I don't know what to do

Parents Forum
1

<p>Penn State Schryer - Rejected
Notre Dame - Waitlisted
Cornell - Rejected
Columbia - Rejected
University of Pennsylvania - Rejected
Georgetown - Rejected
University of Virginia - Rejected
New York University - Waitlisted
Yale University - Rejected</p>

<p>3.9794 UW GPA.
2090 SAT: 690/710/690
31 ACT: 36/31/32/29
610 Lit, 640 Math 2, 620 World History (I know...)</p>

<p>Senior Year:
H Physics, AP Calc, Dickinson College Course (International Relations/Organizational Behavior), Law, AP Literature, AP Micro, AP Macro</p>

<p>I know it's entirely my fault and I don't know what to do. My test scores were obviously too low but it's frustrating enough going to the individual boards of these colleges and seeing 1 or 2 people with my exact stats get in, no hooks. I know this is no one's fault but mine. My counselor never said anything besides "I can't tell you where to apply." My Mom pushed me to try for the best because she did not really understand how hard it is to get in. Little by little I fooled myself into thinking I had better than a 0.01% chance. Even then I don't think there was anywhere else I wanted to go. My parents have saved so much for my college education, even starting when I was born.</p>

<p>I was accepted to Penn State Main Campus but I don't even know if I want to attend. I'm only ever going to be an undergrad student for 4 years and I wanted to try for the best. I don't know what to major in now anymore either. I can't simply major in Finance anymore because who on Earth would hire me when there are 50+ schools ahead of Penn State and the graduates are far more qualified? Job prospects are bad enough. I don't even know what to major in anymore. I am aware that apparently "you'll get the same education anywhere." Sure doesn't feel like it. And now I'm going to spend 134k on Penn State? That's near the price range of the schools I applied to.</p>

<p>Is it worth taking a year off? I would study for the year and either volunteer or get a job. I don't think this is a very good option though unless I go soul-searching in Asia or something. The class of 2014 is going to be just as competitive. What if I don't get accepted again?</p>

<p>I could go to Penn State for a year and then try to transfer but transfer rates are so low. I would sacrifice this whole summer to study just like last summer, but with more focus and determination. I'd keep as high a GPA as possible.</p>

<p>Either way I want to crawl into a tree thinking about filling out all of those applications again. I gave up my entire Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks assembling those, not even stopping on Thanksgiving or Christmas.</p>

<p>Or I could accept my mediocrity at Penn State. I don't even see Penn State sending a lot of students to top Grad schools when I check schools represented.</p>

<p>I'm not even sure what I want with this thread I think I just want someone to read what I'm feeling. I'm just so tired of failing at everything I try. Thanks.</p>

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<p>I can’t tell you what to do, but I do want to say that I’m sorry you are going through this. How disappointing! Getting into the colleges on your college list is very challenging, even someone with your credentials, which are quite good. So, if you are interested in the schools at which you are waitlisted, let them know this right away, perhaps presenting additional information. Another option, Penn State (getting the very best out of it, and transferring elsewhere after two years). Or, community college and transfer, or gap year.
Those are the obvious possibilities, but there may be more. But first, allow yourself to be sad and angry for a few days, but no more than that! Your life is not over, and you can have a very happy as well as successful time in college and after. Don’t let this define you, when the fact that many of these colleges denied you admissions may have more to do with the socio/historical time and place in which we find ourselves.</p>

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<p>Mediocrity…Penn State? </p>

<p><em>mutters something about the ridiculously skewed standards on this board</em></p>

<p>…But it’s not the end of the world, if you really have issues with Penn State then have you tried looking out west? Like say Stanford or Berkeley…A gap year might not be a bad idea, gives you time to do something that will make you shine to those colleges you listed.</p>

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<p>you are making it seem as if PSU is a community college… It is a great university and one of the best public schools in the country. Also, there is nothing saying you can’t get into SHC after your freshman year. Honestly, take a break, relax, and go to PSU</p>

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<p>Your guidance counselor did you a big disservice- Penn, Cornell, Columbia and Yale were never realistic options for you, and GTown, ND and U Virginia are reaches. It would have been better to forget the top 4 and focus on more attainable schools. That said: Put in your deposit at Penn State, and hope to get in off the waitlist at NYU or ND, if that’s what you want. Why take a year off? What would you do? you will love Penn State. Do you think there won’t be others in the same boat?</p>

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<p>I am sorry for your disappointment, but you should realize that Penn State is a fine school. If you do well there and take advantage of all the opportunities it offers, there is no reason why you cannot achieve any professional goal you have.</p>

<p>You are not “failing.” Unfortunately, your list of schools was top-heavy with reaches. An adult in your life (guidance counselor, parent etc.) should have steered you toward more matches and safeties. However, you have a perfectly good option for fall should you choose to take advantage of it.</p>

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<p>Also, if you are interested in going, Penn State has top programs in Business and Engineering.</p>

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<p>I’m really sorry, that’s horribly unfair considering your amazing GPA & SAT score. I think you should do whatever feels right to you. No one can make that decision for you BUT YOU. But hard work won’t go unnoticed, you’ll make it somehow.</p>

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<p>Thanks Mamita.</p>

<p>Spudcommando, I didn’t look at West coast because it’s too far. </p>

<p>Collegeeager, Thanks, still an option.</p>

<p>Barbara, Yea I suppose that’s all I can do. Sorry I misspoke. I know Penn State is a great school and there are lots of high achieving students who have even higher stats than me.</p>

<p>NJSue, I really wish I could redo high school. I’d give up everything I have. And thanks.</p>

<p>Thatsingergirl, Ha, what an awful week. Thanks.</p>

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<p>You got into Smeal? Do you realize PSU has a great reputation among employers and its business major is highly regarded? No, it’s not Ivy League, but (although you wouldn’t realize it from CC) most of the successful people in the world didn’t go to Harvard or Penn or Yale. And you can get into Schreyers sophmore year and you can get great internships, admission to grad schools, etc.</p>

<p>Take off your “prestige” blinders and do some investigation about Penn State’s business school rep. It may not be your first choice, but it definitely isn’t mediocre.</p>

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<p>Don’t hold on to your anger and frustration. It’s time for a reality check.</p>

<p>There are thousands of students with the same stats and better. You’ve probably spent your entire HS years focusing on GPA. The problem is that true success is a matter of being able to balance everything-----academic demands, social demands, EC demands, and perhaps even employment demands. A big part of it is also due to luck, timing, and who you know.</p>

<p>Let your waitlist schools know that you are still interested in attending. If you have any new relavent information, make them aware of it (for example, new awards, new EC’s, perhaps an updated letter of rec. or a phone call from your guidance counselor, etc.).</p>

<p>Get rid of the IVY league mentality and understand that it’s what you accomplish in college rather than the rank of the college which is going to propel you towards your future.</p>

<p>When you get to college, do more than sit in your room studying for a high GPA. Be engaged. Take part in all it has to offer. Get to know professors. Get to know your peers.
Look for and experience internships. Go above and beyond what is expected in the classroom. Truly embrace the experience.</p>

<p>Please, do not spend your life defining yourself (and others) based on GPA and college rank. It’s not a good way to go through life.</p>

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<p>SansSerif, I need to look deeper into Smeal and will definitely reapply to Schreyers. Thanks!</p>

<p>Nysmile, I forgot to mention ECs: 4 years swimming and tennis, NHS, usual stuff. Although I’ve heard it before, I needed to hear it again. Thanks.</p>

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<p>I understand your feelings. You would be entering Penn State (a great school), with a set of tools which you have acquired from working hard ( a strong base of knowledge, a work ethic and study skills), so you should not feel that your hard work was for no reason.</p>

<p>The President of Harvard went to Bryn Mawr College ( a great school, but she rose to the level of her effort), and the new Director of the CIA will be a graduate of University of Central Florida. I think that you will probably end up loving Penn State and doing great there. My belief is that the upper echelon of any large State School would be competitive at any university. My advice is to take a Gap year only if you think it would be fun and productive for you - not to improve your ‘marketability’. I think that if you do great at PS you would be able to transfer to excellent schools if you so choose.</p>

<p>Good luck. Your hard work is its own reward, to use a kitschy cliche.</p>

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<p>My daughter’s SATs were worse than yours and she was thrilled to go Penn State. She worked her *** off and was invited to apply to Schreyer after her freshman year. She declined the offer, she said she is busy enough. </p>

<p>She will be applying to PA school with a 3.8+ science-heavy GPA next month. She is having the time of her life and working hard, it’s no picnic, even without Scheyer. </p>

<p>She would laugh at your description of her as unmotivated. She TAs for a physiology class, works as an EMT and is an RA. There are more like her than you think. </p>

<p>Try it, you might just like it!</p>

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<p>Seeing that you put in 200-3am nights was disturbing. That’s way too many for HS. Actually, that’s way too many for college. (Assuming you’re not starting at midnight). Anyway try a more balanced approach in college. Develop your interpersonal skills and get ready for the real world.</p>

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<p>Yep, Penn State is a great choice… especially if you are in state. Good luck! </p>

<p>PS - Sorry about the GC that didn’t give more guidance.</p>

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<p>Ummmm…Berkeley and Stanford routinely turn down applicants with stats better than the OP’s. Not saying OP doesn’t have great stats. Just saying…Berkeley and Stanford would have been high reaches, too.</p>

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<p>I was being irrational everyone. Sorry. Just let the thread die.</p>

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<p>Vicimus - It is normal to be discouraged. OTOH your list was not realistic. So go forward and send in a deposit to Penn State. Trust me you will love it. And if you don’t you can always apply as a transfer. It is not the end of the world. You are a bright kid who, like many other smart kids, was not given good guidance wrt college applications. You are going to do great and will succeed at Penn State.</p>

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<p>Vicimus - You weren’t being irrational - my S got many rejections and waitlists from a very similar list to yours, and his scores were higher than yours. So although, you probably should have applied to some other schools that were not quite as high as those on your list, at least you do have Penn State. Is it where you wanted to go? No. But it’s still a good school, and I think you can find some positive things about it. If it doesn’t work out, then reapply somewhere else, but be reasonable about the schools you choose next time. Look at it this way - you won’t have to have to so many 3 a.m. nights anymore!</p>