In this college process, many schools have denied me even though I am above their 75th percentile, am top 10% of a top IB Private high school, and have a great EC (double bassist, which is rare). However, many kids who are below me are getting great results even though they have bad stats and ecs (I was denied from USC, but a kid with a 29 ACT and bottom 50% grades got into my major (Marshall), and he only played varsity basketball at our school which is D5). Why? I don’t get it he was not a URM or first-gen, and neither was I, but it feels like the closer you are to a potential norm (i.e. straight white male) the more likely you are to get rejected. I applied to a lot of schools (way more than average), so there is a potential that my essays for everywhere were very generic, but I have been denied places where I KNOW I spent tons of time on (USC in particular, had a writing coach on that one) and have been rejected from places where I had an excellent interview (Georgetown interviewer literally said it would be a shock and a tragedy for me not to get in). Is it destiny? Have others experienced this? IDK what to do if this is true for the rest of my life whats the point?
You’ll never know why someone got in when you didn’t. You don’t have access to their essays, teacher recs, and the other more holistic parts of their application. It’s not all about the tests cores and GPA.
Focus on where you got in, not where you didn’t. What acceptances have you received?
You have multiple posts complaining that you did not get into a group of very highly selective private schools. It is time to get over it. It is a waste of time to wonder why one person got in to a college when you didn’t – you will never be privy to another person’s entire application and you will never know what struck an admission officer about his/her profile.
And for the record, plenty of straight while males get into top colleges.
You already are into UC Berkeley so you have one terrific option and you can only attend one college – if it is “your destiny” to go to UCBerkeley then I’m sorry but it is far from a tragic outcome.
It is time for you to stop feeling badly for yourself. Be grateful you have a wonderful option. You need to start moving forward and stop looking back. And please, take a minute to consider just how many people would give almost anything to be in your situation.
@doschicos of the same caliber (not safe ones) UCB and UCLA. But UCB I applied as music with the intention to switch so I dont think I earned that one
It is very difficult to get into USC and Georgetown, even with an essay coach. Getting denied at those two is no shame. The Georgetown interviewer should never have said what he/she said since my understanding is that the interviewers generally have very little influence into the admission decisions at most schools. Your being a double bassist is impressive. If you intend to continue that in college, I hope you targeted more schools that would value having you in their band or orchestra. Good luck with the rest of your schools! Some of what happens in each admissions cycle appears to make little sense, but overall I think you are likely to get into the school(s) that will be best for you.
Two great schools! Congrats! Try to focus on them. I’m sure you’ll have an amazing 4 years and learn a lot at either one.
@happy1 im not other people, im better. Im sorry but my ACT score is in the 99th percentile, I beat most kids out on GPA in my school, and stats wise my EC is better than most in my field. I hate that argument cause you imply that I need to settle, when I dont. I could have been normal like your son or daughter and just went to public school and met with friends on the weekends but I did not. I have hundreds of holes in my walls of my room because the stress these four years have caused me, so dont give me that I need to stop feeling sorry for myself. I am actually better than most of these school’s profiles, including USC and Georgetown. In fact, stats wise (which I agree are not everything) I am at the 75th percentile of some Ivy league schools (Dartmouth, Brown, and above 75th percentile at cornell). So dont tell me to settle for less than what my stats actually are, multiple people on this site have tried for one reason or another and I will never listen to that crap. Its one thing if I dont have the stats or the profile capable, but I do, as seen by my stats and grades. And no, the entire applicant pool is not above the 75th percentile, then I would not be at or above the 75th percentile
You can’t assess your success by USC. USC’s admittance rate is always around 17%. Many applicants in the top 1% don’t get admitted. Nowadays, all the top schools are reach’s for everyone.
That is a pretty self-absorbed attitude. Perhaps that came through in your applications? I do wish you well, but I do hope you mature.
However, you absolutely crossed the line when you talk about my kids – you have no idea of their backstory or the things they have gone through (there is a great deal more to their history that I have shared publicly on CC).
Well post #6 kind of sums it up. Do you think any of that attitude came through in the letters of recommendation?
MODERATOR’S NOTE:
Closing thread. @doschicos first post sums it up. There’s nothing left to say without going in circles, which is already starting to happen. Good luck.