<p>"Still, all in all, he would probably get into that school as long as any adcoms from there lurking here don't figure who he is. He could scratch several schools off of his list based on this thread."</p>
<p>This is a real problem on CC. Any adcom who happens to be following Ilcapos saga will not be likely to support his application. And he has divulged so much detail about himself that he can probably be identified very easily. I do think kids should be more circumspect about what they disclose on this very public forum, especially matters that could jeopardize their chances of admission.</p>
<p>i wish i didn't have to be paranoid about all this....and having stuff on these boards....because this is the experience that every senior has!</p>
<p>i shouldnt have to apologize for waffling on college picks and not knowing for sure where i want to go. ugh. never the less, you hafta play by the rules.</p>
<p>I think that ilcapo has overstretched the indulgence of people on this board. I am amazed that after all the agonizing back and forth that he still gets such sympathetic and patient response.
Ilcapo, my advice -- apply to them all, but don't ask, don't tell. Pick one true safety that's the least objectionable. Then take a college break for 4 months. After you get your acceptances -- and you will I'm sure -- come back and ask for advice on choosing the best one.</p>
<p>I still get confused when people come along and chastise other posters. If they want to reply, aren't they allowed to? "Patient and sympathetic?" Would you prefer if people were "impatient and rude"?</p>
<p>Ilcapo: It's not wrong to be unsure where you want to go (although I do think you need to take a deep breath and reassess your criteria and expectations). It IS wrong to disparage a school you intend to apply to, as you did earlier in this thread.</p>
<p>Ilcapo, Before this thread is deleted, I want to repeat what I said: Calm down. This is not the end of the world and you WILL get into a great school - you really don't have any bad schools on your list. If you really can't decide, put all your reaches into a hat and pull out three - go with those if you don't have strong enough feelings to decide amongst the schools on your list. If you find yourself repelled by any of the three you pull out of the hat, drop them from your list PERMANENTLY and pull another name until you've gone through all of your reaches. Repeat process with your match schools. Repeat process with your safeties (although you probably only need 1 or 2 safeties.) Then relax, send in your fees, and let fate take its course.</p>
<p>If leaving things to chance and fate makes you uncomfortable, that's a sign that you really DO know which schools are your top choices. Listen to your gut instinct and let the others go.</p>
<p>I really do sympathize. This is a bit like being confronted with a smogersborg of food and not being able to decide what you really want to eat. But if you were STARVING and could only pick a few options, which would they be? Think of the whole process that way --- and again, try not to panic. You WILL be going to a very good school next year.</p>
<p>Boy, Ilcapo has really had it tough here lately..first the poor judgement suggested by the "peer reference" issue...and now this. I must confess, I never read the essays (I never read any of the essays) and have felt all along that he was looking for more than "guidance in the abstract"...</p>
<p>In reality, I think a lot of kids spiral this way and that in some cases there is just not enough distance between their ideas and their keyboards.</p>
<p>I think what gets me every year about this time is the sense of sheer panic some kids feel. It's easy for us in our adult wisdom to brush off that panic, but to the kids, it is very real and very immediate. I get particularly concerned when I see kids like Icalpo veering off into wild indecision. I don't have an answer for it, but most kids do seem to calm down once they realize that this is all really something they CANNOT control. It's probably the first time many realize that about their lives and I remember how scary that feeling is the first time you understand that some things are really just fate and luck. Icalpo, good luck to you.</p>
<p>Must we be judgemental where a confused young person is concerned? It is evident to me reading the posts on this site that there are a great number of young people who have been set up by schools, magazines, books, parents and sites such as this to believe that the choice of a college is a monumental decision. They have worked like dogs to get the grades only to find out it's a lottery. That there is no sense to this game and luck may well be the greatest factor. Keeping a focus on what's really important is extremely difficult for many. The good news, Ilcampo, is you'll find out that any one of the colleges where you may go will probably meet your needs and the steam that has gotten you this far will make you a success in life. Good luck and don't worry that adcoms have read this and will hold it against you. Talk about paranoia.</p>
<p>Carolyn, your were writing your post at the same time I wrote mine, funny how similar they are. Yes, learning to let fate take your hand is one of life's great lessons. There are children on this site I truly worry about. One ED candidate to Columbia (as my child is) seems to think her future rests on her getting in. At some point moderators may have to take on the role of psychiatrists and report such things! I hope all the parents involved are keeping a close watch this week and in April. I just had no idea what bliss my ignorance was in applying to college.</p>
<p>I've not followed all your posts and seem to recall some problem with your current semester grade prospects. Assuming that gets ironed out, dropping your LACs is okay if you like the idea of going to NYU. You've got a solid shot at the less-selective ivies on your list and I'd suspect you'll nail down at least one, unless you went completely off the rails with your essay(s). However, all the universities on your list are very selective, leaving NYU your only safety. </p>
<p>In general, a specialized major like photography would be a better bet at a university than at an LAC, though there are a few that have large art departments. (Not sure if they are preppy or prestigious enough for you though.) Note too that one professor for four years would be just fine if he or she were an awesome professor, and better for you than four okay professors.</p>
<p>If you think a humanities, social science or basic natural science major is more likely, I'd keep an LAC or two on the list. Dropping all of them does not show much discrimination, as schools like Wesleyan, Haverford and Kenyon are very different from each other, in size, culture and star departments. Based on your list and what I recall from other threads I guess I would leave Wesleyan and Trinity on the list, and follow the lead of others in suggesting you identify the plusses of these schools and indicate your enthusiasm for them in your applications and in your communication.</p>
<p>ilcapo, I'm sorry I snarled at you. It's not my usual character. You are obviously a bright and talented young person, but you seem to be suffering from paralysis by analysis. You are a black hole for advice. I sincerely mean it -- apply to all of them. It's okay to want to align yourself with a prestigious organization. It's okay to be undecided about where you'd best fit in. Most likely you could be very happy at all of the above. If you want to know if you'd get into Harvard (or Yale or any others of the super selectives on your list) there's only one way to find out. Add a reasonable safety from the many, many good suggestions that you've received. Drop the applications in the mailbox and think about something else until April. When you get your acceptances (you will, you will) you can revisit, physically and mentally.</p>
<p>Il Capo, I've followed your posts for awhile and I've resisted responding admirably, but it is time for my standard response -
CHILL - Ice cream is always a good choice, go out for some!
Son, maybe people who organize "non-sectarian, non-hierarchial organizations" to "get young people onto the streets" at 17 aren't capable of chilling, but you'll be a basket case by April if you don't do something!
Keep in mind that you have to decide at some point, if you apply to 20 schools, that's OK, but you'll probably have at least 8 to choose from in the spring (and don't even think about sending in 2 deposits!).
You will be great, relax and enjoy your last months of high school, at least a little!</p>
<p>My 2 cents: some people just want attention...even if it's from a discussion board. And his friends probably are already fed up with him.
I mean this in the nicest possible way.</p>