<p>Funny, I was thinking about PMing you after reading your post in the Anti-Hook thread. Haha... yay for intelligent over-but-not-WAY-over-achievers! :] </p>
<p>Mikemac, thank you again. The book seems like it's all about manipulating the system, but it also seems very helpful. </p>
<p>Vicariousparent, that post basically reassured me about everything. Thank you a lot for your support. :D And you know, if the college game is really just a game, I don't <em>need</em> to screw with the system (or with my values) to 'win' it. I mean, about 90% of the time, when I think about it, I'm like "pshhh, why do I even care if I get into a superselective big-name school? In the scheme of things, it really won't matter." </p>
<p>Oh, and to anyone who's following the thread: I just remembered some more pretty significant ECs. </p>
<p>-- I entered an international Computer Science competition freshman year with a team (we came in DEAD LAST, but colleges don't have to know that!) and am going to compete in the same one this year and hopefully next.
-- This past summer, I attended a 5-week residential Summer College program at the University of Delaware (I'm from MD) and took two college-level courses (Drawing I [A] and Public Speaking [A-], which aren't too advanced-sounding, but it was a really good experience! And it further demonstrates the fact that I like to learn just for the sake of learning. :])
-- I've done like 130 hours of 'junior counseling' at summer camps, one general one for preschoolers and one arts and crafts one for elementary school students... they were the summers before 8th and 9th grade, haha, but it was still volunteer work and kinda shows leadership? Maybe? </p>
<p><em>shrugs</em> I think those ones are a little more unique than joining clubs. xP</p>
<p>Poseur, please update us in about 1.3 years (or maybe just P.M me?) to let us know how things work out for you. I am sure you will thrive in school and college- wherever you end up. Just don't <em>shrug</em> so much, esp. not in your interviews :-).</p>
<p>
[quote]
But you know what? I don't live my life in order to look good for colleges. I'm a teenager, and I'm trying to enjoy life. I'm sixteen right now; I spend my weekends hanging out with my friends and doing homework.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>This is, of course, assuming that the students who did all the research, etc. were a) not doing it because they wanted to, but for college, b) not having fun, and c) not hanging out with friends, like normal teenagers. None of these is necessarily true. I know of quite a few students who worked hard, not to stand out to colleges, but to do what they liked. One worked diligently on a project that he submitted to competitions. And he had fun, because it was his passion. And he had lots of recreation time, which he often spent with friends. He was accepted to Stanford. It isn't one way or the other; you can find middle ground.</p>
<p>I would recommend you do exactly what he did in your last two years of high school -- find a passion and follow it in any way you can.</p>
<p>Goodness gracious....a 2390 and a 4.0 and you are feeling inadequate? Relax and chill and enjoy your lofty academic status PRIVATELY.....but publicly you need to be compassionate and caring about others and focus on picking the colleges that are the best fit for your personality and interests, which may or may not be a prestigious and elite college. LOTS of kids with stats like yours go to schools lower in the ranks, because of scholarship money or other reasons. My kid has a friend at Fordham who scored a 2400 on the SAT and had an UW 4.0. This kid is one of the NICEST kids around....VERY, VERY humble and compassionate. Not awkward, arrogant, condescending or narcissistic. Just a great human being. He was QUICKLY voted the Dorm President. He picked Fordham because its Jesuit, its in New York, and it has a great program he was interested in. Oh yes, he got a full ride, but he says that was not the only factor in his decision. Where is he from? The midwest!!!</p>
<p>The moral to the story? Congratulations! Relax. And be a good person, not just a person with high stats.</p>
<p>Now go and pick a college or three that you really want to attend because you FIT there the best. It might be Harvard, Princeton or Yale. It might be Grinnell or Iowa State. It might be Michigan or Georgia or North Carolina. It might be Washington and Lee. It might be Amherst of Boston University or Bowdoin. Or Middlebury or Marquette. It doesnt really matter. What matters is that you are happy and thrive and make a significant contribution to society where you go.</p>
<p>Do NOT, I repeat, do NOT find a passion. You don't find passions, they find you. That's the definition of passion. Do what you are doing. Go along. Try to grow and develop as a person.</p>
<p>Are you solitary? Then spend time with death metal and see where it takes you. Do you want to become more extroverted? Try theater. But NOT for your college applications. Grow yourself. </p>
<p>I'm not saying do nothing but homework and watch TV. But grow yourself. Think of what kinds of things you want to do when you get out of college. Travel? Self-study a language. Get married and have babies right away? Get involved in child care. Honestly.</p>
<p>There is nothing worse than ersatz passion. Since you have the grades and the scores and the ability to write, the only other thing you have to do is find your self. And grow it.</p>
<p>Spoken BTW as one with a D at an Ivy and an Ivy alum myself. So I know and believe in the value of highly selective education. I just don't think fake passion is what it takes.</p>