<p>[Study</a> Hacks](<a href=“http://calnewport.com/blog/]Study”>Study Hacks - Decoding Patterns of Success - Cal Newport)</p>
<p>lol.</p>
<p>And the library. That’s for sure.</p>
<p>xD</p>
<p>Here’s what I’ve noticed: A lot of folks learn the ropes and do only as much as they have to get an A, become club president, win a sport etc. </p>
<p>Maybe, they like to know that they’re involved or something, but I’m not the kind of guy who joins BS clubs to boss people around or half-ass an assignment just because it doesn’t REALLY matter in the big scheme of things. Also, I don’t like doing HW at lunch. Not my thing.</p>
<p>But yea, when you get to this site and find people who are building robots and winning nat’l awards for curing diseases, then you have to assume their passion isn’t faked. Yea, that’s when you begin to feel inferior.</p>
<p>What is hillarious is that 25% of HYP kids get under 2100 for the SAT, so i feel bad for the kids who bust their asses and can’t be “kids” because they are hell bent on becoming what they think is the most attractive college candidate</p>
<p>@Wiscongene: I feel that way too. There are people at my little rural school that join all the clubs, play every sport, and BS every assignment possible and still get scholarships to the top schools in NC. Like one kid that graduated 2 years ago was the president of almost every club, captain of varsity football and baseball, and still tutored other kids afterschool! His senior year grades were starting to go down, but was still valedictorian.</p>
<p>@evan1996 Oh, those weren’t even the people I was talking about, but I have a beef with them, too. There’s always that kid who that wouldn’t even come to class…but somehow pass… and get accepted to some decent schools WITH SCHOLARSHIPS! Like, ***, man?</p>
<p>I was talking about the kids that are obviously smart and hardworking, but they don’t really seem passionate about anything. They speed through tests just to show that they can, while I’m sitting in the background trying to be as thorough as possible and not just regurgitate my notes on the free response… We get the same score.</p>
<p>What makes it worse is that I’m the introverted type, I like taking walks alone and I’ve gotten a great deal of enjoyment from hobbies like my aquariums and music-playing, where I’ve dedicated many hours. No, it’s not curing cancer, but with the right resources, I could do some pretty neat things for the community, I think. </p>
<p>Top schools don’t want quiet, thoughtful kids anymore. They want machine academics with no soul. Lol :(</p>
<p>lol. Machine Academic with NO SOUL?
Kinda rude xDD</p>
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<p>Nearly all of which are minorities or recruited athletes. A regular old white/asian applicant has no chance with scores below 2100.</p>
<p>^ That’s not true… you’re forgetting about the legacies! Lol</p>
<p>what is HYP kids? o.O</p>
<p>Harvard, Yale, Princeton. You must be new. I wasn’t being THAT rude. I meant to say that many of them seem as though they are well-rounded but not passionate about anything other than “being successful.”</p>
<p>@Wiscongene: I don’t know any of the types you are talking about because my school is about 90% minorities. Either you work your butt off and get a partial to full scholarship or hardly work or wait until senior year to work and go to a no name college. No one here where I live is like “My parents have money and can just pay for my education.” Even though the rich kids can do that, their parents make them work hard in school. </p>
<p>I’m introverted too. I like to keep to myself alot (even in class), but I can work with anybody. You can put me with the absolute thuggy badass and I will make him work. It only takes a little silent cursing and a reality check and they are good. Plus, kids don’t mess with me because my dad’s a former police officer and my mom will curse out every last person she sees before she gets to who she wants to see. Back on track now, I am devoted to music also (in marching, concert, and pep band) and I like to read.</p>
<p>Even worse, when they are like “chance a average student” or “chance me, low gpa/sat?”</p>
<p>& Theirs are all higher than mine --_____-- its like ok thanks haha</p>
<p>Chance me! I only have a 2300+ SAT.</p>
<p>I was about to die when I saw it. It’s like I’ll never go to competitive school bc of that -_-</p>
<p>Being 90th percentile or so would be terrible. People would expect you to be as good as those in the 99th but there’s no way you can do it. I really feel sorry for those people.</p>
<p>good thing i’m 99+</p>
<p>Schools have varying academic standards, and certain extracurriculars (clubs and volunteering particularly) are probably exaggerated by many. But yes, Ivy League applicants can be impressive.</p>
<p>@Desafinado: Haha I’m one of those 90% percentile people… 93% for the SAT (1990). At least I’m 99+ for the ACT 
Makes me feel a little bit better at least…</p>
<p>Yeah… I get kind of intimidated whenever I see really qualified applicants (2300+/34+, tons of ECs/volunteer work, rank 1, etc…) rejected from HYPMS.</p>
<p>I don’t get it. I do a whole heck of a lot of EC’s and take hard classes, but I achieve nothing close to even half of what those people do and I’m exhausted.</p>
<p>@TickGrey: I feel you on that one. But, Ivies aren’t for everyone, eh? I’m just focused on staying in-state because of location and tuition rates.</p>
<p>Yeah the next three years I plan to pack in the ECs, APs, etc.
I really don’t care. Just because last year (taking all preAP classes) I literally DID NO HW FOR A YEAR. So I’m ready. I really don’t care. Seriously facebook gets stupid after 1 hour…</p>