Ok, seriously, what the hell?

<p>I know I've posted something similar before. I'm terribly unhappy with my results this year. I got into WUSTL, Vanderbilt, Emory, and Tufts...I got rejected from HPS, Columbia, Penn, Duke, Brown, and Cornell. Waitlisted at Chicago. </p>

<p>I've been talking to my counselors and asking them for extra stuff I can give Chicago because I'm desperate to get in. But I feel like they don't have much hope in that...they said word for word "settle with what you have" and I hate it.</p>

<p>My counselors keep insinuating that WUSTL, Vandy, and Emory are not as well known and are higher than they should be in the USNWR...I feel like I'm not being supported enough. I mean I know WUSTL isn't as prestigious as Columbia, Duke, and Brown but I don't want to be reminded of that.
My counselors say that WUSTL's admit number dropped when apps rose...which means their adjusted admit rate might end up ~20%</p>

<p>I feel I won't be happy in a place where I feel I'm below the caliber of students in the universities I got rejected from. How do I change the way I feel?</p>

<p>I had this problem too. I think this is a point where you take what you have and try to make the most of it. I know that sounds like ridiculous and depressing advice, but it’s really not. I go to Loyola University New Orleans, and the guy who lives across the hall from me was accepted into NYU’s film program, but chose to go here because he got a full scholarship. He’s already produced a short film and is working on a longer one. He’s gotten two internships–both on the sets of major movies. And he’s a freshman.</p>

<p>So here’s my advice: wait on Chicago. If you get in and see it as a good fit, go for it. If not, pick the best out of the schools you did get accepted to and go there and make the most of it. Just don’t think too much that because these students got into “better” schools, they’re going to remain “ahead” of you forever. College is a time to grow and change. If you’re driven–and it seems like you are–you can easily make the most of those other schools (which are all ridiculously good schools too). Don’t let rankings run your life.</p>

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<p>This isn’t the problem. You are concerned that you won’t be happy in a place which you feel isn’t as well-known (or “prestigious”) as the schools where you were rejected or waitlisted. </p>

<p>There are students at WUStL, Vandy, Emory and Tufts who were accepted to the schools where you were rejected…and turned them down in favor of WUStL, Vandy, Emory and Tufts. Sometimes that’s because of big financial aid. But it’s also because there are students who honestly prefer one of the schools where you were accepted over the schools where you were turned down. Go read the school forums for WUStL etc etc and see for yourself.</p>

<p>Similarly, there are plenty of students of outstanding caliber who were rejected from the schools you were rejected at. Again, go read the school forums to see for yourself. Not being admitted to these schools doesn’t mean that you don’t measure up to some hypothetical caliber level, and it doesn’t mean that you aren’t capable of doing work at those schools. </p>

<p>The four schools you’re considering all have happy, engaged, challenged students. Depending on your academic interests and living preferences (the south, the midwest, or Boston), surely there’s one that’s going to make you happy. There are no bad choices here. </p>

<p>Best of luck with your decision.</p>

<p>^ Excellent post and my thoughts as well.</p>

<p>SlitheyTove has got it right, with the exception of his/her omission of the controversial serial comma. :D</p>

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The vast majority of students (yes, even on this website) didn’t do as well as you in college admissions. There are many people who didn’t get into college at all. There are many people starving and homeless, for that matter. You are not unfortunate, rather, you are fortunate.</p>

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Sounds like your counselors are some pretentious asses. Ignore them. Visit, decide, and be happy with your choice. You have wonderful options.</p>

<p>You might really, really like Tufts. I’d put it on par with Duke and possibly Cornell and definitely over Brown in terms of the sciences. </p>

<p>You’ll find at any of the schools you are currently accepted at, you’ll find students that got INTO schools you got rejected from but opted to go elsewhere for scholarship money (WUSTL is a perfect example). You will also find a bunch of people that are just as bitter about the rejection from XY or Z college. By the 4th week of school, you’ll all get over it (or be working your butt off for a 4.0 so you can transfer). </p>

<p>No matter where you go out of these schools, you will have your choice of grad schools as long as your GPA is good. </p>

<p>Good luck getting off the WL at Chicago; if you hate your school, you can always transfer.</p>

<p>So seriously, this is right near the top of dumbest “problems” ever. Your counselors need serious firing. Just move on and get ready for a great time in college. Any of those schools can provide you with more education and challenges than you can handle. Some people at those schools often work harder than kids at Ivy schools just to prove that the Ivy schools made a mistake in rejecting them. But most are just very happy to be where they are. Sheesh.</p>

<p>Ditto with what others have said. You don’t have a real problem here.</p>

<p>Thanks you guys. I felt I would never get any kind of support…idk I still feel depressed with myself. I feel like I’ve let my parents down too. </p>

<p>My dad expected me to get into Princeton, Brown, or Duke…mom wanted Chicago, Penn, or Columbia. But I couldn’t get into either. I might just end up taking a gap year or possibly attend Tufts. I seem to like it better than the other universities. </p>

<p>I’m going to see if I can transfer out.</p>

<p>You’ve talked about what your parents want. You haven’t talked about what YOU want. What do you want to do when you grow up? What do you want to study? What are you looking forward to about college? You’re the one going to college, so figure out what is going to engage YOU. </p>

<p>Go join the facebook groups for the new admits for each of these schools. Find some people who you want to be friends with. Post on the forums and ask people which school you should choose. Tell people what fields you’re interested in, what kind of friends you have, what kind of books/movies/music you like. People will be glad to help you fall in love with any of these four schools. Go to one determined to have a wonderful experience. If you end up hating it, then fine, apply to transfer. But you might find yourself glad to stay. </p>

<p>And for heaven’s sake, stop thinking you’ve let your parents down. I am guessing that you are not an axe murderer, that you’ve not defrauded thousands out of their retirement savings, and that you generally say please and thank you. That’s all we ask of our kids at this stage. </p>

<p> ;)</p>

<p>“My counselors keep insinuating that WUSTL, Vandy, and Emory are not as well known and are higher than they should be in the USNWR…”</p>

<p>Exactly…nobody’s ever heard of those schools, their students and professors drool on themselves and need help tying their shoes. And a degree from any of them is a one-way ticket to being a Wal-Mart greeter. My friend who went to Emory for undergrad won a Marshall scholarship. He’s a partner in a D.C. law firm now. If he had gone to a better school, he probably could have gotten a decent job.</p>

<p>This thread made me laugh for a solid 5 minutes. Seriously? Really? Really?</p>

<p>For example, Tufts is recruited by Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, Deutsche Bank, DE Shaw, Deloitte, Google, and Microsoft to name a few. The school actually accepted less students than Upenn. So stop whining and listening to people who decided to make their career of choice a high school counselor and get with reality.</p>

<p>UWSTL and Tufts are both medical powerhouses.</p>

<p>And need I say that Emory and Vandy are the southern elites?</p>

<p>Woooooooow. Just wooooow.</p>

<p>Whoever said above that people have turned down the schools you were rejected from for these schools is right. Go look at the threads.</p>

<p>Your counselors are morons.</p>

<p>One of my kids is graduating this year from Vanderbilt. He has had a job lined up since last summer, at a <em>starting</em> pay that is probably two or three times your counselors’ salary.</p>

<p>Seriously, your post may have cured me of CC.</p>

<p>There are people in the world eating dirt and grass to stay alive. I bet they are on their knees tonight thanking God that they don’t have to decide among Tufts, Emory, Vandy, and WUSTL.</p>

<p>If it helps, I was rejected from Penn, Chicago, Cornell AND WashU. The only thing I can say: So what? I will probably go to UVa, and be no worse off for it. </p>

<p>First off you are a prestige hog(I used less flattering terms in my head). Those are all elite private institutions. The is no Berkeley, UVa, Michigan, UNC, or such on that list.
Secondly, So what you did not get into your parents favorite schools? That has NO baring whatsoever on anything. Most parents overestimate their children and most parents want their children to go to a top ten university.</p>

<p>also WUSTL, Vanderbilt, and Emory are not proper safeties. If you considered them safeties, you were probably wrong. I know a girl who was rejected at Northwestern, but accepted at Yale. You can NEVER call these safe. And as well, If you are not happy going to your safeties, then you chose wrong.</p>

<p>That being said, here is the good news, being accepted can change your life. Rejection is not a life changing event, Unless you assumed that getting in was the standard status[if that’s the case, then get off your high-horse, you overly entitled prick].</p>

<p>Summary: Ignore your parents and counselors. The most important thing is that it is your fault that you messed up. You probably aimed too high, and had no safeties. Now you can move on. You will do great things as soon as you realize what it is you want to do. </p>

<p>fun fact: No US president studied at Cornell. Polk went to UNC; Jefferson went to W&M; Obama transfered to Columbia.</p>

<p>Your counselors are complete idiots. These are all fine, outstanding schools. Only provincial people don’t know of and respect the schools. </p>

<p>These student bodies are indistinguishable from one another.</p>

<ol>
<li><p>Don’t pin your hopes on Chicago because the likelihood of success is less than 10%.</p></li>
<li><p>Stop annoying the people on this forum who actually had a disappointing admission cycle. You have some amazing options.</p></li>
<li><p>I am appalled by your counselors’ unprofessional and ignorant actions.</p></li>
</ol>

<p>I think WashU is probably the best school on your list. It gets ■■■■■■■ a lot on this forum for being newer to the “elites” than Brown/JHU/Cornell but I think that it is definitely a peer of these schools. It might actually be above Cornell. I’ve heard decent things about Vanderbilt and Emory as well. </p>

<p>Also if you want to transfer it should be doable. </p>

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<p>What positions?</p>

<p>Who cares what positions? There are more opportunities at any of these schools that any one person can take advantage of.</p>

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<p>And there are people in this world whose dad is the CEO of Morgan Stanley. There are also people in the world loosing time over choosing between Stanford and Yale. </p>

<p>The OP has a point. I advise you to NOT wait. Take Tufts, do well, transfer out ASAP. But who knows, you may like it.
GoldAngealArea: I looked at your previous thread and I sort of empathize…but you need to get over feeling jealous of the popular guys in your school that got into “better” schools than you. And you’ll eventually forget the attention they received. High school is high school. Not only that, you should also stop seeking the attention of your counselors and parents the way you are trying to. College admissions does NOT reflect what you are in any way at all.</p>

<p>I hope you’ll find solace.</p>