<p>OP, it seems that you’ve had time to calm down and let the dust settle. You have good options but have too focused on ivies and things you can’t control.</p>
<p>Don’t be afraid to move forward. You will be OK! Good luck!</p>
<p>@rd2012 - I’ve typed it on this forum before; it matters VERY LITTLE (if at all) where your undergrad degree comes from. Find a good, affordable fit, and excel there. Grad school acceptance rates (even the elite ones) grow exponentially once you get out of the “top 10”</p>
<p>One former student, now professional, wrote “the only school that has ever mattered, is the one I graduated from, last.”</p>
<p>My D is leaning toward declining acceptances from UMich, University of Richmond, and Brown, to attend a highly regarded, albeit lesser known school that just “feels better”</p>
<p>Don’t obsess. There is a path forward. One foot in front of the other…</p>
<p>feel really bad for you…it’s a shame when you work so unbelievably hard and have to resort to colleges you don’t want to go to, knowing that someone less qualified than you are was picked arbitrarily based on factors like ethnicity or geographical location</p>
<p>^ also known as “life”</p>
<p>It is disappointing to be rejected from so many top schools. As other posters have mentioned, these schools were looking to build a class and for one reason or another, they chose other top students. This doesn’t mean you aren’t going to succeed and be wildly happy somewhere else. </p>
<p>You have a month or so to decide. So take some time to wrap your head around the fact that you need to be flexible, then research and visit some of these excellent schools. </p>
<p>If finances are an issue, I say accept the best school that offers you the most money in the region you want to spend the next 4 years. Obviously some top schools DO think you’ll be a wonderful asset to their campus.</p>
<p>CMU over Berkeley, if you want to go to a top graduate school. Too many people major in Economy at Berkeley. It’s hard to get the best schedule, best prep classes at Berkeley.</p>
<p>^^ Just curious - how do you know that to be true? Do you have some tie to the econ program at Cal as well as CMU?</p>
<p>
Obviously you don’t know anyone who went to Yale as this doesn’t describe anyone at that school. I would bet their are a lot more Ivies like that than what you describe.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Actually, the preparation for graduate school in economics involves more math courses and the math-heavy economics courses. The latter are generally the less popular economics courses at Berkeley.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Indeed. With the exception of pre-med majors and possibly Cornell…that’s almost the opposite of what most friends/HS classmates/colleagues experienced as Ivy undergrads.</p>
<p>OP, a kid at my son’s school got rejected by Cal Berkeley yesterday and his stats are very close to yours. Instead of XC, he plays another sport (varsity), but otherwise, SAME stats. He was shocked to not get in, and very disappointed as it was his first choice. He did get in to USC, and now that’s his focus, 24 hours later. The two schools that accepted you were definitely the top choices of many outstanding students who were rejected. Pick one of them, and move on…and congratulations on your success. I mean it sincerely.</p>
<p>
While I don’t condone whining for more than a day over the rejections, comparisons to other students are unwarranted. There are many students who aspired to mediocre school X and were rejected. That does not mean that top student B who was accepted to X should be rejoicing. OTOH, OP was accepted at some very nice choices, and will hopefully pick one and get on with it. Never look back, I always say! :)</p>
<p>Essays? Teacher LORs? The left-handed monkey threw the dart at the wrong place on the wall? What do you want to hear?</p>
<p>Iknow what you mean. Rejection after rejection and I 'm left between two schools that I can’t even fathom attending.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Why did you apply to them in the first place?</p>
<p>Your application list should have included a safety or few that you are assured of admission, are assured to be able to afford, and will be happy to attend.</p>
<p>To the OP… You applied to a bunch of colleges with acceptance rates UNDER 10%…which means they reject at least 90% of those who apply. In that 90% of those denied admission, most were well qualified applicants. </p>
<p>When you apply to such schools, you have to HOPE to be accepted…not expect to be.</p>
<p>Boo hoo…</p>
<p>I think the OP has gotten a lot of good advice. But I would like to put a little effort into answering your question-why did you get rejected from so many schools? I will say that based on the information you’ve posted, I’m surprised at the results–many students like you had better results at Ivies. But I don’t think you gave us all the facts. For example, weren’t you also waitlisted at Lehigh? So you may have just had bad luck, or perhaps there was something that was not so good in your paperwork, like a disciplinary problem, or a bad recommendation. Others have pointed out that your ECs are not very unusual, and don’t show a lot of achievement outside your own school–something that appears (to me) to make a big difference at the most selective schools.</p>
<p>But the bottom line is this–all the schools that rejected you reject a lot of students just like you, and some that are more qualified than you. They all also take some students like you, and some that are less qualified than you. So it could just be that you had bad luck.</p>
<p>UChicago is supposed to be tops in Economics and that’s not an Ivy. OP: Did you apply there? I agree with most of the other posters…compare programs, schools, states, weather…whatever you deem important in choosing a college and a home for the next four years will be the right decision for you. The school’s name & ranking really should be secondary to you seeing yourself living there and being an active member of the college community.</p>
<p>^^^Hi Hunt:</p>
<p>Honestly, his stats were just okay, not terrific. I wouldn’t expect an ivy league to accept him based on those stats. His SAT score was great, but gpa kinda low for an ivy and his EC’s were kind of ordinary for an ivy, imho.</p>
<p>However, that said, there are SO MANY fabulous colleges that would accept those stats! This world is way too ivy obsessed :)</p>
<p>OP: Good luck, you have a few great schools to choose from!</p>