RPI. Did I really get accepted because they think I have the capability to graduate?

Applying to College
1

<p>I am going to attend RPI and this summer is actually killing me. I've already said my goodbyes to my friends and I have a busy August. Im just scared. But I want to find out. College seems like a lot of work. But if I don't start college, I'll never know. However, during one of the many downtimes, I can't stop thinking that maybe I'm not good enough to go to RPI.</p>

<p>The reason why? I had an awful GPA but a competitive SAT score. However, I studied for months to get my SAT score to 2170. I went to orientation and met a guy who scored 2010 without studying. The first time I took the SATs. I got a 1510. -_-. </p>

<p>I didn't try in high school and got Bs in a high school Chem course. But that was high school. It's much easier than college. I cruised through high school and wasnt incredibly strong in the sciences. I was good but not great.</p>

<p>I met A LOT of people who already took CALC BC, physics 2, Chem 2, bio 2. I was proud to have taken CALC AB. The highest i ever took was Physics 2 and i barely learned anything in that class. Hearing these people talk about all their accomplishments make me feel like a damn idiot.</p>

<p>Biggest reason. I was rejected from Stanford, Carnegie Mellon, John Hopkins, Cornell and GA tech. Comparable schools. RPI is on par with Carnegie Mellon in terms of engineering. RPI is the next big school I had on my list. After that, it was Drexel...</p>

<p>I was told I was only accepted by RPI because I had an internship at NAVSEA. But at that internship, I didn't really do anything. I just watched my partners do the work cuz I didn't understand anything that was going on.</p>

<p>I feel like I'm taking the back door into RPI and I feel like a total loser.</p>

<p>I'm hearing that college is difficult or that freshmen year is easy but you have to work for it. Im seriously confused. Care to enlighten me? Thanks for reading.</p>

2

<p>If you have an interest in Science and want to pursue it, do not be intimidated by other’s stats/accomplishments. You stated that you did not try in HS. So, if your goal is to succeed at RPI, then apply yourself. Re-evalute after your first year. But, work hard and don’t focus on the other guy.</p>

3

<p>College is more difficult than high school. That’s the bad news.</p>

<p>The good news is that if you can get a 2100+ SAT (even with studying), you have the ability to succeed at any college on the planet.</p>

<p>To turn that ability into reality, here is what you need to do:</p>

<ol>
<li><p>Learn to manage your time. Put academics first, adequate sleep second, and then if there’s time left over, socializing and other activities. The single biggest reasons kids fail out of colleges is that they spend their time doing nonproductive activities and do not get enough sleep.</p></li>
<li><p>Ask for help. Your professors are there to help you. If you ask them for help, they will be more than happy to give it to you. They don’t bite, really, and they will not think you are stupid if you need to ask for help. Also take advantage of any other resources your college makes available, such as a counseling center or peer tutors.</p></li>
<li><p>Don’t get behind. If you fall behind in a challenging course - any subject, but especially math, science, or foreign language - it can be nigh impossible to catch up. Stay current with the assignments and the reading. Go to class, pay attention, and if there’s something you don’t understand, see #2 above.</p></li>
</ol>

<p>Good luck, and congratulations on being accepted to a great school!</p>