<p>I'm feeling absolutely HORRIBLE right now.. My parents told me this week they're divorcing...we sold our house a month ago... and now, my college hopes are tanking. I really need some words of encouragement--I think my mom is just saying nice things to be nice.
Some quick stats:
ACT: 35
SAT: ~2200
GPA: 3.9 school does not rank
2 summers of research in a lab at NYU
lots of leadership</p>
<p>All of the work I've done over the past four years, I feel, has gone to waste. Kids at my school with nothing near what I have are getting in, and I'm not. Is there any glimmer of hope remaining for me??</p>
<p>What a lot of bad news in a short amount of time. I am sorry that you are facing college rejections on top of family problems. But Carleton and Michigan are really excellent schools, I would say better than at least some of the others you applied to. What is it that you want to study?</p>
<p>I’m so sorry you have so much to deal with right now. Please consider yourself hugged! On the college front, Carleton and UMichigan are wonderful schools. I can’t attest to their suitability for psych and neuroscience, but I do know that years and years ago my two cousins went to Carleton and truly LOVED the school. They still have a very strong allegiance to the school. One of the things that impressed me when we were beginning the college search for our kids was learning about Carleton’s percentage of alumni giving. I think it’s the highest in the LACs. That’s a real testament to the sense of community and identity that the college provides and the sense of gratitude the alums feel. I hope this helps.</p>
<p>Wow, rhyn – I see 20 colleges listed, and almost all of them in the reach or super-reach category. You are lucky you are in at Carelton and U. Michigan, because unless you’ve omitted some stuff, you don’t have anything remotely resembling a “safety” on the college list you’ve shared. </p>
<p>I’m sorry that your parents are splitting up and the bad news about colleges is pouring in at once – it must be a rough time for you. I just want to remind you that you set yourself up with a very risky college strategy, with all of those top schools. It’s great to reach for the best – but do keep in mind that your rejections & waitlists are a reflection of the extraordinarily high standards you set for yourself, not of failure on your part. </p>
<p>In any case, as others have said, Carleton and UMich are top notch schools – and I’m guessing you will probably get into one or two of the others you are still waiting on as well.</p>
<p>Wow! That’s a lot to deal with. But the strongest steal comes through the hottest fire. You will be one tough cookie, able to deal with anything.</p>
<p>Your college choices are really excellent, though. You can choose big or small school with those 3 great options. Sometimes “closed doors” are a blessing, you know. I didn’t get accepted to the school I thought I wanted, and ended up somewhere else. It turned out to be the perfect school for me, and I only ended up there because another door seemed to be slammed shut on me. Whichever college you choose will end up being YOUR college, where you will meet some lifelong friends and have experiences you’ll never forget. Or maybe it will be one you’re wait-listed on. How exciting! Keep us posted on your decision. I think it’s a win-win for you on the college choices!</p>
<p>Just remember that if a college didn’t accept you, it also didn’t accept other people LIKE you. In other words, that place is going to be filled with people you wouldn’t want to hang out with anyway!</p>
<p>*21 colleges is just ridiculous, but that’s water under the bridge.</p>
<p>I like Carleton more than most of the 21 colleges on your list and would choose it over most. It’s a truly superb college.*</p>
<p>^ agree
if the money still works- after all the other expenses- I say go there- or Ann Arbor
Don’t wait for the wait list schools.</p>
<p>otherwise- take a year off- volunteer/work/travel and think about why you applied to 21 pretty competitive choices at a time when your family life must have also been stressful.</p>
<p>As someone whose family has had a horrific year, I can share that “the only way out is through.”</p>
<p>You will get through all of this. Although traumatic for you and not occurring at an optimum time for you, you will see eventually that your parents will probably each be happier on their own. In 4 and a half months you will be starting your new life at college.</p>
<p>By April 2, you’ll have a lot more news - please update on this thread. You have some of CC’s best rooting for you^.</p>
<p>You’re still waiting on 7 schools. I’ll go out on a limb and predict you get into 3 of them, probably more. That will give you at least 6 great options. Hang in there. {{hug}}</p>
<p>you must remember that many of the schools you applied to are not need-blind and that if you applied for financial aid admission for them is not just based on you as a candidate; but factors beyond your control. </p>
<p>Your academic preparedness WILL help you succeed in undergrad, and it is far more important to do that than to attend one of the “name” schools that has waitlisted you.</p>
<p>I’m very sorry, but even though you are a nice girl, you are going to have to disappoint at least 2 of the 3 schools that you’ve been accepted to. You still may hear from others and have to disappoint even more of them. While all 3 are outstanding schools and all 3 deserve to have a student of your caliber, at least 2 of them are simply not going to make the cut and get you to go there. You can only go to 1 school. I know that you will choose carefully and wisely and politely let those that you reject down easy. Congratulations on a job well done! </p>
<p>I am truly sorry about your parents divorce. It’s a lot to deal with at once, and I hope they work to find a way to ease your pain. </p>
<p>PS, Madison seems like a pretty cool place to go to college for someone with urban leanings.</p>
<p>You’ve got some great choices and I totally agree with whoever posted about the necessity you’ll have of gently letting down several fabulous schools, but you can’t make them all happy:)</p>
<p>Carleton and Madison both have great programs for Neuroscience. (I don’t know anything specific about Michigan, so this isn’t a knock on them).</p>
<p>Madison does fascinating work on neuroplasticity (a very new field);the W.M. Keck Laboratory for Functional Brain Imaging and Behavior has done experiments in cooperation with the Dalai Lama on effects of meditation on the brain.</p>
<p>Carleton has a well deserved reputation in the sciences, especially for women. They have a relatively new Neuroscience concentration in both Psych and Bio majors. Check with both schools to see what opportunities there are for undergrad research (may be better at Carleton) and the relative numbers of women faculty and students in the departments (again, Carleton may be preferable for women).</p>
<p>Carleton also has a facebook page of Class of 2013 - I know there are at least 3 women considering double major in bio or psych and something else. My d is one of them, her 2nd will likely be music. </p>
<p>Best wishes; I won’t say good luck because you don’t need it - you’re going to have a great time at any one of several places.</p>
<p>It sounds to me as if you’ve done great! I guess the downside of applying to a lot of colleges is that it leaves you open to a lot of rejection. But you have great stats and you have a lot to be proud of!</p>