Sad Day on the Princeton forum

Parents Forum
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<p>The regulars are getting slaughtered. Most of them are getting deferred with stellar stats. We all know it takes more than stats, but it's sad to see these wonderful kids I've gotten to know get such disappointing news. Most of the kids that are getting accepted are new or infrequent posters. </p>

<p>My own son was accepted, so there's much relief at our house, especially since none of his other applications are completed. Thanks for all the help from everyone on this and other boards over the years. I knew he was a stellar applicant, but I was worried he wouldn't be noticed coming from an unknown public school. Thanks to some tips I got from here, and just plain luck, I think the admissions office knew his name before they got his application.</p>

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<p>Cookiemom,</p>

<p>Congratulations to your son on his acceptance to Princeton. Looks like this year it will be he Princeton massacre.</p>

<p>I know that your feelings are mixed because so any of "our kids" did not get in hey but let him cheer with "brother Ilcapo" and sing the old fight song.</p>

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<p>Congrats to your S. Can you give a brief recap of most helpful tips?</p>

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<p>Congrats, Cookiemom! I could seee from my brief look at the Princeton board how much you reached out to all the kids there.</p>

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<p>Congrats CM!! It really is a combination of huge personal achievement plus winning the lottery! My S told me one of the top students at his HS was deferred :( but did not despair because the kid's older brother currently at Princeton was also deferred ED 2yrs ago.</p>

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<p>Congrats, Cookiemom. I love to visit Princeton especially the university area, Nassau Street; in fact, this weekend, I was bored out of my mind and visited the museum. Your son will have a great time there. So many resources, such a wonderful university.</p>

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<p>Cookiemom, congratulations! Great news. Your s will love Princeton.</p>

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<p>Once again, congrats to your son cookiemom! And thanks for all the support you've given us these past months.... we would follow you to the ends of the earth for your delicious cookies!</p>

<p>If your son needs a pair of size XS Princeton women's running shorts, the hot-pant kind... Let me know, since I won't be needing them! Massacre is a good verb of choice - so is guillotined.</p>

<p>Ah, sigh sigh. Things will look better tomorrow with a fresh pot of coffee.</p>

<p>xoxo</p>

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<p>i'm so sad right now. but thanks cookie mom
:( :(</p>

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<p>Many many years ago, I too was disappointed by not being admitted to Princeton, Stanford and a couple of other places to which I applied. This was long long before the ED craziness and so we couldn't focus so much on just one hoped-for school. </p>

<p>And so I went off to college somewhere else. And then I applied to graduate school (doctoral studies, law school) at Princeton, Stanford, and a couple of other places. I was admitted to P and S, as well as the others. I turned down P and S and went elsewhere. And I never regretted those decisions. Justice was done. I had been admitted, but I had other priorities by that time and followed them.</p>

<p>Moral of story: life isn't over because you don't get into some of the the school(s) you apply to out of high school; in fact, your possibilities at those very schools aren't over. Make the best of the options that you have now and make the best of the next 60-70 years of your life.</p>

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<p>Hooray Cookiemom and Cookieson! I took a peek at the Princeton board earlier today and saw the mess. Those are the odds.</p>

<p>My son reported that his school is taking a royal beating in the ED/EA rounds.....very few acceptances so far (his feedback was on 4 Ivies...not sure how the applicants to the other top schools are doing). This isn't typical for them.</p>

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<p>I think that one of the most helpful tips I got on this board was contacting professors prior to college visits and arranging to meet with them. This was particularly important in S's case because he needed to know if schools could provide him with the opportunity to study advanced math topics and science. He got to see the subtle differences between schools and was very sure of where he would fit in best. The unexpected advantage was that most of the professors he met were very interested in him attending their schools as well.</p>

<p>This was would not have helped my older S in his search, because he had much broader academic interests and the social atmosphere was very important to him. For him, staying overnight in dorms was the most helpful.</p>

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<p>it's weird.. regulars on columbia didn't get in either lol..
like me.</p>

<p>oh well :) maybe it wasn't meant to be..</p>

<p>or maybe i shouldn't have been a "regular" lol.. jk</p>

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<p>Thrilled to read your exciting news, Cookiemom! That is quite an accomplishment to get into Princeton and as you know, even more so given how many qualified kids do not get in. Your son must be a standout! I hope he is enjoying this special moment. </p>

<p>Susan</p>

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<p>I will also echo the "contact professors" tip. About 2 weeks before I submitted my application, I met with a photography professor who was willing to sit down and review my portfolio as well as give me a tour. Though the arts are not Princeton's strength, I was excited by the prospect of contributing to this renevation both student-wise and facility-wise. We talked for a good three hours, and though he was quick to point out that the prior Dean of Admissions was not receptive to their requestis, he urged me to submit my slides and give it a shot. He also warned me that professors children were rejected every year, so not even the greatest hook or connection can get you in.</p>

<p>Two weeks later, I submitted my slides. This was my early decision school, so I put an incredible amount of effort into the slides and the cover letter, which outlined just why Princeton's Art & Archaelogy Program 2 (a combination of visual arts and art history) was perfect for me. I made sure everything about my application was heartfelt and enthusiastic, and something clicked.</p>

<p>I too am finding it hard to stick around the Princeton boards. Some of my greatest e-friends who were clearly more qualified than myself are being deferred left and right. So I urge you to find a hook no matter what. If you love history, submit a paper to the history chair, try to meet some professors, write an essay or two about your love for the French Revolution, and see what happens. </p>

<p>The college admissions process is a pro-active one. From the day I stepped on the Princeton campus, I knew it was the school for me. When I told my guidance counselor, she laughed and said don't bother, as we hadn't sent anyone there in over 15 years. Even my interviewer was skeptical and frustrated that he couldn't get anyone in. He told me stories of kids from my town who never sent thank you notes, were over-confident, or clearly didn't know much about Princeton - and he urged me to help right those wrongs. I told him straight out in my interview, "If I don't get in to Princeton, I don't think I can go anywhere else". We talked about Peter Singer, Cornel West, and so much more - it was an amazing experience and one I believe may have pushed me over the edge. Hopefully I have opened the path for other applicants from my school, and I look forward to helping others in this process. When the valedictorian of last year's class gets in to Yale, Harvard, Brown PLME, Swarthmore, and many others but not Princeton, you have to wonder what exactly they are looking for. I think more than anything, they want kids passionate for the school and willing to take risks for acceptance.</p>

<p>Good luck to all! That was my first advice column!</p>

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<p>ilcapo, that is great advice. Keep up the good work! I love Princeton and visit often. (not an alumni, just a neigborhood person; they have a lot to offer the neighboring areas).</p>

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<p>Congratulations, Cookiemom. And I know what you mean about not having any other applications completed. We contemplated getting D a recycling bin as an ED Acceptance present. Since we got her flowers in her school colors instead (more or less), the unfinished applications will have to be recycled next week.</p>

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<p>Best wishes to Cookieson, and sigh of relief for Cookiemom!</p>

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<p>Cookiemom,</p>

<p>Many congragulations to you and son, his admission is well deserved. You have been an amazing source of support to all these kids for the past 2 months. </p>

<p>A netquintance of mine, an international living in the US for 10 years now like us, has made it and I am so very happy for that.</p>

<p>Also I would think that, over 50% of the real regulars, that have posted at least 10-15 times there in the past 2 months, have got in. I am very glad to see that. Every year these elite colleges try to put together a certain distribution of students. What I would tell the deferred/rejected kids with all the wondeful stats and other acheivements is that they might have certainly been a fit another year, only not this year. It is often the same when one applies to senior positions in jobs. A very fine-tuned sense of fitting in is what clinches the opportunity. </p>

<p>But when one wants something so much it is natural to feel rejected, whatever the age. I completely understand the feeling of despondance. But the winners are those that are able to focus on next-steps even while going through these lows. And I am very very certain that all the CC kids here are winners. However low they might be feeling, they will pick themselves up and start doing what they need to do next.</p>

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<p>Champagne and cookies all around! Congratulations.</p>

<p>A question for Ilcapo-- Did I miss something? If decisions went out yesterday, how did you know Saturday?</p>