if you didn't get into the college you want, would it feel like you wasted your time?

Pre-College Issues High School Life
1

<p>If you didn't go to that number one or that prestigous college of your choice, would you feel you wasted your time trying so hard to get into?</p>

<p>I just thought about all the time i wasted in school. I could be having fun, chilling with friends or anything that isnt stressful like school. The top tier schools i applied to ucla and berkeley and uc davis as backup. i honestly feel that if i dont get into ucla or berkeley, i probably wasted my time since i could put half the effort to get into davis.</p>

2

<p>i think in the long run it will all have helped you out. try not to think on the negative side. think about the stuff you did do! like preparing you for college work ethics, study skills, and etc.</p>

<p>and who knows, if you don't get into cal and UCLA you might get a ton of money at davis (which is still a really good school)</p>

3

<p>I just feel like I wasted money.</p>

4

<p>Yes, the focus of our life so far has been academics, and then when you get rejected I suppose it would feel pretty depressing. But, on the bright side of things, the work ethic you have acquired through the years will pay off and not getting into your top choice really might not even have any affect on your success.</p>

5

<p>i totally feel you, yayarea510. haha. 234324%!
and heyy are you from the bay area? (:</p>

<p>anyways, yea. my family's invested so much money in my education (kinda) & although i maintained a good social life & whatnot, i've sacrificed a lot to do something towards my education / college. i just feel like, if i don't get into where i want to or the schools i want to, then everything would've been for a waste. the time, money, effort, time i spent daydreaming, etc. haha.</p>

<p>i just don't wanna live the rest of my life with regrets or "if only i had done better in this" kind of stuff. i don't wanna disappoint myself, & not getting into my top choice, which is UCLA (people are like *** AIM HIGHER but UCLA is where i really feel like i want to be & belong), i'd feel as if i failed. haha.</p>

6

<p>ARE YOU KIDDING ME????!!!!</p>

<p>I am ashamed for you people ^^^^.</p>

<p>You know, the kids at CC are SO SMART. No lie. Just like me (i'm setting modesty aside, for now). But sometimes, people can possess such a provincial mindset. It is positively irksome. (no offense)</p>

<p>One would think that CCers would be able to WAIT (long-term gratification). College is just a few years in life where you go to learn/get ready to enter the competitive world. However, the job market is much more important. So the goal, essentially, should be to get a great job.</p>

<p>Just because one doesn't get into his/her top choice college doesn't mean that he/she can get more out of going to another school!</p>

<p>Most undergraduate schools offer plenty of resume-bolstering opportunities that prepare you for the job market.
It is graduate school that truly matters.</p>

<p>So there really is no need to stress.</p>

<p>It is interesting just how much one can mature by opening his/her mind. I was very Ivy-focused a few months ago, but now I take a different path, one towards schools like Drexel and Lehigh. I applied to a range of schools, but before applying, I told myself not to get too attached to a certain school. If a school doesn't want you, then why bother to feel bad about not getting in? Its loss.</p>

<p>So, not getting into the college you want is not that big of a deal, if it is undergrad... don't stress.</p>

<p>Children, the moral is as follows:
IT DOES NOT MATTER WHERE YOU GO, BUT WHAT YOU DO WITH YOUR OPPORTUNITIES.</p>

7

<p>AHHHH edit:
Just because one doesn't get into his/her top choice college doesn't mean that he/she can get more out of going to another school!
^ CAN'T
haha wow a typo. a MAJOR typo.</p>

8

<p>It's not the end of the world you know. It would probably be for the best</p>

9

<p>No, because I'm not a loser who does things just to get into college.</p>

<p>Even if I didn't get into community college, I still wouldn't feel like I wasted my time. I'd just feel kind of stupid.</p>

10

<p>Id be extremely *<strong><em>ed off in i didnt get into a list of schools i have, the worst being something like NYU... i mean, i want to get into a good school, but i havent worked my ass off necessarily. Id just be wayyy *</em></strong>ed and goto like BU</p>

11

<p>yes i would definetely feel as it i wasted my time. i could've gotten my GED after 10th grade and transfered as a junior into a top university..but i felt that i could still get in as a freshman had i stayed. so i will be greately disappointed if i don't get in to one of my top choices.</p>

12

<p>um, no for time, yes for money, and yes for overall school choice....</p>

<p>like i personally have to do most of these things anyway just to graduate from my hs so it's not that big of a deal to volunteer, etc...</p>

<p>money tho-my parents have spent like so much money sending me to a "good reputation" to get in..Plus review books, etc. Idk I know they want me to get a good education but it feels like a total waste if I don't go somewhere good</p>

<p>and I'd feel I wasted 4 years of being miserable at this bad "prestigious" hs when I could have learned nothing and chillaxed with my friends. I'm sort of stuck though and I did make the initial decision, so I can't begrudge too much</p>

13

<p>not really, here's why</p>

<p>I have a great safety that is not that prestigious, so I'm pretty sure that I'll get in, and it's sort of my first choice. So I could care less about MIT and Caltech if I get rejected.</p>

14

<p>No, because I would have learned something along the way. And there are many great colleges--not just "The One", which, in my case, is Columbia...</p>

<p>But if I get rejected, well, that's fate.</p>

15

<p>Success comes from the actual student, not the college he/she goes to. I don't need to go to a prestigious school to get a good education.</p>

16

<p>Sure, I'll be dissapointed with a "reject" letter but I doubt I'll feel that my time in high school has been 'wasted'. I love all the classes I'm taking right now, because I took APs in all the subjects that I thought were interesting, and I'm learning really incredible things every day. And all the ECs I've done outide of school are things that I'm passionate about - I don't do it just for the sake of getting in somewhere. Thus, in senior year, no matter where I end up getting accepted/rejected at, my hard work won't be considered a waste. So far it has all been time well spent and I really wouldn't do anything over no matter where I end up going!</p>

17

<p>Sigh~ Here's my problem. Sometime last year I had the impulse of wanting to go to a prestigious American school (I'm Chinese Canadian). I have really good grades, pretty good extracurriculars, etc. so I thought "why not give it a try... open more doors." So I studied for the SAT and got a 2390 in Oct. I was so excited and I thought that is way too good to throw away. But now the whole process of applying to US universities is really stressing me out and I don't know if it's really worth it and if I even stand a chance. I'll have NO problem whatsoever getting into a top Canadian university... I really don't know if I'm just wasting my time and money vying for such a slime chance of getting into a good US school... And there really is no point going to the States if I don't get into one of the top universities.</p>

18

<p>whoa never expected this to be featured lol thanks for the responses.</p>

<p>yeah im from the bay area adorkable. as you can tell im from the 510.</p>

<p>This all came up when someone i knew that graduated last year didnt get into Cal. Dude spent so much effort and sacraficed so much of his social life. You could say he had no life but he really wanted to go to Berkeley. In the end he was rejected(he got into UCLA though but it was too far for him). He ended going to community college and he told me he felt like he wasted his high school years.</p>

<p>the reason for me posting this is cause i been sacraficing a lot just to go to a great college. many of my close friends don't care about college(i guess its just the place i live) and are just going to settle for a local state or community college. Instead of going out, i have to stay home just to keep my grades up. No offense to UCD but UCD is so much easier to get into that Cal or LA. If i put all that effort and sacraficed part of my social life just get into Davis, I probably would have regret trying so hard when i could have went down a notch.</p>

<p>I aint a loser though lol i do go to parties, chill with friends or smoke, go out for food or a movie and do sports. I just really hope all this effort i put in pays off and I didn't waste my time.</p>

<p>Sorry for the long rant. I understand if youre not gonna read all that but whatver. Maybe i'm just being too negative.</p>

19

<p>I think if someone applied to Ivies and didn't get into their first choice they shouldn't worry about it. Hopefully they applied to other colleges.</p>

<p>But for me If I don't get into my Number 1 Choice I will cry serious like for weeks I will. Cuz basically my Number 1 is the only college I really want to go to. I only applying to like 4 Colleges. </p>

<p>If I don't get in I will feel like I have wasted my time. Seriously My Number 2 Choice is so easy to get into. All those nights I stayed up late to study. All that hard work. OMG If I don't get in it'll be depressing. I hope I get in.</p>

20

<p>No, and if you feel like this then you missed the point entirely. High school should be a time in which students find their passions through self-exploration, which will provide them with a firm path once they enter college. If you've spent High School obsessing over how to get a 99 in AP classes you hate and doing every EC to look good then you've missed the point entirely and probably are not ready for college.</p>