<p>My nightmare about the college process was only getting into my safety schools, and now that it's actually happened, I'm shocked and very upset. I have to put down a deposit by may 1st, but how do I do that when I don't like any of the schools? Please don't say then why did you choose them as your safeties. At the time ,I liked them well enough and I never knew it would come to this. Frankly, I'm embarrassed to have to go to one of these schools. I'm on waitlists which I'm trying desperately to get off but I still have to put down some deposit by may 1st. how do I do this when I hate all of the schools, and is anyone else in this situation? </p>
<p>Please don't comment that I won't get off any waitlists because I am putting everything into getting off the waitlists.</p>
<p>Were you unrealistic in applying to reaches and/or imprudent in choosing matches? At this point, I suggest you choose the college that you like the most (or hate the least) and excel the first year and try to transfer next year.</p>
<p>anonymous good technique, fly to the school you really want to get off the waitlist with and speak to the adcom’s personally. Will really show that you want to go to the school. Anyways, take a gap year. It may sound really subtle but do it. You can always reapp next year and probably get into one of the schools you wanted.
I wish you best of luck getting off the waitlists</p>
<p>Jersey13: Apparently I applied to schools that were very popular at my high school, but I was unaware of this; my GC did not tell me anything about this (I am assuming she did not know). Also, my GC did not seem to know about whether schools would be matches or reaches for me in some cases, but this was the GC I was assigned to. Also, I’m not trying to make excuses, but I’m in the worst demographic: white middle class female</p>
<p>Anonymous - From your previous posts, I’ve noticed that your interest is pre-med. If you google “gap year health and medicine” you’ll find a number of opportunities to spend a year serving in ways that should not only inform your interest in medicine, but make you a unique candidate in college applications next year.</p>
<p>BTW, the northernmost “safety that you hate.” Is all the feedback you got on that school from a single person? Seek more - it can be a magical place.</p>
<p>I feel your pain, my son is in the same situation and is still hoping against all hope that he gets off a waitlist.</p>
<p>Also, I KNOW all the schools you applied to weren’t reaches, it just seems to be a super-competitive year.</p>
<p>According to Naviance and every source we consulted, my son should have easily gotten into the schools he was waitlisted at…we and he are baffled, shocked even that he wasn’t accepted. If it’s any consolation, you’re not alone.</p>
<p>He has to give us an answer tomorrow about where to deposit, and I know he feels he’s settling, but he’s not going to take a gap year, he’s going to work hard and transfer, and I’m sure still cross his fingers that he gets off one of the waitlists before August. Good luck.</p>
<p>Part of the problem here is that you really thought you would get into at least one school that wasn’t a safety, which is a very reasonable way to think. Maybe looking at your safeties not through the perspective of the schools you didn’t really want to go to but as the institutions that they are you might realize that one of them could be a good place for you.</p>
<p>About the wait lists, hope for the best but prepare for the worst.</p>
<p>Since people keep pointing it out, I agree with the OP, white anything is terrible.</p>
<p>“wait what? how is being a white middle class female a bad demographic? In terms of college admissions? Its still not bad.”</p>
<p>Yes, it’s very bad. Getting into college is a hell of a lot easier if you’re an URM (under represented minority). The majority of college applicants are white middle or upper middle class females…they have the most competition.</p>
<p>Given an URM and a white middle class female with the same stats, the URM is going to be accepted first.</p>
<p>I cant be any help until I know the schools you are referring to. There is no shame in not liking a school for the right reasons, such as personal fit (non fit) for you. There is only a problem if its all because of status and prestige issues.</p>
<p>You should also know a lot of kids go into college as “premed” intended. They often leave with another major. Further, MANY students get into med school with OTHER majors than premed. WashU StL told me personally they had a student with a double major in French and Biology get into a very prestigious med school. It happens all the time. I have heard of MUSIC majors (one from Davidson) get into Med school.</p>
<p>Relax. Focus on the schools OTHER attributes besides premed. Quality of life, challenge academically, new environment and new friends (and you WILL meet new people, even if your high school friends are also there), sports, social activities or clubs, entertainment or outdoor activities nearby, etc.</p>
<p>Frankly, I more often hear of kids who go to safety schools (for them, based on their stats) being happy, than I do about kids who got into and attended a reach, where they feel stressed, hyper and social misfits. </p>
<p>College is about growing up, learning and exploring. Its not a technical school for robots. </p>
<p>And you get out of an experience what YOU put into it.</p>
<p>the schools are binghamton, goucher, university of vermont.</p>
<p>ghostbuster: I never mentioned anything about pre-med in this entire thread!!! And I am well aware that it is not a major!! I am not worried about not being able to get into medical school from any of my safety schools, I just don’t believe I will be HAPPY at any of them, and since I view college NOT as a stepping stone to med school, but as an experience in itself, happiness at college is very important to me. Also, I am most likely NOT going to major in a science, because I have other interests I want to explore as well, regardless of if I decide to be pre-med!</p>
<p>Mom is right…white middle class female is not a good place to be right now. Its all supply and demand. Asians have a hard time too but for entirely different reasons, I cant go into here.</p>
<p>And mom: tell your son to cheer up. WE were in that situation in 2007. Shocking and very bitter about it for a long time…because people with lower stats got in. We moved on. We picked our best shot and now my D is thriving and growing. And met a wonderful person she is dating now…who also had a rough admissions process. You never know what God has in store for you. So smile and think positive, make your selection and buy the gear and EMBRACE the school you select. Attitude is everything.</p>
<p>anonymous…okay…I feel your frustration…its clear. I was following another person’s comment on premed. Sorry. </p>
<p>Now some advice…relax a little. Take a deep breath. Its going to be okay. You can take a gap year. You can make a deposit at one of those schools and wait on the waitlist announcements which come out mostly in mid may, but some later. And you can work proactively to get in where you want. BUT…its also healthy to send off a letter telling them you want in and why, and then moving onto the school that accepted you and letting it go.</p>
<p>Dance with the ones who brung ya, my mother used to say. Goucher and Binghamton and Vermont all have fine attributes. Focus on their unique qualities and culture and find where you fit the best. Make your selection and embrace that school. </p>
<p>You are not alone. CC makes it look like everyone gets into their first choice IVY. Its simply not true. College is a large part of what YOU put into the experience, and how well adjusted YOU are when you get there…open to making friends and seeing the positive side of things.</p>
<p>I can’t decide for you. But the schools you mention all have wonderful qualities and I am sure plenty of wonderful people who are going to be your classmates. Its all going to work out. </p>
<p>We understand your feelings. But don’t dwell on the past or the injustices. Just have a good cry, turn the page and move on with a smile on your face.</p>
<p>Those schools admitted you because they see something special in YOU. Something unique that they WANT at their school. Think about that.</p>
<p>You are special and they want you. THere is a lot of goodness in that.</p>
<p>Been there…and it all worked out for us. Trust me. : - )</p>
<p>@anonymous - I do not know where you stand on the idea of taking a gap year, but if you surely do not want to do that, go to UVM.</p>
<p>Last year I only got into my safeties as well (UVM and UDel), and I had to go to UVM because they gave me better aid. I remember driving up with my mom to visit at the end of April, and I cried the during the drive up and even while walking around campus. I hated just the idea of going there.</p>
<p>Because UVM was not where I wanted to spend my four years, I went in with the intention to transfer. I kicked butt this year and have been accepted for transfer to Cornell with nearly a full scholarship for this upcoming Fall. Hey, you got into some pretty good schools. Pick the one that gives you the best aid, suck it up, knock your freshman year out of the park, and apply to where you DO want to go. Whining will only get you so far. </p>
<p>UVM has given me the chance to revaluate myself and to strengthen my resume. I went into this year with the mindset that is was like my PG year. It’s a great place, and will definitely give you the tools for developing a plan for where you want to go. Do it up, girl.</p>
<p>Cheeky: Yes, I definitely don’t like the idea of a gap year–I would hate to not be going off to college when all my friends were, and I personally wouldn’t want to take a break and then be thrown back into academics.
It’s nice to know that I am not the only one in this situation (and you even had one of the same schools). First off, congratulations on Cornell and the scholarship–I’m sure you absolutely deserve it:)
Secondly, you make a good point regarding transferring–I have some qs though. Are you worried about making the transition to your new school and adjusting socially? Also, were you on any waitlists and didn’t get off them or did you only have UVM and UDel?</p>
<p>I run an executive search firm, recruiting executives for positions ranging from $100K to $500K. I see people not when they graduate, but 10 to 35 years later, and my job is to evaluate them and their career track records to determine if they are appropriate for the position on which I’m working.</p>
<p>The best candidate I’ve ever presented to a client went to a no-name commuter college (I’m not going to insult the school by naming it). At age 50, he had earned enough money from stock options to retire and wasn’t ready to, so instead he took a pay cut to a mere $300,000 and moved back to the mountains where he grew up.</p>
<p>The three schools that have accepted you are all good schools and the students have a good time going there. I’ve seen resumes of very successful people from all three.</p>
<p>I like the advice of one of the above posters who said that they might not seem so bad if you visit them again. I would do that - and put a deposit in at two of them if you can’t make up your mind by May 1. Not getting into the school of your choice is not a good reason to take a gap year - take a gap year because a gap year is suitable for you. If you go to one of those schools and hate it, transfer (bear in mind that most kids wind up liking their school, and those who transfer are the type who would have hated any school they chose).</p>
<p>I also think that if you are on a waiting list, flying to the school and pleading your case might help. But it’s a long shot.</p>
<p>Are your chances going to get into a better school going to be greatly improved during the gap year? Only if there are some schools in between your safeties and the schools that were your top choices are you likely to improve your school because of a gap year; you’re not likely to get into a school the second time if you were turned down the first time unless you truly do something fantasmagorical in your year off.</p>