<p>I did apply to Berkeley, and I'd be totally thrilled to go there. I'm keeping a completely open mind right now, not really putting any schools ahead of any others. I kind of posted this in the initial shock and have since arrived at a state of peace with my entire situation. I already got into USC and UCLA (If the Regents Scholarship thing means I'm in, which I think it does), and I'd be happy to attend either one, so I'm pretty much content right now. Just enjoying my last year of high school.</p>
<p>More on topic, I can understand schools being wary of admitting a student just based on exceptional scores. I don't have much else to prove I'm a smart guy or whatever. I'm hoping to do well on my Academic Decathlon competition this year (tomorrow, actually), but I'm guessing it'd be too little, too late, so whatever.</p>
<p>You have a very good attitude on all this, I think. Your fate is a little up to chance and fate right now, and you have a good shot at Stanford, but as you probably have seen, one really can't be sure at all -- your having a good chance might mean slightly better than 50-50, like anyone else who has a good chance =\ </p>
<p>In today's process, I think great students end up all over the place due to the unpredictability of getting into one's favorite schools. However, I think Berkeley is rather more predictable [well along with UC's overall]. If you received the Regents Scholarship from them, you are in fact in; actually even before I got it, at the interview itself, they said all of us were in.</p>
<p>Looking at what you've posted right now I would have thought you one of the few who might really have a good shot at Stanford RD, but the fact that you were rejected from Yale SCEA is disconcerting. Yale defers a ton of kids, I would set the bar at atleast deferrence for a real shot here RD. Maybe your essays aren't as good as you think or they come off poorly, maybe you're recs just aren't good enough. I wish you the best of luck but I don't think you've got the greatest shot Stanford RD. Then again, I hear of suprises often at these top schools, so we'll have to wait and see how you fare.</p>
<p>"Maybe your essays aren't as good as you think or they come off poorly, maybe you're recs just aren't good enough."</p>
<p>Well, and maybe they are perfectly good enough, and just not fitting what certain admissions officers want. That seems more likely. I think lots who get rejected from such schools could make just as use (if not better) of the resources the schools have, and it's best not to judge people based on their rejections + acceptances. </p>
<p>However, it is fair to say that there may be something that Yale and Stanford commonly may not want in this candidate. Highly more likely to me than that anything about him isn't "good" enough.</p>
<p>"Then again, I hear of suprises often at these top schools"</p>
<p>Precisely the point. Very unpredictable, and tough to say what they want. I can make a list of things that can kill an applicant, but to make a list of what'll get an applicant admission is really tough.</p>
<p>I am fairly certain that my essays would not kill my chances. Perhaps my greatest strength is my ability as a writer, and I feel that the essays I sent in are fairly indicative of that.</p>
<p>"Perhaps my greatest strength is my ability as a writer, and I feel that the essays I sent in are fairly indicative of that."</p>
<p>I'll be honest -- aside from my knowledge of math, my greatest intellectual strength iss writing....however, I think the essays aren't just about good writing -- they have to strike the AO somehow. Therein is the randomness.</p>
<p>You'll be fine whatever happens though =] that's what matters</p>
<p>My essays should strike the AOs as well, I think. Very heartfelt, sincere, reveal weakness, yes, but how I've overcome it. I don't know. I don't know exactly what they're looking for. I just had a story to tell, and told it in the best way I could. I hope that's enough.</p>
<p>And thanks for all your encouraging words, mathboy. Hah, maybe we could meet at Berkeley next year, if I get in and decide to go there! I'm looking forward to college, regardless of where I end up, although I'll miss high school, which is something I honestly never expected to be able to say in my first couple years of high school.</p>
<p>Sorry this has kind of turned into introspective rambling. I just tend to follow my thoughts whenever I'm writing, and for some reason this has taken me down some interesting new roads.</p>
<p>"And thanks for all your encouraging words, mathboy. Hah, maybe we could meet at Berkeley next year, if I get in and decide to go there!"</p>
<p>Sure! It would be a pleasure. If you ever have questions about Berkeley, feel free to ask me. My objective opinion is that Berkeley is much better for top students who're particularly academically inclined than it is for less academic ones...given its strength isn't so much "overall undergrad prestige" as insanely good departments + elite faculty + great academics. If you're not a top student, Berkeley is really just a school...nothing more. You have to be excited to take advantage of the departments in a nontrivial way if it's really going to do wonders for you, I think.</p>
<p>im afraid this will happen to me. im smart, but im half black and half chinese. i think that they will think that its my asianess going to work and ignore that i still go through the same as a black kid cause everyone can tell im black</p>