Misconceptions fellow students have

Applying to College
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<p>I've noticed recently that most of the students at my school have misconceptions about admissions in general, both about the process and about the difficulty of gaining admission. Some sell themselves short (one says she's not going to get into any UCs despite a solid GPA and very good SAT scores), others overestimate themselves (one student here who applied Dartmouth ED said Brown is a safety school). </p>

<p>Maybe it's just because I attend a large public school, but it seems like most of my fellow applicants have misconceptions about admissions, and I want to know...is this a common thing? Do a lot of high-achieving students at private schools not understand admissions well, or is this just a public school thing?</p>

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<p>Yes. At my school, anyway.</p>

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<p>No. </p>

<p>At my public school, a kid with a 1390/2090 is expecting to get into Yale scea.</p>

<p>And everone expects me to get into harvard because of my 2320</p>

<p>our val (4.9/2100) referred to UVA as a safety!</p>

<p>Those are the most arrogant people in my school.</p>

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<p>Oops, I meant it was very common for non-CCers to overestimate their chances (having never heard of christiansoldier, an0maly, and mifune)</p>

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<p>If people understood, harvard would not get almost 30,000 applications, about half of which are from kids without anywhere near what’s competitive.</p>

<p>Usually it’s better from private schools with good counselors, but people still dream!</p>

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<p>Yeah. My friend has a 2300 with little to no substance to his application (no extracurricular activities, essays, or any personal story) and he’s expecting admission to any Ivy.</p>

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<p>My classmates are painfully aware of the harsh realities of college admissions, maybe even more so than CCers.</p>

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<p>yea…there are kids applying to harvard and yale and MIT…ones with no EC, just high-ish averages…I don’t know what they’re thinking…
We’re in Canada…and most of them are gonna be asking for aid, so…yea…- -</p>

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<p>Yes, some people have a bitter realization coming</p>

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<p>^ Asking for aid alone is not detrimental to their chances at Harvard, Yale or MIT.</p>

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<p>I’m embarassed by my school’s extreme ignorance of ivys. Honestly, I would say 50-60 kids are applying, and expecting admission, to Ivies, MIT, or Stanford. It’s sickening to be around these kids. If they all had a 33+ ACT or 2150+ score and above a 3.75gpa then I would say you have a CHANCE, your not gaurenteed admissions anywhere. There is this one Spanish kid at my school. TBH the kid is probably one of the slowest, laziest, zoned-out, kids I have ever met. He has a 1690 SAT and 3.2W gpa. The kid thinks that because he is Spanish he deserves a spot at MIT so he applied ED. Every time I walk by the kid I have to bite my tongue and not just say “what the hell are you thinking”. I’m dissapointed that our GC dosen’t tell these kids YOU HAVE NO SHOT IN HELL, so don’t apply. It is disgusting to see the kids at my school and their arrogance like they have the right to attend an Ivy after not working all HS.</p>

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<p>Just to add that to that last post; I have the 2nd highest score at my school with a 33 ACT and trust me I’m not expecting to get into any Ivys. My #1 is UVA and I believe it is a reach for me even after being top 10% and my ACT score. SO many kids overestimate their chances with scores like 1700’s.</p>

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<p>I just would like to point out that is people like the ones described in this thread that cause Ivies + MIT to have low acceptance rates.</p>

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<p>These kids are going to have a very very rough time with acceptance letters.</p>

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<p>I think you are all exaggerating the number of unqualified candidates who apply to these schools. Sure, there are many kids who obviously have no chance, but that isn’t the majority. At the Stanford information session i went to, they said about 85% of their applicants are academically qualified</p>

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<p>UVA is a safety :p</p>

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<p>I go to a school that’s 50% asian…just think about our standards.</p>

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<p>Oh, no. Trust me it’s very common. There are people at my school who have told me that Boston University is near Ivy status, where as Boston College is much lower on the scale. Also I’ve heard that a 3.3 will get you in almost anywhere and the person who told me that said that our Guidance counselor told her that good extracurriculars and a 3.3 in all regulars will get you into Standford.</p>

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<p>Urgh. My schools is really competitive but I’ve spoken to SO many people applying to schools that they are completely inappropriate for them. And it’s not just that they’re applying on long shots, they think that they’re really going to get in! My one unhooked friend with an 1850 is applying Harvard, Brown, and only two other schools. There’s another one with low 2000s applying to Stanford, Yale, and Brown. Oh, and best one is this girl with a 1500 and 89 gpa applying to Cornell and UPenn. </p>

<p>One of my favorite conversations was with a coworker who seriously asked if SUNY Geneseo was an Ivy.</p>

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<p>@rebeccar I don’t know what you mean by ‘one with low 2000s applying to Stanford, Yale, and Brown.’ I have a friend with a 1960 attending Yale, as well as one with a 2080. SAT Scores are not the only thing on the application. If anything there is a lot more to the application than just that. Anyone with a 2000+ stands a chance at these universities. Sure, some people may not be the greatest test-takers in the world and they can’t work good under the pressure of knowing that how they do on that test will reflect what chances they have at some institutions, but that doesn’t mean that they aren’t capable of the rigorous courseload at those universities. The SAT is a test you take on one Saturday morning. GPAs are a much better indicator as they show how you’ve done over a course of 3~4 years. </p>

<p>As for the girl who has a 1500 and a 89 GPA… I wish her the best of luck…</p>