Over the last four years, CC has been a fantastic resource for me, so I thought I’d try and help out next year’s class just a bit by posting my results and story. The “Hindsight & Lessons Learned” forum seems pretty appropriate.
First, the requisite background. I’m a white girl from the Midwest, and I go to a normal public HS as an IB student. My parents are divorced (NCP was a pain) and I qualify for some Pell Grant aid. I thought about college early, and I thought about it a lot. In fifth grade, I gave a speech declaring my love for Stanford. As I got older, I set my sights on Harvard and the like, of course, for name value more than anything. I started in early on standardized testing. Took the ACT twice sophomore year, against some strongly-worded advice of those here on CC. 
Luckily, I got a 34 and 35, and so was done with that. Once I moved on to junior year, I started to craft the list, although there’s no need for me to list it here, just look at rankings #1-20!
Junior year rolled around, and school started to get more serious, as did some issues at home. I pulled a 4.0 cumulative all the way up until second semester junior year, but then it all went downhill. I took a job to help make up some gaps at home and my GPA dropped to a 3.57 that semester. I’d never really failed at anything before, and that was an incredible wake-up call. The bad part was that I started out at 15 hours a week, but eventually I was working 30-35, and I just didn’t know how to say no. But that said, I don’t think I’d change anything looking back. I became a different person, with different priorities, and from working I gained things I couldn’t in school: working with others of all ages, how to put on a happy customer service face even when my manager had just chewed me out, how to send drunk people home politely, etc. I’d rather be the person I am now than someone who had never had that experience but still had a 4.0.
Moving on to senior year, and stuff starts to get real. I qualified for National Merit, and jumped through those hoops. I worked my butt off to make up for the previous semester, and got all As in my full IB + one AP schedule (shout out to Gov!). I applied early to Northeastern and UVA, expecting deferrals. I waited on any of the more selective schools, knowing that the last semester they’d see was not what I wanted. I got a pleasant surprise in December with my NEU acceptance, and was deferred from UVA. The whole application experience was incredible – through admissions and scholarship interviews I was able to meet a vast array of people doing amazing things, and I am so glad I had that chance.
My stats and results, since that’s what seems to be most crucial to these sort of posts:
White girl from the Midwest
35 ACT, 2280 SAT, 770 SAT Lit, 720 SAT Spanish
3.95/4.00 UW, 4/343 rank
Applied for Political Science/International Affairs
My recommendations were likely stellar, although my essays were not fantastic, looking back.
Accepted: Northeastern (EA), UVA (EA defer), University of Missouri
Waitlisted: Georgetown, Vanderbilt, Harvard
Rejected: Brown, Columbia
I was expecting the rejections from the Ivies, although the waitlist from Harvard was nice. I had a phenomenal interview there, so I think that’s what may have pushed me over. Georgetown and Vandy did surprise me, but I think that was hubris. Regardless - It’s all water under the bridge, and I’m ecstatic to be heading to Northeastern (and its honors college) in the fall. I’ve been lucky enough to receive a combo of need- and merit-based aid that covers tuition that makes it affordable.
What has struck me about this whole process is how much I planned out and pinned my “dreams” on something that surprised me in the end. After applying, and during March especially, I started to think about how much I liked the atmosphere at NEU and how different it would be if I had gone to one of the Ivies or more “prestigious” schools where I applied. Northeastern really is where I feel like I “fit” and I don’t think I could see myself anywhere else, even Harvard. I look back on my list now and it scares me – I wouldn’t be happy at Mizzou, and my matches were reaches. But luckily, I got my chance.
I’m an incredibly different person now than I was when I applied, and I think I’ve learned a lot about myself through this process. Not only applications, but senior year and the process of turning 18 and taking on more responsibility changed my outlook. I also want to sincerely thank the CC community for all the help and guidance I’ve received. My parents are not contributing financially or supporting me during process emotionally, so I needed all the help I could get to figure out how to get in and pay for school! I always felt like I could get expert advice if I turned to the posters here, and I’ve learned so much over the last few years.
So thank you CC, and good luck to everyone applying next year and beyond. If you have any questions, please let me know.
Always happy to see the husky pack grow on CC. I had some very similar thoughts thinking back on my search now in terms of prestige vs happiness. It really is important to put fit way up there in the decision process with so many amazing schools available that will give you a great education - most of them are names you probably have never heard of, and only a few will be those pesky ivies that always look appealing from afar but are often less than ideal fits for many students.