<p>i agree with aquamarine. a lot of schools that are selective but not quite at the very top i.e. ivies, duke, stanford, MIT put a large emphasis on an applicant's level of interest. it's just a case of yield protection. i'm positive you'll get into one of your top choices.</p>
<p>Let's see. You got into UT-Austin and you're upset? 1) Almost every department is top notch. 2) UT has one of the best campus enviornments in the country. 3) Name a better place for young people than Austin with it's music scene etc.</p>
<p>Admissions is a funny business ... but not so "funny" to those wanting to be admitted. There is no magic formula, no guarantee one way or the other. So sorry this has been so disheartening for you. However, I have to point out that you have stellar stats --- the fact that you weren't chosen (so far) by your top choices does NOT change that. You are and continue to be someone who will excel. If, in the end, you do have to go to one of your safeties ... promise yourself you'll seek out & take advantage of every opportunity that interests you. I can promise you there will be many, and you will find great success. </p>
<p>It really is too soon to write off the ones you are waiting for or any deferrals. If you want to go to U of M, start lobbying for yourself (and get your GC involved, too). I checked back to your last U of M post, and it looks like maybe you applied later than early November. That can hurt you at U of M, due to its rolling admissions policy. I have seen it happen there relatively often. Early is definitely best at U of M. They may need your assurance that you really want to attend --- it sure can't hurt!</p>
<p>You obviously have drive & motivation, or you'd never have bothered to ask your question in the first place. Hang in there ... wait for the rest of your responses & you may be pleasantly surprised ... and see if you can turn any decisions around that you might really want changed. Best of luck to you.</p>
<p>Hey Teslasnake,</p>
<p>Wow, that's some really disappointing news. I'm sorry to hear it. </p>
<p>I can think of two possibilities. The first is that you got some C's and low B's, and ALSO did not get any regional and national honors. In my experience (both during my own application days and in my days as a tutor), I have seen people with C's get into great schools as long as they had regional or national honors, and I have also seen people without regional or national honors get into top schools as long as they had no C's; but I have rarely seen students get into top schools with C's and without honors. So it may have been the combination that killed you, especially given that you are an Asian male and are automatically in the country's most competitive demographic. (Being an Asian guy is somewhat more competitive than being an Asian girl.) Your stats still seem too high for that explanation, however. I mean, it's not likely you're complaining about not getting in to Harvard or Yale. Your stats are some of the best in the country, and the schools you applied to are second-tier (great schools but not Ivy Leagues).</p>
<p>There's another possible explanation that you should consider. In many cases like this, the student received a black mark from a recommender or a school administrator that had nothing to do with his or her stats. I've known it to be everything from academic dishonesty to a habit of quitting leadership positions. This happens very rarely, but sometimes it explains why an applicant who looks great on applications is getting in. . . nowhere. You should try to find someone who will give you an honest opinion about how you are perceived by students and teachers at your school, because it could be that you are missing a crucial piece of the puzzle. I hate to say this, because a) it seems cruel and b) it could definitely be wrong, but I think it's something you should explore.</p>
<p>If you remain open to the second possibility, ask for some honest feedback, and don't get any clarity, I think you should assume that you were the unluckiest man alive in this year's round of applications. It's Michigan's loss. And who knows; you may still get into one of your high-ranked choices.</p>
<p>Wow man...this is depressing..im an Asian (Pakistani :S) applying international...and my stats are no where close to yours...2260/1520..760/740 SAT 2s..3.91 GPA..and good EC's..i got into all my backup/safeties..but heres the question..are u applying FA?..my friend...US citizen/asian...2310 SAT, 750+ SAT2's..and all 5's on 6 of his AP's got rejected from everywhere..but he applied FA..so im guessing maybe thats whats hurting you..esp public schools...BUT there still is hope..you cant give up till April begins..hang in there..top tier colleges wont turn you down..GOOD LUCK</p>
<p>i think OP lacked state-level ECs outside of the accademic boundary.</p>
<p>I don't know about the other schools but I at least deduce a couple of possible points about Michigan. </p>
<p>As you may know, Michigan is quite GPA-centered, although not completely. They will recognize if you attend a extremely tough prep school (hotchkiss, exeter, etc.). A 90% UW GPA converts directly to a 3.6 UW GPA. Not to mention, Michigan throws out your freshman year (which you say was your best). Additionally, UM takes out all +/-'s and makes all A's 4's, all B's 3. </p>
<p>So it is quite possible, that after all the of calculations that UM does to your GPA, it could be around a mere 3.2 UM weighted GPA. </p>
<p>I've heard of a large # of students with extremely high ACT/SAT scores (2250+, 33+) but have 3.1-3.4 GPA range that have been deferred or even rejected. It's not too impossible to imagine that UMich has deferred you.</p>
<p>For your information, many of my friends (and myself) have been deferred and then accepted when we had above avg stats (although slightly lower GPAs). For example, I had a 3.65 UM + 32 ACT + legacy + in-state, yet I was deferred as well. My friend with a 3.7 UM + 33 ACT + in-state, was also deferred, as well as my friend with a 3.7 + 31 + in-state. All of us applied between Sept-Nov as well, so it's not like we applied late. And if it makes you feel better, all three of us have been accepted now after being deferred...</p>
<p>So basically, don't give up. It sucks, but you still have some colleges to hear back from</p>
<p>This is such a stressful time for all you applicants! One word of caution - please try hard not to letyour feelings of self-worth suffer if you're rejected by specific colleges! Students can get excellent educational experiences at almost any institution in this country, if they go in with a positive attitude. My D. has spent the last two years literally fighting for her life. She was poised to be accepted into any Ivy of her choice until she was stricken with illness. She missed 1 1/2 years of school, was unable to graduate with her classmates, didn't get her driver's license, missed prom, sports, etc. D. chose to alter her list of schools, and has been accepted (so far) with merit into 5 of her 11 very worthy choices. Her illness was very humbling to her. It taught her that life is so precious, and is meant to be enjoyed and experienced full-heartedly, no matter where she is educated. Please, everyone, try hard not to look at the glass as half empty! Should you ever undergo what she's been through, and I pray none of you ever do, you'll see how all of our glasses are actually overflowing - just maybe with a different "liquid" than we first assumed it would/should be! </p>
<p>Good luck to all!</p>
<p>You are such an impressive candidate and I'm sure whatever college you choose will be delighted to have you!</p>
<p>Here's a tiny question: in addition to being an accomplished person, are you a nice person? I know the parents of two candidates from different states last year who were absolutely stellar on paper and when they didn't get the expected admissions, the guidance counsellors were left to explain in different ways to the parents (one boy and one girl) that the ultimate answer was that the kids simply aren't nice people. One came off as a jerk on an interview and the other didn't receive a completely favorable GC rec because the girl is a "mean girl."</p>
<p>Dear Countdown's Begun,</p>
<p>Welcome to CC. Thanks so much for sharing your D's experience as it really does put things into perspective. Congrats on having acceptances and money under the belt. Wishing her a continued recovery, good health and a wonderful college experience.</p>
<p>sometimes admissions officers from your safety schools will defer, waitlist or downright reject you if they think you're using them as a safety. my friend who is extremely qualified and will most likely go to smith next year if (and when) she gets in got waitlisted at elon, her safety school, where was definitely overqualified. in that case, she wasn't a good match for elon because she was too qualified. you might be in the same situation. hang in there!</p>
<p>Countdown, thanks for your post. So often, we fail to count our blessings...</p>
<p>Thanks for your kind words and wishes, sybbie and bean! She and I are now caught up in the anticipation and excitement of waiting for the rest of the decisions to get here - the grass will probably be gone all summer from the path we've made from the house to the mailbox each day! We've decided to put something in the mailbox to mail each day so we can monitor the red flag on the mailbox from the window since it's been pouring down rain!</p>
<p>you know, tes...</p>
<p>you could've just been rejected for the honors program at UT Austin because they might've known you considered them as your safety.
why give you a spot when theres someone else who actually WANTS it?
this isn't supposed to be mean.
you shouldn't be nervous at all.
i got into my safety and it had app for its honors program. i applied, giving them my essays for my match and reach schools and gave them one of my custom "Why ___" essays (I made each desired college customed). Then when it came to the mandatory interview, the officers could tell i wasn't even considering them, no matter how much I "pretended to". they asked me if i knew (some sort of special thing they had), and i told them i didnt. though they loved my essay and enjoyed my personality, they knew i was obviously looking for more.
so, yeah. I didn't get into the honors program.but a few months later, i got into a match, NYU</p>
<p>It may be them having some notion that you're not interested. so the colleges that you actually want to go = better chance of you getting in because they know you want it.
...
?? Haha, just a guess.</p>
<p>Here’s a tiny question: in addition to being an accomplished person, are you a nice person? I know the parents of two candidates from different states last year who were absolutely stellar on paper and when they didn’t get the expected admissions, the guidance counsellors were left to explain in different ways to the parents (one boy and one girl) that the ultimate answer was that the kids simply aren’t nice people. One came off as a jerk on an interview and the other didn’t receive a completely favorable GC rec because the girl is a “mean girl.” </p>
<p>— this was a factor that played into my son’s outcomes, in a way I did not anticipate. He’s an introvert, and also hardworking and intense. And, in the lovely world of high school, a GC saw him as arrogant, and another teacher wrote a recomendation which we saw after it was submitted saying “his intellectual level was above his peers in his comments in class” - translation, they viewed him as ‘talking down’ to his peers when nothing really could be further from the truth. And, in the HS admissions his year, the so called “nice” kids did remarkably well, certainly better than stats would indicate, and benefitted by their tendency to be extroverts, and happy-go-lucky, rather than like my DS.</p>
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<p>Peppermintlounge,</p>
<p>As a new poster, couple of things. Check to see whether threads are dead or not before posting. As the O.P. wanted this thread locked, it’s unlikely he will be answering your questions and as this is way past the May 1st deadline, he is past these decisions (unless waitlisted) and definitely past the ideas central to his initial query. Also, avoid the personal stuff whenever possible.</p>
<p>I did not realize he wanted it locked. Feel free to delete my response. I also did not think I was replying to the OP but to another’s comment about ‘nice’ kids in admissions.</p>
<p>^ he can’t delete your response, as he is not a moderator but rather a wanna-be moderator.</p>