in the area, and got accepted to all of them. They didn't shoot high, didn't put their heart on the line, and settled for what was safe. That is an option for all of us -- many of us have state schools or small LACs near us who accept a high percentage of applicants, especially those who are in-state. They laugh at me for the schools I applied to, and how I'm not absolutely thrilled (though I'm not unhappy - don't get me wrong) to be attending my 3rd or 4th choice school. </p>
<p>So remember, if you shoot low, you won't have to face the disappointment. Because really, the disappointment really sucks, and it's hard to deal with sometimes, especially since the system is so arbitrary sometimes (example: me and some of my classmates at NU - I had better grades, harder classes, great extracurricular achievement, and I didn't get in - I was crushed. But on the other hand, NU doesn't accept 80 percent of its applicants -- they accept ~27.) </p>
<p>Bottom line: anything can happen, and if you don't want to deal with the disappointment, shoot low, and work your butt off in college. There ARE good professors at less selective schools. But I really do think that the disappointment is worth it, because this is the first time that we as students get some kind of a guage of where we stand against our 'competition' - and after all, we've worked so hard up to this point... I figure you might as well see what all that work equates to in the college admissions process. [That does not mean that I or encourge others to work in high school with a goal only to get into college -- high school is a fun time and there are a lot of ways to integrate learning into fun extracurricular activities.]</p>
<p>I just found out today that no student at a very prestigious prep school in our area was accepted to Harvard (waitlists, but no acceptances). This is probably the first time it's happened. A student who is stellar (with some very unusual & cool accomplishments) was waitlisted. The truly puzzling thing is that he was rejected at Northwestern. Given his background & accomplishments, I am pretty stunned. What an odd year! But the bottom line is, that's how it is ...</p>
<p>Shooting low just to avoid the disappointment isn't the best way to go. Some things you should do in moderation, or with caution. But if you really want to go to a school and think you might have SOME chance, then apply. Just have the courage to actually overcome the disappointment.</p>
<p>Oh - I completely agree. I was just commenting on what some of my friends had done. I think that you really haven't gotten all that you can out of the college proces if you didn't get rejected anywhere.</p>
<p>Why does everyone always spout out cliches like "life is not fair?"
Going around spouting life cliches like that is simply stupid, and only a justification for an action that has no support. Ex, principle screws you over when you had a row with your teacher, even though you were in the right, and tells you "life is not fair," and protects her teacher's butt. </p>
<p>Mind you, I can't really complain since I got into Caltech.</p>
<p>"Sigh, join the club.</p>
<p>As a poor, asian international student, I was entirely screwed.</p>
<p>Rejected/Waitlisted at HYP, MIT, and Caltech.
Cried myself to sleep for a week.
Then, I got the good news and get into Stanford, but realized that I couldn't pay it.
Then AGAIN, I get into Dartmouth with enough money, and find out that I don't like it and it doesn't really do much for my future career.</p>
<p><em>bangs head into wall</em>"
Not trying to sound elites but at least you have an excuse. You don't have the money. It sucks but at least you can say "I was good enough but I didn't have the money." That will make you hate the world.
Its an entirely different beast when you have the money, SAT scores, and for the most part the grades but you just weren't good enough. That will make you hate yourself.</p>
<p>Yeah, I know. You got into Dartmouth with enough money for God's sake. AND Stanford. </p>
<p>You're not as screwed as a lot of people are... believe me... having everything on par with all the acceptees and not getting in is what truly defines being screwed over. I have plenty of people who fit this thread at my school.</p>
<p>kissthesky. you got into Dartmouth, many people in this thread would kill tp get into Dartmouth. You did NOT get utterly screwed. And you got into Stanford...what are you trying to do? Rub salt in wounds?</p>
<p>Yeah, sorry. Stop bragging about your acceptances to Dartmouth and Stanford. It's unattractive. A lot of CCers will think that you are full of yourself for saying that you turned down Dartmouth when they gave you enough money.</p>