I’m a little discouraged as shown by my title… I’ll list some background info (pls bear with me!)
Earlies:
Brown- defer
Northeastern-accept
UMich- accept
Reg:
Northwestern: Reject
Washu in st louis: reject
Boston College: accept (honors)
UMich and northeastern were deemed safeties for me by my college counselor, and brown was a reach (not far reach).
Some stats:
SAT: 1510/1600
GPA: 3.83/4.0 unweighted (my school doesn’t weight- I have total 6 AP’s, and we cannot take any during our freshman year)
Extracurrciulars: Published Enviro-Bio Research Paper in American Physical Society and Eastern Analytical Symposium (invited to Ohio Region Conference)
-Amnesty Int’l club president (member throughout high school, lead reporter by junior year)
-Peer Counselor (there are only 12 in my school)
-Silver Key for Scholastics Writing Contest (2 pieces won)
-Global Environmental Studies Certificate
-Yale Young Global Scholars and Brown Precollege
-Leader for the Walk for Hunger in Hartford, CT (fundraise and walk)
I have more, these are just my main ones (I play instrument (violin), have done other internships, etc). My possibles are WashU and Northwestern (I know both are insanely good) but I got REJECTED (not waitlisted) from both. I was fairly confident I’d at least get a waitlist… am I just being cocky and have I overestimated myself? I feel like I won’t get into the other possibles/reaches I applied, which include all Ivies (except Princeton), Tufts, Amherst, UVA, Vanderbilt, Emory.
Do you think I’m overreacting?? Do u think I have a chance? I am SO thankful for the schools I got into- don’t get me wrong I love them! but I was super discouraged bc I really loved Northwestern, and I also rly like Brown and Dartmouth…
You have great options in the acceptances you have. You may get into 1-2 more schools (they are all reachs- extremely competive, especially since you are an Asian girl).
Read your own replies to other posters – you already know that these schools are competitive. Brown is a REACH for everyone (not sure why you thought “not far reach”. ) With So many apps and so many essays - were your apps to these schools as strong as you thought at the time? Go back and read each one with an open mind (pretend you were an adcom who had already read 25 apps today).
I continue to wonder how students can be compelled to write essays and apply to both Columbia and Brown. You cannot get more different programs. You cannot possibly love both “huge restrictive core” and “open curriculum”. It shows in your app if you don’t know the school. Also, in interviews. There is no way you can keep track of all the nuances of 16 schools.
Applying to 16 schools is a huge mistake in my opinion. But you have great options so be happy.
@suzyQ7 my college counselor uses naviance and deemed brown a reach, not a far reach. so that is not the term I made, but rather my college counselor(s). and I like Columbia because my uncle works there and I worked with him in a summer and really liked the environment and work ethic. sounds naive but it was an instinctive interest. idk if this is just because of the text or because u are this way but your post seems very condescending in the way you tell me “I cannot keep track of all nuances” of schools and “I don’t know the schools”.I have reasons for applying to each of my schools (all diff) aside from prestige, whether it be a specific program, a summer experience, internship, legacy, etc, so please do not accuse me of not knowing anything about where I am applying I am happy with your advice but just seems a bit on the negative side
And you liked Dartmouth because you like rural and Penn because you like urban? It’s a typical thing you see here on CC- shotgun all ivy’s because of prestige or because that’s what your parents expect. But its a bad idea because of what I mentioned above. You can tell on the app and interview if you “know” the school.
Again, don’t be disappointed- Michigan, BC, and Northeastern are great schools! But choose from your choices in April based on fit and cost. Not prestige.
@suzyQ7 again, not choosing for prestige with all due respect. I applied to Dartmouth because they had a unique environmental/sustainability group that I didn’t see in any of my schools hence why it’s one of my tops, and I applied PENN because of their fencing team (couldn’t commit, but talked to coach for RD). I really like our advice and I am thankful for it-- don’t get me wrong!-- but it just seems as if you are accusing me of applying to places due to prestige. Perhaps it’s true-- they’re all prestigious, but accusing me of not knowing any of the schools is a bit insulting (to me), only because I spent time visiting and choosing my schools. I hated Johns Hopkins and UChi and Stanford and UC’s, for instance, even though they’re awesome schools. plus, your answers to others seem much more reassuring and nicer…hmm
IMO, both your counselor and Naviance are behind the times. As crazy as it may seem, it’s harder now to get in to the elites than even five years ago and considerably harder than 10 years ago.
Given the current environment, I think you did well. An ORM who is not insanely rich/famous/gifted (as in world-class in a talent) really should brace for rejection from all Ivy/equivalents even with stellar stats (my rough guess is that 1 out of 10 with your profile get in to an Ivy/equivalent; 1 out of 4 at Vandy/WashU; maybe a little better than that at Tufts). Even UMich/UVa/Emory/BC (and you got in to honors!) are not sure things; maybe 50-70% likelihood for someone with your profile.
I think most/all schools you applied are reaches and you should brace yourself for rejections. It is just what happens and part of the process. Does not mean much about your worth as a student. Just be patient and see what else comes through. So far consider yourself successful that you already got into three very good universities. Admissions to those schools are holistic and very competitive. Brown has 9% admission rate and Northwestern 10%. Unless you have a hook for Northwestern I fail to see how Brown is a reach and Northwestern a possible. Anyway, hopefully another school from your list will see a fit in you and you ll have more acceptances. Good luck and it is almost over.
@PurpleTitan Thank you! I understand I applied to reaches (even the non ivies), it’s just personally discouraging to me because I feel I’ve worked my ass off for Brown and I had a true connection when I stayed there for precollege as well as after-deferral visits, but I mean , who didn’t work hard? Its a bit discouraging but I guess time will tell
@hungrihippo I agree that you have some solid choices already. Hope for the best, expect the worst, and see where you are on April 1st.
For any younger students reading this, PLEASE google “MIT applying sideways”. I think a lot of students think it’s unfair when they don’t get into their dream school because they’ve “worked their *** off” to get there. That’s the problem. You shouldn’t be working that hard to get into a school. You should be working that hard at things that really interest and thrill you. The acceptances will follow.
@hungrihippo It’s natural to feel disappointed after your hard work. I do think with time, though, you will fully realize that the schools that want you are great and you will be able to accomplish anything you want to at one of them. OOS Umich is simply not a safety these days and Northeastern is increasingly very competitive; I wonder if your counselor understands that. So you should be proud of those acceptances. Good luck.
oh forgot to mention-- I go to a boarding school (top 20). don’t think this helps much, but maybe? my school sends many students to Yale (in CT). Last year, 11 went to brown out of 160 (RD and ED)
@binky17@mjrube94 thanks guys! I know it comes off as if im not appreciative/only care about ivies, and I am super thankful! ik a lot of intelligent people at my school who got waitlist at BC and defer (early) for Umich! and I like umich I rly do!! I just loved northwestern so I was a bit bummed. my college counselor is a boarding school one and he was the admissions officer at Emory a few years ago for CT, so idk if that gives him validity for his rankings? But yeah I know Northwestern is basically an ivy, so I didn’t expect to get in (as if it were a safety or likely), but just had some hopes but thanks for ur advice guys its very reassuring and helpful
I am happy with your advice but just seems a bit on the negative side
but thanks for ur advice guys its very reassuring and helpful