no email...

Colleges and Universities A-Z Brown University
21

<p>I disagree pFNMCp</p>

<p>I am an applicant this year. This whole process has driven me crazy. We are not lost. We just place a lot of importance on the decisions that admissions committees are making. Many of us have been told since we were born that we needed to work hard and get into one of these schools. That idea has become so set in our minds that the college admissions process has become very significant. Rationality tells me that going to one of the schools to which I have already been admitted would probably make more sense than attending any of the schools from which I am waiting to hear. Yet I can't help but care. I can't help but want to be admitted so badly that I have barely been able to function this year. Today I was rejected by MIT. And you know what? I would have been absolutely miserable at MIT. They made the right decision. But I can't help but cry over their decision and ask myself where I went wrong. That is why people are so desperate to find our their decisions. They want to be rewarded for working hard throughout their lives. They feel like if they are not rewarded and attend their state flagship with their classmates who have worked half as hard then they have wasted a good part of the first 18 years of their lives. Maybe they have. Maybe it would have made more sense to study a little less and accept that a instead of an a+. Because of this, we have become desperate to find out our decisions earlier, to read into things that should not be read into. We just want to know! We just want to get the pain over with! We know that our obsession with these schools is irrational but it is there nonetheless. Our society has created this pressure, this need to succeed. We all think that if we don't get into these colleges we won't have has many opportunities to succeed. And you know what? We won't. People can say that college is what you make of it, and that is true to some extent. But the truth is that people are judged by the college they attended. That does often make the difference in getting that great job. And it is so permanent. You can’t change the school that you attended for undergrad. We feel like this month determines are entire futures. And you know why we feel that way? Because it does.</p>

22

<p>I didn't send an email or even contact my admissions officer.</p>

<p>I'm really nervous about stating this: But why do all of the adults have to be critical of the students on the threads? I know you're all saying it for our betterment, but still--can it not be said in a positive light? You're not the ones enduring the admissions process right now. I've worked my ass off in high school, I've pulled consistent all nighters, sent fifteen applications nation wide, and already experienced deferral/rejection. You can call me paranoid, but right now this is a huge deal in my life. I know many of you are past college, so my feelings and expression might appear trivial to you. </p>

<p>It's just hard to type anything anymore on these threads. I feel so incredibly judged. </p>

<p>Not all of the students on here are lonely college freaks. I could bet that so many of the applicants to Brown have done incredible work in their community, service, and made a difference. If there's anything I learned when I received the Anne Frank Humanitarian Award a year ago--it was that so many young people around me are doing incredible work. I apologize for getting defensive, but it's hard to hear that we're over rational, or we don't think things through. I really respect the young people around me.</p>

<p>So what if I make my own guess about the reason I didn't receive an email? I said from the very beginning that I was speculating and I could easily be wrong. Nowhere did I state my views were completely correct. </p>

<p>And Fireandrain, I'm sorry I didn't realize you had already responded to the thread. When I typed my response--your post hadn't appeared. </p>

<p>Thanks. Just my feelings.</p>

23

<p>awanderer, great post. I didn't read yours before posting mine. </p>

<p>[They're just not used to being independent. Up to this point either a parent or school has guided them through everything more significant than making friends. Once something so big is left up to them, they get lost because they don't know how to find resources in the real world. ]</p>

<p>^I don't know how to do anything independent beyond making friends? Wow. Do you have any respect for young people today? I feel like I could tell you some of the things I've accomplished and been noted for in my newspaper, but I wouldn't want to come off as bragging. Sometimes it's not even worth trying to change your views. I know a girl who lost both her mother and father a few years ago and is applying to some of the top schools. If she read what you're saying, she'd be shocked. </p>

<p>Above all else, my school respects me and every other student it educates. We are taught to be rational, independent, and thinking students.</p>

24

<p>to awanderer, your post was absolutely brilliant. I think it is safe to say that every applicant applying to Brown, or any other prestigious school feels the same way. Especially this year, with so many qualified applications, we know that there is a great chance we could be rejected. The parents on this forum are trying to help us by saying its not that big of a deal, but in reality I'm sure they would react the same way if in our shoes.</p>

25

<p>"They want to be rewarded for working hard throughout their lives. They feel like if they are not rewarded and attend their state flagship with their classmates who have worked half as hard then they have wasted a good part of the first 18 years of their lives."</p>

<p>^I think this quote captures practically everyone. Why did I work this hard thus so far to have to go the same path as someone who only worked a quarter of what I did. And I'm sure not all of us are like this. I'm not so obsessed with this e-mail thing, but I don't blame the people who are either. It's totally understandable from my point-of-view.</p>

26

<p>And yeah, I also agree with pFNMCp.</p>

<p>If we weren't independent, why would we have applied to Brown in the first place (well, at least for most of us)? Most people on here applied to Brown because they are truly interested. My parents don't even know I applied to any out-of-state schools, let alone Brown. I was in this college process by myself the whole way through. Saying I wasn't independent in this process would be an understatement.</p>

27

<p>I completely agree with that quote. I feel a little selfish for agreeing, but it is true. </p>

<p>Sure, most of the things I did throughout high school have made me a better person. They were NEVER just for being accepted to a college. </p>

<p>But at the same time, I don't, and I have no problem admitting this, want to attend a school where the same kids from my high school who got drunk every weekend, did no service or meaningful projects in their community, partied continuously, and took no more than one difficult course over their high school careers will be attending. </p>

<p>There's no lie, but this year HAS to be the most competitive college admisions process in history. Plenty of students who could have been accepted to an Ivy League/or any other top notch school will be attending a state school (hopefully honors).</p>

28

<p>I was deferred ED and I haven't received one either. However I don't think that reflects at all on our admission decisions.</p>

29

<p>if all the "ACCEPTED ED" got this email, it means something at least!; but we do not have
the data: I have only found one "Accepted ED" got this email.</p>

30

<p>I think I didn't get the email because i never activated my account on the website.... anyone else not do that?</p>

31

<p>
[quote]
if all the "ACCEPTED ED" got this email, it means something at least!; but we do not have
the data: I have only found one "Accepted ED" got this email.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>I was accepted ED and got the email, for the record.</p>

32

<p>Brown<em>or</em>bust, thanks for input.</p>

<br>


<br>

<p>Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 152</p>

<p>I was ACCEPTED early decision and I got this email.</p>

<p>***? </p>

<ol>
<li> Brown<em>or</em>Bust
I was accepted ED and got the email, for the record.</li>
</ol>

33

<p>quote :</p>

<p>srb162
New Member</p>

<p>Join Date: Mar 2008
Posts: 7</p>

<p>The time disparity is only to keep the server from collapsing with all the clicks I bet! I just checked last year's thread about this very subject and then checked whether there was any correlation between getting the email, the time it asks you to check or your location with an acceptance and there is absolutely none. Some of those who were told 5pm were accepted and some rejected and some waitlisted and that held for 5:30, 6PM and 6:30...so no need to think about this for another second
srb162 is offline </p>

<br>


<br>

<p>Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 59</p>

<p>They sent this message to everyone who has an application account for 2013--I
got in ED and I still got the email this morning telling me decisions would
be posted at 5:30.</p>

34

<p>This has become quite an interesting conversation...</p>

<p>I was almost insulted a few years ago while I was reading about our generation- known as the "Millenials"- as analyzed by a few forty-year old men. They called us isolated overachievers, kids who work hard but don't know how to do anything outside of what they are taught. We are goody-goodies. We do exactly what we are told. And yet here are thousands of teenagers who have fought- yes, fought- their way through high school to become the Ivy league hopefuls that they are. We have not followed orders. We are not robots, programmed to act like Ivy League students. We have found the initiative to transform our lives and search for ourselves while our peers were out gossiping in the school hallways and getting drunk in their parents' basements. Most of our resum</p>

35

<p>
[quote]
And it is so permanent. You can’t change the school that you attended for undergrad. We feel like this month determines are entire futures. And you know why we feel that way? Because it does.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Not really.... There is rarely an irrevocable decision. Some, sure. But not this one. You might decide that your dream school ends up being a mistake, or you might find that a so-so school ends up being wonderful. If you have made a mistake about a school, you can transfer. While this moment in your lives feels overwhelmingly important, and in some ways it certainly is, it is in no way the ultimate most important moment forever. Please try to calm down and find a reasonable perspective. You will all go to college. You will all end up at good schools getting good educations. Relax.</p>

36

<p>i am an applicant this year too..pretty intriguing thread, imo..however, albeit i feel hugely similar to all my fellow applicants, there is a lot of truth on the other side as well..we all need to relax, be proud of all that we have done in high school and just pray for the best.. good luck everyone..hope we all end up at the RIGHT place..</p>