freaking out about being waitlisted at matches

Applying to College
1

<p>Hey all,</p>

<p>I received a 3rd waitlist decision today (from Scripps college, after Colorado College and Bowdoin) and I'm starting to get very worried. I had assumed that I would be a great match for all of these schools, especially Scripps. I don't know what's wrong with my application but it's causing me a ton of anxiety, especially because I hear from my reach schools next week (Pomona and other top private schools). If anyone has any insight, I would really appreciate it..here are my stats:</p>

<p>SAT: 2150, taken once (CR 760, W 760, M 630 (low i know))
SATII: bio 740, us history 700, lit 700
GPA: 3.93 uw, 4.8 w
APs: lang 5, ush 5, bio 4 (my school only offers 6 ap classes)
senior year courseload is as rigorous as possible - full schedule, all honors or ap. i have never taken a free period. I attend an arts magnet high school and major in creative writing, have been majoring in creative writing here since 6th grade. i also spent a summer in Quito, Ecuador at an international language school learning spanish.
Awards: youngarts 2014 winner in creative nonfiction, published writer (lit magazines and local newspaper)/numerous writing awards, nationally ranked debater with major accolades</p>

<p>activities: policy debate (captain), soccer (varsity and club, travel to another school every day for opportunity to play bc my artsy fartsy school doesnt offer sports), worked on water filtration project in haiti over the summer, started group at school to create cultural exchange between students at my school and students i worked with in haiti, participate in a lot of political activism (grassroots movements, obama campaign), maybe others listed but these are the main ones</p>

<p>teacher recs: well, they should have both been excellent. i only read one, from my debate coach and math teacher, in which she said that in twelve years of teaching she had never known a student more likely to change the world. both are superb writers and love me. counselor should've been good too.</p>

<p>essays - i spent weeks upon weeks crafting them. i dont at all mean to project arrogance, but i've won a lot of personal essay-writing awards and i am relatively confident they were good (maybe the content wasn't what they were looking for?). my common app essay was about learning how to travel as a young girl (my dad is an IR journalist with international obligations, so i am well travelled) and was poetic. people i showed it to thought it was quite strong. all these schools received a supplemental essay about my interest in environmental studies coming from growing up close to nature, visiting tide pools with my family, etc. maybe i f'd up on the "why X school?" questions? I'm happy to send my essays to anyone willing to read them and offer insight... i took FOREVER writing them and consider them the strongest part of all of my apps</p>

<p>intended major: 1st choice enviro studies/science (depends on school), 2nd choice gender studies
i've heard that lack of demonstrating interest can result in waitlisting, but i have a hard time believing that all 3 waitlist decisions are because i failed to demonstrate interest. i requested and had interviews from scripps and cc (both went well, i thought), not bowdoin bc i applied last-minute. i visited the cc campus and am HIGHLY connected to that college on both sides of my family.</p>

<p>if anyone has thoughts, please help me figure this out. i'm worried that waitlists from these schools which i thought i had a shot at means i am almost definitely getting rejections from my reaches. if it matters, i've been admitted to macalester with the dewitt wallace scholarship, and to university of puget sound honors (safety) with about 35k in merit/debate scholarships
thank you</p>

2

<p>Assuming that your safeties are affordable and you would be happy to attend either one, then why freak out?</p>

3

<p>I realize I’m quite lucky to have been admitted to Mac and UPS with scholarships - you’re right. I guess I’m just very confused, and despite the fact that I’d happily attend either of those schools, I also very much wanted to attend those I was waitlisted at and have yet to hear from, so I’m upset about being waitlisted/likely denied – as any applicant with a vested interest in their schools would feel, I imagine </p>

4

<p>Your admits are good schools picked with care, so relax. Sit tight until all your results are in. Remember that waitlist is not a rejection, they would like to have you given space. Scripps is so tiny it just might be a matter of building a balanced class. Bowdoin admit rate is low. Perhaps the most surprising is Colorado College.</p>

5

<p>I speak with the deep cynicism of a person who has been at CC for 7 months - admissions is a crap-shoot…kids who i think are in with no problem, ended up being rejected…and vica versa…its nuts…don’t even try to figure it out. Just feel happy that two smart schools have said yes! </p>

6

<p>Congratulations on the admits and scholarships at Macalester and Puget Sound . . . and don’t even worry about the waitlists! Who knows what next week’s schools will decide? If they’re “top” schools, maybe they’re smarter than Bowdoin, Scripps and Colorado! :)</p>

7

<p>Mac in particular is just as good as Scripps or Colorado. Bowdoin is a cut above, I think, but Mac is a perfectly good school (one of my kids was accepted there last year with the same scholarship). It only takes one acceptance to have a happy college career. I would not worry about the schools that waitlisted you… go ahead and accept the waitlist spots if you want to, and send along any extra accomplishments you have since the apps went in or over the next several weeks. But you have choices… don’t worry about the schools that didn’t say yes.</p>

8

<p>I would say that if the “worst” best school you got into is Macalester, you did better than 98% of the seniors in this country. Sure, there may be schools you wanted to go to more, but Mac is a great option to have, and you will probably be perfectly happy there.</p>

9

<p>just thought I’d weigh in as someone who can empathize - was unexpectedly waitlisted to Occidental College today, I thought I’d get in no drama. Yes its confusing - but this is how it goes sometimes I’m learning, and I’m sure you are too. I have another acceptance I’m ecstatic about and you should be about the acceptances you already have! Don’t let this exciting time be clouded by pointless worrying eg did that teacher I asked to write my rec not like me as much as I thought? </p>

10

<p>I can relate. I was accepted to two schools I thought were slight reaches and to a big reach, but I was wait listed by two places I thought I would get in easily (Mt. Holyoke, and, like the above poster, Occidental). Admissions are weird. There are so many factors at play that it’s pointless to try to figure out where you went wrong. You have great stats and ECs. Maybe those schools just didn’t think you were a good fit, having nothing to do with your grades. You can never be sure. But just be proud of the great acceptances you already have, and don’t feel like you’re already doomed with your reaches. Two of the schools I got into have lower acceptance rates than the two schools that I was wait listed at. So, really, you never know!! Good luck with your reaches!! They might surprise you. </p>