<p>I mean, they don't see how hard it is and how tough. Talking to friends and family, they are shocked to hear that Ivy League Schools would be a reach for me and how I probably wouldn't get in. They ask why, I tell them grades, and they say "Well, how could they be any better?". Even though I have a couple B's, etc.</p>
<p>Have you talked to people like this? They don't know how tough it is.</p>
<p>And what also bothers me - alot of people haven't heard of very good colleges. When people ask me where I'm applying, and one of my colleges is Swarthmore, they say "What is that?" and think it must be a crappy college. Jeez...</p>
<p>I know exactly what you mean. I meet people from other towns and they seem oblivious to what's going on around them. I worked at a camp for 2 years, but quit after last year. I couldn't attend all of the staff development meetings this year because I was too busy with college apps. My fellow staff members were quite dumbfounded by this. These kids I worked with seemed to have no aspirations or goals for their future. I mean the kids are genuinely nice, but the whole college admissions process is completely foreign to them. Most of these kids end up in local colleges like William Patterson University or other places no one's ever heard of.</p>
<p>i know what you mean too. I just graduated, but while we were all waiting for acceptances, people were absolutely sure i was going to get into an ivy (cornell). They didn't understand that my scores/grades were below average for a school like that. I was rejected, hopefully it taught them something lol.</p>
<p>Around here people assume that grades are all that matters...still, nobody applies to top colleges. Two years ago a student applied--and was accepted--to Dartmouth, but that's the only really good college anybody from my school has ever attended.</p>
<p>Isn't weird that the people that could go anywhere (due to atheletics or something rediculous) choose against prestige and the people who can't (like us) are consumed by it?</p>
<p>Maybe most normal people are not so consumed by the process and also know that in the long run it won't really matter all that much if you go to Swat or Rutgers.</p>
<p>lol yes sometimes the state school is good enough to compete with the top private universities and LACs, but Rutgers vs. Swat? Swat wins hands down.</p>
<p>Yeah, basically the only hard things about admissions are the ones not in your hands, and that after a week or two of stress from writing essays and doing lots of application filling, it's really a breeze since you have no power over your fate.</p>
<p>I was one of those people that really downplayed college. I spent 30 mins total on my application, including the essay...maybe 45 mins. I always got good grades, that wasnt hard..even in ap. I never ever studied for the sat...somehow got a good score though. All the stuff I did, EC wise was either for money or because I wanted to do it. </p>
<p>I did try on one application..to Maryland..and they ended up deferring me while the other two schools that I breezed through the app (I didnt think I was going to get in, but the school pays for all the fees if you apply to three or more colleges) accepted me.</p>
<p>Then I found CC, where I see so many people stressin about admissions...but of course, I never even wanted to go to an ivy :)</p>
<p>Yeah, most people really don't understand the competition for the top schools.</p>
<p>I came back from a college tour of the Northeast that included many of the Ivy leagues, and instead of asking which one I liked most, many of my friends and family friends asked, "So, which one are you going to?". It takes me about 30 secs to explain to them that it's really not up to me, I actually have to be accepted first, heh. Then they're like "Oh, don't worry, you'll get in." and I say, "I sure hope so, heh.".</p>
<p>I know some people that are completely, not-even-kidding OBLIVIOUS. I have a friend who's a very sweet girl and all, but she's taking algebra 2 in SENIOR YEAR and other courses that aren't rigorous in the least. After scoring something like a 1500/2400, she honest-to-goodness believes that she can get into Columbia. Infact, we even had this discussion one day -</p>
<p>Me: "So, where are you applying to college next year?"
Her: "I kinda like Columbia... that's in New York, right? I think I'll go there."
Me: "Yeah... it is. Why, do you think you can get in? It's really hard!"
Her: [shrug] "Well, I can sing really well... I'm in lots of singing groups! That should get me in!" </p>
<p>... and so forth. I dunno, but people like her - who are more obsessed with their boyfriends on weekday night before a big exam - don't seem like the type to get into Columbia. I didn't have the heart to tell her the difficulty of getting into ivy league schools. She didn't even KNOW that SAT IIs existed until I kept moaning about how I didn't study...</p>
<p>Yeah, I definitely know what you mean. I don't think I've ever heard a student at my school completely delusional about their chances at a college (like precocious -- wow that conversation makes me want to cry), but it seems like a lot of parents and members of older generations think that admissions it easy because everyone still applies to generally lax state schools -- woo, maybe that was the case 20 years ago but not anymore.</p>
<p>As another Swarthmore hopeful (with a sister currently at Swat) I can definitely relate. The conversations take three forms:</p>
<p>Ignorant But Well-Meaning Person (IBWMP): Where do you want to go to college?
Me: Swarthmore College.
IBWMP: What's that?
Me: It's outside of Philadelphia. You probably haven't heard of it. </p>
<p>IBWMP: Where do you want to go to college?
Me: Swarthmore College.
IBWMP: Isn't that an all-girls school?
Me: Actually...
IBWMP: And it's in New York, right?
Me: ...that's Skidmore. And they've been co-ed for a while.</p>
<p>And then there's the rare, "wow...that's a really good school!"</p>
<p>I know what you mean. I got a 35 on my ACT and since that is one of the best in my grade coupled with solid grades, people assume I can go wherever I want. When I say I want to go to Penn they say "Oh, you'll get in with that ACT score."</p>
<p>I love this thread, and hate those ignorant people. They think because I got a 35, I can just go anywhere. They have NO IDEA how tough it is! They are also totally ignorant about financial aid, they are all like "HOW ARE YOU GOING TO AFFORD THAT?" In my town, they also have no concept of what good ECs are. They think just participating in a couple things and maybe holding an officer position or two is so excellent.</p>