I was going to say something, but now all I will say is–
@SuperSenior19, you are wise.
^^^ this
As I read thru this thread I wonder if the OP has any questions to ask or just wants to vent about the unfair grading in his school and the stifling of creativity.
The OP applied to 19 schools. Seems like a decent sampling, and yet none of the ones he identified as a “match” accepted him. He can learn from the experience or continue to dispute the fairness of this and the world in general.
@TheSkeptic888 what exactly are you hoping to get out of this? People have told you that Rutgers is a fine school and you can do well both there and after, but you continue to rant. What do you want to hear? Someone to say that all those schools that turned you down were wrong, that a fine student like you was wronged, and (in the vein of your later posts) it is an indictment of schools in particular and our society in general? Will that make you feel better?
Do you not have to list the courses you expect to take before graduating on your application? My kids had to, although it has been a few years since they applied. Our GC was quite strict about having our kids report even trivial changes to all the colleges they applied to.
Also, your laser focus on grades and number of APs, while your ECs appear to be anemic, means you missed the boat on what top colleges want. They are looking for strong accomplishments in interesting ECs. Unless you left something out, your results aren’t very surprising.
Please don’t make the same mistake in college as you did in high school.
Take your education seriously (no partying during the week, time in the library/the lab, office hours every week in at least two subjects tutors booked well before midterms) but find a balance : that means participating in one physical activity (intramurals, club, for credit), 7 hours of sleep (even if it means class at 9 or 10 twice a week), three meals a day (no skipping lunch or dinner) and making them a social occasion, and finding clubs in which to get involved and grow. There’ll be an activity fair in early fall: go and sign up for 10 activities. By midterms, have that whittled down to 4-6 that you go to regularly. Your involvement will grow organically from there.
The Honors college at Rutgers will offer you lots of opportunities: take them. Go to films and art shows, get involved in governing boards, volunteer. Study abroad for at least one semester, in a country whose language, culture, history you’ve studied at Rutgers.
Go the the career center, ask advice from your adviser. Attend the career center’s workshops. Have a job lined up for summer after freshman year, in October sophomore year start looking for an internship.
Your professional outcomes will rest on three pillars: a GPA above 3 (higher depending on goals), a leadership position earned by getting involved early and consistently, and internships.
Take a serious deep breath, go buy a Rutgers t-shirt and car decal and enjoy college. Don’t live with regret.
@thescepic888 Congratulations on Rutgers and sorry you are feeling such disappointment. The following are several of your previous posts in chronological order. I have provided this so you can gain context and perspective on what the admissions officers likely saw within your applications and own words…
Titled “Freshman year screw up” in response to final grades of a C in biology and a B- in English…“How screwed up am I? My final GPA will be posted next week, I am freaking out the sight that all my aspirations are over, done, screwed and killed. PLEASE HELP.”
You then return as a sophomore having improved your grades and declare, “Ivy League schools can be in my vision.”
Having already takes the SAT three times you ask if you should take it again… “The reason why this poses a problem for me right now is because, being the genius I am… waited till the end of junior year to knock out subject tests.”…“I want to stand a chance to high tier schools such as Tufts and UC Berkeley, but I AM SEVERELY Exhausted for prepping for this FOR OVER 5 MONTHS LAST YEAR.”
When contemplating dropping and AP class you wrote…“The problem isn’t the material of the class or my performance(I have a 96 average so far), it’s that I have so many conflicting extracurriculars and AP Courses that make time management unforgiving and difficult.”
Then in mid October…"I have an application list of 21 universities (14 supplemental essays are finished as well as the Common App essay itself by now) [15 are Early Action]. I kept my school list large since I am aware of low acceptance rates for these schools (even when some rejected applicants may qualify academically) and want to maximize the possibility of enrolling in a prestigious school.
The problem is, since I am doing a large array of schools, it is hard to go back and consistently SCRUTINIZE or REVISE each essay with an insane amount of observance and finish the application process on time".
10 days later once again…“I am not indicating that I half-assed any supplemental or essay, but I am just wondering how big a factor this is in terms of admissions. I am just pressed on time and am currently in this pool of anxiety since I am required to ensure the highest degree of quality and completion to dozens of schools.”
You then go on to contemplate lying to Georgetown by applying to more than 1 school ED… “I understand it is something they detail on their application site, but I did not check the box where I confirm I understand this. I am only considering this to maximize admissions to the best schools. Could they find out somehow I early decisioned elsewhere?”… and justify it with “That does create a minor problem since my senior year grades are SLIGHTLY below my junior year grades”.
Finally with results in you Reflect…“I would sacrifice hours of sleep on end, consistently re-innovate or adapt different methods to reteach myself the same concepts before sleep, even consumed adderall, developed an anxiety disorder, and ditched therapy sessions all because I thought it would one day all add up. I passed out a mid major assessment because I was so worried about a result of the marking period average, since I had worked on every meticulous step to make it run smoothly.”
And concluded…“This education system deviates from nearly any spec of practical knowledge and returns faithfully to the same streamline of repetitive trivial information, discouraging any creative thought.” and “School is for the employee; it teaches you to answer to the teacher; A.K.A. boss man. If you do not answer to boss man properly, guess what? A low grade poisons your gradebook and bleeds into your college application through averaging, revealing that the school is more preoccupied with PUNISHING failure rather than teaching students to learn from it.” and “these elite colleges have the nerve to complain about why college applicants are so devoid of any inspiration or creativity? What were we taught to do since kindergarten? Obey, rinse, repeat.”
It sounds like you worked incredibly hard towards a goal of an acceptance to an elite college without an appreciation for what the schools were really looking for. Your conclusions are ironic given how you pursued your goal. Schools want “inspiration and creativity”, depth not quantity, kids who are truly intellectually curious vs kids trying to “play” the system for GPA, kids that don’t shot gun applications but differentiate what they can offer the school and what the school can offer them.
I hope you can learn and grow from this experience. You are entering an adult world. You are blessed to have access to an amazing opportunity at a world class school like Rutgers. Please figure out what you are truly interested in and take joy in learning about it. Set a goal to be happy without having an elusive goal being required to motivate you.
Lastly, venting, introspection, moral outrage, disappointment all have a place…but move on and never look back on what could have been. Take the lessons learned and use them to not repeat mistakes and grow. You have clearly earned the right to exhale and have some fun. Good luck!
@Nocreativity1 The op should be grateful you took so much time to assess his situation.
Honestly, I don’t feel bad. Many kids including my own applied to many schools and didn’t get into all that they applied to. But each got into a school that would make them flourish. They are both thrilled were they are at. (my daughter did transfer though)
Given your profile and history you should be very happy that Rutgers etc accepted you. As stated prior I think you were misguided in what colleges are looking for. Also as I told my kids you can’t take this process personally. It’s a big game.
A good friend of mine is a high school college counselor at a spiffy high school where kids are used to going to the ivy league. She told me that last year’s and this college cycle kids are just lucky to get their safeties. Some have been completely shut out. Consider yourself lucky! There are people on this thread that would love to change places with you right now.
Also as mentioned. If you truly are having this much of a hard time with this, talk to your parents about speaking to someone professionally. If you don’t change your perspective on college you will end up in the same position you are in now. Also as stated. Get to the learning center like day one on campus. Whatever you think of Rutgers now… It will be “a lot” harder then the classes you are taking now. College classes are not a joke.
Good Luck.
OP and @intparent. An elite and prestigious school did think you had a great profile.
Rutgers.
FYI. Rutgers was actually asked to be part of the Ivy League and declined.
Let’s talk to the 2.2 million out of the 2.3 mm USA college applicants who would have done anything to get into a school like this and being affordable. Or the 7b people on the planet earth where such an option would be outside the realm of even a dream for them.
Join a gym and start a fitness routine. Visit with a licensed therapist to have someone to talk to. See a md to discuss Prozac or lexipro. The feelings you are having and anxiety may be easily relieved.
You obviously know how to work hard. That’s the key to success. But your stress and anxiety can be relieved.
I would want someone like you working for my company, but only if you can find a little humor too. You can do it!
There is no reason to have to make such a heavy going of life. But it is hard to see without a little help sometimes.
Go Scarlet Knights - I would give anything to go back in a time machine to be 18 and headed to Rutgers. What a great four years of your life it will be, but only if you can let it happen.
Good luck and chin up!
Surprised to hear that 8/10 of the top students in your high school are going to Rutgers. Also based on your stats, I’m surprised with your end result. Here are a few thoughts:
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Guidance counselors make mistakes. Some have been known to send the wrong transcript to colleges. Are you sure that they sent the right grades for you? Your GPA would have placed you among the very top in your HS. It might be worth checking with some of the colleges to make sure they indeed received the correct information on you.
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Apart from grades, and SAT scores, one of the things that the top colleges look for is recommendations. Are you sure that what your teachers wrote about you in the letters were flattering? Even a small underhanded statement is enough to sink you.
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Going to Rutgers with the intent to transfer is not a good idea. The transfer rates at the top colleges is even smaller than RD admissions. The successful transfer students are those with a compelling life story (military, low income, etc) and with a solid academic need to transfer. Because of the vast resources at RU, it will be hard to give a strong academic reason why you need to transfer. If you decide to enroll at RU, go with the intent of finishing 4 years. If this is not in your heart, then don’t enroll, period.
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Taking a gap year is not likely to meaningfully change outcomes the next time you apply. The only thing you could do differently next time is to apply binding ED to a school in the ‘match’ category. The other thing you could consider is applying to some UK schools (assuming that financial aid is not an issue). If you apply after a Gap year, you will likely face a similar set of outcomes.
^^^no way imho. Many of us with both experience and access to view ultimate life outcomes, would not be surprised at all that the top students in your class are going to a world class institution for pennies on the dollar.
Top 10 of a class usually means smart. Rutgers and honors college for gifted instate students is a incredibly smart decision. Why would it surprise anyone that a smart person would make a smart decision?
OP: Your essays may have had a negative. I recently came across an example of a high school college counselor, AP Literature teacher & another English teacher who gave very poor advice to students regarding their college app essays. Not one understood this aspect of college applications. In short, the all thought that college essays & short answer responses were all exercises in creative writing to the point that many essays were non responsive to the prompt.
P.S. I cannot understand why some students spend so much time on their college essays. In my experience, the more time spent on one’s college essays, the less genuine is the work product.
While I understand that individuals approach writing in a variety of different ways, stretching a college application essay over weeks or months almost certainly will kill the writer’s voice. It is okay, however, to think about one’s essays over a long period in order to formulate a theme. And it is okay to jot down brief notes, but usually not wise to write in more than one or two sittings.
That’s a thought. If many students at your schools go to a specific teacher for essay advice, I suppose it is possible that advice isn’t as tuned into what admissions offices like to see as you’d want. Not trying to start something - that might not be the case even if you mostly did get advice from the same source. But it is possible. Go read the tips pinned on the essay forum and think over your essays.
Oh, and I certainly have no intention of dissing Rutgers. As others have said, only people in NJ seem to have disdain for it. It is a fine university. One of my kids applied to grad school there and did not get in — she’d have been very happy to attend if she had.
I know we are all well intentioned but please read the OP’s narrative in his/her own words as detailed on post 45. Rather than searching for theoretical causes or issues OP should be made aware of and acknowledge their contribution to the results to avoid future disappointments.
OP had inconsistent academic results, avoided academic rigor in order to protect GPA, spread themself thin when authoring applications, did not specifically contemplate what individual schools sought, over estimated the importance of marginal test score improvement and dedicated to much time to it, showed a lack of understanding school culture (not checking an “honor box” for Jesuit Georgetown), spread so thin that ECs where an afterthought. There is also a strong likelihood that teacher LORs reflected these perceptions.
These aren’t intended as criticism but the reality of what the schools applied to likely discerned from the OPs applications.
OP has worked hard and deserves to be directed to their own shortcomings that where within their control. Otherwise the entire experience was wasted beyond the great outcome of a Rutgers admit.
Right, don’t discount OP’s own words. What comes through is doggedness. But you dont get into a top holistic bassd on being Johnny All Work and No Play. The top privates want real, fully formed individuals. Grounded, fun, doing meaningful academic and EC work…then, with energy to spare.
In the famous words of Harvard, good roommates (in addn to other things.) That implies the right balances and not adderall infused passing out.
…
The die is cast. OP can either refresh and move forward- or crumble.
The real value now is how he lives life, what he learns now. Not pointing fingers or assuming what mattered and trying to blame others.
Resilience matters. In life and in apps.
@TheSkeptic888 I wanted to address one comment you made upthread about your school practicing grade deflation in relation to other schools. Every HS issues a school report with information about the school’s rigor and the performance of the students including average GPA. Admissions officers evaluated your record within the context of what your school offers and how its student population performs.
The fact that 8/10 of the top students in your class are Rutgers-bound shows that smart, ambitious students go to Rutgers. Also, if you look at Rutgers’ admitted student profile, you will see how high the stats are overall. It is by no means a safety.
Did you know that Rutgers Honors program was originally modeled along the U Chicago Core? It will be intellectually fun and exciting. You will also have classmates that will be people of influence after graduation, if my experience is any indication.
I am sorry that you feel that your hard work has gone to waste. Hopefully, you can reflect upon how you spent your time in HS and make better life balance choices over the next four years. As the parent of two children, one in HS and one in college, I lament the stress that students take on. Don’t lose your time management skills, but do ease up on yourself and have some fun, OK? I agree that it might be helpful to seek some counseling to help you in your journey. Best of luck to you!
I don’t live on the east coast but the two colleagues I have who went to Rutgers are very smart. They both went on to get PhDs at top 10 programs in their fields. I didn’t realize that local disdain for Rutgers was a thing until I came to CC.
Regarding this comment by the OP: I’ve realized that high school engineers the robotic employees elite colleges hate."
The OP may have adopted a robotic approach to trying to get a record suitable for top schools but its not clear that the high school promoted this.
This. The top students at my DD’s HS also went to state flagships. Strong academics, wonderful honors programs, and lower cost.
I appreciate the time and reasons provided for this year’s results from all of you, but out of all the mistakes I made in high school which reflected negatively on my resume (sleep deprivation, an inadequate focus on my own individuality and humanity, and a zoned-in unhealthy focus on numbers), one thing I cannot accept is that if someone tells me I didn’t try or “skipped rigor”.
I didn’t “avoid academic rigor” simply because I chose to replace another class, I evened the weight out because I heard the course itself was executed poorly by the school’s faculty (which became true to current Chem students, who incurred high costs on their senior transcript despite how bright they all truly are). I still readjusted and stacked other courses taught by more experience teachers to even the weight and communicate to officers I have not “clocked out” in senior year.
I just do not think people outside understand the culture of my school. Those freshman year grades were never a result of laziness or any degree of “excess calmness”; in fact this was actually the year I tried hardest in high school ever relative to other years. However, those teachers reported lower class averages for all individuals, even when the saledictorian took a B in that freshman honors english course and a C+ in the Honors Biology course himself. The school provides students with the least organized and compromising teachers in freshman year (if I appear spiteful, don’t discount the perspective we all lived that resonates among several students; it’s not solely my view) and has a guidance office which never protests or criticizes the flawed college lists students assemble.
The end result? Undergraduate admissions are a disaster with everyone who lacks legacy or some redeeming personal connection to individual colleges.
***^^^^I am not trying to “excuse” or justify my mistakes in any manner (and I am well aware it can easily be seen as such), I am trying to provide perspective that I could never give the admissions office, since all they could see is the foul looking exposition of my high school career.
My junior year and sophomore year were sizable step-ups relative to 9th grade, but what is considered “good” in my school still appears terrible in sister schools of the same district (and several others outside as well) because of the grading culture.
And although I appear hostile or defensive, it just feels like a poorly formed conclusion if anyone tells me I didn’t try hard enough. In my haze of stupidity or defectiveness, or my countless flaws, one virtue I don’t think I have abandoned is a work ethic. Although I made poor decisions with focusing on numbers and being inconsistent, I at least can say I tried.
A strong work ethic is awesome and a terrific virtue in life that will serve you well.
Now go and apply that work ethic towards goals where you have more control of the situation.
For instance, if you had set a goal of honors college tuition-free, your work ethic likely would have netted you several happy results.
Lol. Seriously, you’re a dogged debater, too. Might be an interesting aspect to a future career.
But what many adults know, the hard way, is the high cost of always being on edge and ready to defend oneself.
Fact is, it didn’t go as you hoped. Pick up the pieces and find the glass half full, pronto. Otherwise, you’re robbing yourself of a life.
Admissions is more than stats. They look at the whole, in large part to find “whole” kids. That’s not best at this, fiercely defending that, hitting a breaking point. It’s definitely not