<p>I found myself thinking about each of you today! Bebere, A <strong><em>HUGE</em></strong> congratulatons to you, honey! May your tenure at Yale be everything you could ever hope for!</p>
<p>lindseylugh: I am sorry that you are having to deal with deferral. You had MY vote, but unfortunately, I was not invited to the meeting...<em>lol</em> Hang in there, and I'll be thinking of you as spring approaches!</p>
<p>haosquared: Did I miss a post by you? Please let me know how you are doing!</p>
<p>chidmma: CONGRATS on the acceptance!! You have so much to look forward to! I am so happy for you!</p>
<p>Thanks so much for your concern berurah! I had finals to study for so I figured I would post after the furor died down a little. Like Lindsey, I was also deferred. Oh well...I'm sure I'll have lots of great experiences from now until April to take my mind off Yale. At least I'll get a second look. Half an orange tastes as sweet as a whole one. I'm terribly sorry about your son though...I hope he feels better soon and realizes that one "no" does not cancel out all the wonderful experiences he's had in life. To open a book is to profit. Today, I made a list of sayings to make me feel better. They're a little trite but Absolutely True. This is only one minor setback in the scheme of things...Life goes on and can remain beautiful if we put everything into perspective. Best wishes- Jill (hao^2)</p>
<p>The hut by the stream, silent and deserted,
Yet the hibiscus still blooms and falls- Tang Dynasty
Even summers may have winter weather- Proverb
Anything great is long in making- Lao Zi
A tree with bitter roots bears sweet fruits- Proverb
You can never deprive a man of his will- Confucius</p>
<p>I'd like to add my voice in wishing you all well. Great post, Jill. Congratulations, Chidimma, on your acceptance. To the deferred, keep fighting. To those denied acceptance, your record of accomplishments indicates that you will have a great four years at another school. The present pain will soon be forgotten. Hold your heads high and carry on!</p>
<p>Berurah, thank you so much for your kind wishes. I'm more excited than I even imagined.</p>
<p>Jill, I was so so sad when I saw your decision, but it makes me feel better to see that you're dealing well with it. You are such an amazing person, and I was really looking forward to going to Yale with you. Hopefully, come April, Yale will realize the heinous mistake that they made in not accepting you right off the bat, and they'll send a glorious acceptance package, accompanied by a letter of apology and a box of cookies. When they do, make sure you share them with me.</p>
<p>Lindsey, I couldn't believe your decision either. I honestly would have bet my life on your acceptance. See above ^</p>
<p>Thank you, thank you for the great sayings!! Believe me, I need EVERY dose of perspective I can get today! Wow, I SO hope you get that well-deserved second look and acceptance come April! You are an extraordinary young lady!! Best of luck on your finals, sweetie!</p>
<p>Bebere--you just revel all you want! You deserve it! Hope your holidays are extra-special this year! I am so tickled for you....and to think, I knew you when...<em>lol</em></p>
<p>Thanks again you guys. Not only for being so caring and supportive but also for putting the first sincerely joyful smile on my face today. Truthfully, part of the reason why I feel so calm is because I know if I ever do have a breakdown or a broken heart, there are wonderful people here who would perk me up in an instant. </p>
<p>Beth, forgot to say congratulations yesterday when I heard the news! I can't describe how thrilled I am for you. Enjoy Enjoy Enjoy! Display all that Bulldog paraphernelia! You've earned every moment of it. <3</p>
<p>Berujah! I'm sorry to hear about you son. Thank you for thinking of me. Zuma, thank you so much. I don't know what to say. I know, realistically, that everyone on this board wouldn't get in, and it hurts so much to actually see the final results. I thought Lindsey was a no-brainer, but as you said, our votes don't count. To the deferred, if you didn't see my post earlier, remember that you have 4 months to make your application ten times better. Yale will have a fresh eye the next time around. Prove to them that you are soooooooo worth it. Don't get me wrong; you already have. Make them feel bad. Rub it in their faces. You guys are amazing people. The same goes to those rejected. It stings now. I have friends going through the same thing. I don't know exactly what to say without sounding like I'm either glorifying myself or putting you down. You all have accomplished so much and will ultimately be wonderful wherever you go. Please don't let this be the end of the world (hopefully you aren't yelling 'Sure, Chidimma!') I mean it. Life will move on. Let it move slowly, but surely. I really loved the friendship on this board. Wow. I'm so sentimental over an internet chat board. You guys have grown on me! :( </p>
<p>Berurah - I truly appreciate your kind words and support. I'm very sorry to hear of your son's admission decision and his reaction to it. However, he is very, very lucky to have such a strong support system at home with you and the rest of your family.</p>
<p>I will be thinking of your family as well as spring nears. Please let me know where else your son decides to apply and eventually decides to matriculate. It's very likely that there will be some overlap between our lists. </p>
<p>Thanks so much, Lindsey, for the kind words about my son. He seems to be doing a bit better already. His friends at school were SO supportive--I think they really convinced him that it was Yale's loss! And last weekend, he qualified for nationals in debate. The competition will be held in Philly next summer, so he is already concentrating on and preparing for that. I think he will be fine and back to his old self in the next week or so! ~berurah</p>