<p>I came across this thread, and it made me so sad. There is WAY too much pressure being put on high school kids these days to get into schools like Brown. </p>
<p>I graduated from Brown in 07, but out of high school I was a wreck. Bad test scores, low GPA, no admin help or prep. </p>
<p>Out of high school I ended up going to a random school I had never heard of before, did well, then transfered to Brown after my sophomore year. I wouldn’t have traded the experience for anything. The most important part of that experience what that it made me realize how manipulative schools, parents, and forums like this can be in making you believe that life is all about one stupid letter. I was crushed when I didn’t get into my dream schools out of high school (which didn’t even include Brown at the time), and all that pain and frustration was so unnecessary in retrospect. By the time I transfered, it was to pursue actual academic opportunities that simply weren’t offered at my school the way they were at Brown. </p>
<p>Most of my friends who started out at Ivy’s had a much more limited experience than I did, because they didn’t realize that you dont have to be at an Ivy school to get a fantastic education and college experience. Also, if I think about all my friend who are at the most selective MD and JD programs or are working at top firms across the country, a large majority of them are people I knew from high school went to state schools and then went on to great graduate programs afterwords.</p>
<p>All that to say, dont buy into the need to stress and kill yourself over this decision. I wish everyone the best of luck, and Brown is a wonderful place, but please remember that your future is about who you are and what you are driven to accomplish, not where you went to school. </p>
<p>Out of college, I helped some friends build a non-profit that I believed in. Some of us that built the group went to Ivy schools some of us didn’t. Now that our organization is a leader in its field, no one cares where we went, and all of us have the same prospects for future jobs etc. </p>
<p>What matters is who you are and what you do in life, not where you went to school. Ad com has no control over how you spend your time for the rest of your life. Whether or not you get into Brown, just commit yourself to working hard for something you believe in and working to improve yourself as a person. Five years from now, these achievements will be how you measure your success. </p>
<p>I know this sounds obnoxious and trite, but it is true. Everyone on these forums are encouraging everyone else’s anxiety and reinforcing the insane expectations that are being put on you and your peers. Trust me: life will be great, maybe even beter, if your letter comes back in a small envelope.</p>
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Take it from me, I was rejected ED and Brown was my LIFE. I thought about nothing else.