<p>@born2dance94,</p>
<p>Do you think? :)</p>
<p>I don’t want to go in a lot of details here, but I think her parents are at fault (more like ignorance than arogance). They made her apply to MIT to pursue an engineering major that they perceived as close enough match to the girl’s considerable artistic talent. </p>
<p>@MD mom: They probably would if they thought it would help.</p>
<p>@chaosaka,</p>
<p>Not after decision is announced.</p>
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<p>Why is it a sacrifice to work hard, take challenging classes, do worthwhile things, and develop your intellect and talents? So many kids seems to think this way and it’s disturbing. Do things because you want to do them and they have intrinsic value to you, not just because they make you look good on a piece of paper.</p>
<p>Did you read any of my reasons? Does taking the SAT seem the best use of your time?</p>
<p>My point is kids shouldn’t drop classes they enjoy or miss out on opportunities they enjoy because they want to boost stats to look good on a piece of paper. Many kids also say, “I would have worked less hard if I had known Harvard would reject me.” I find that attitude immature and anti-intellectual. I’m sorry you were pressured to drop Calculus and prioritize test-taking over extracurriculars. That’s unfortunate. However, you are a very articulate young person, obviously intelligent. If you go to Hendrix or Centre, you will be just fine and have a great experience. I don’t think you are deserving of pity. I think you are deserving of congratulations and should look to the future with confidence and excitement. Enough of all this prestige angst.</p>
<p>NJSue,</p>
<p>I actually understand where chaosakita (sorry for misspelling the name in a previous post) comes from. My teenage son feels like he sacrifices a lot by missing on some of the fun his less academically challenged/inclined classmates do. He tells me that it feels to him that all he does is study and participate in extra-curricular activities, while all he wants is to just hang out with his friends (but unfortunately his school load and geographical distance (we are open-enrolled) make it hard for him to do so). He is a teenager so of course he feels this way. Watching him work so hard I understand where he is coming from and while I will never admit it to him (:)), I think he is justified in his feelings.</p>
<p>Several years ago when our oldest graduated, the class valedictorian, who attended Yale, said that his biggest regret in high school was studying too much. He got into some pretty high caliber schools and most likely would have still gotten into those schools if he went out on a few more Saturday nights to hang out with friends vs staying home and studying for the test that he aced and knew he was prepared for already. I think about that a lot when we want to push our kids a bit more. I always back off when I remember that. I thought that realizing that was very mature and hardly made him “less intellectual” to realize that life isn’t all in the books.</p>
<p>It is not “‘less intellectual’ to realize that life isn’t all in the books,” SteveMA. I think what NJSue is calling anti-intellectual is the notion that the only reason to pursue challenging courses is because of what that pursuit might net in terms of admission to a selective college. That attitude saddens me.</p>
<p>I disagree. Our D opted to take an honors history course over the AP section for that exact reason, having the honors class vs the AP will have zero effect on her getting into the schools she is considering (keep in mind she is taking 4 other AP classes). D on the other hand took the AP class vs the honors class because it could make a difference at the schools he is considering. D’s decision allowed her more time to do some volunteer work. I think it is about balance. I very much think that the choice to pursue and extreme academic school very much is dependent on which colleges you are considering. In the long run, not taking that one AP class really going to make a difference in your overall intellectual ability, no.</p>
<p>Sure, people enroll in extremely challenging courses based on where they want to get into school. But I think it’s sad if, upon not getting into one of those schools, kids declare the time they spent in those rigorous courses WASTED.</p>
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<p>My top three are split between Chicago (as if I could get in), Georgetown, and Rice. </p>
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<p>Another reason for my disappointment would be the time and effort spent doing applications. I spent over $1000 and my entire winter break doing my applications. I guess it’s my fault, but it’d be disappointing not to have anything come out of it.</p>
<p>And I could’ve really done without my Geography class. I learned absolutely nothing from it and could’ve spent my Tuesday evenings on something else.</p>
<p>absweetmarie–the comment was “less hard” not 'wasted" to different meanings altogether.</p>
<p>Truly, chaosakita, it is hard to imagine you not getting into one of those 14 schools. I bet your essays were top-notch. I, for one, am crossing my fingers for you. FWIW, one of my friend’s kids (with grades maybe a bit higher than yours but NOT a lot higher, also an NMF but with a slightly lower ACT and likely lower SAT scores than yours), got in EA. In any case, I don’t think your chances at U of C are so bad. That said, I was rather shocked to see the stats of some of the kids who were deferred and/or rejected in the EA round. Seems it’s a pretty competitive field this year.</p>
<p>SteveMA: Sorry, I was remembering something chaosakita said on another thread about four years being thrown “in the trash can” if she didn’t get into one of these schools.</p>
<p>OP, geography comes in handy later in life. :)</p>
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<p>Thank you! Admissions there have gotten so much more competitive than when I first saw the school back in the 9th grade. That year, it was known for being a school for intellectual slackers like me. However, the next year, one of my friends with great grades and presumably scores too did not get in, and I got really discouraged. (However, I know for a fact that she didn’t do much in terms of ECs besides orchestra, which is even less original when you’re Asian. She’s doing great at Vandy now though) Also, a lot of other people I know have gotten deferred/rejected from Chicago, the most of any school I know. It’s really capitalized on it’s reputation.</p>
<p>Regardless of whether I get in, I am really proud of my Chicago essay which I wrote three days before the deadline after realizing I had overlooked one of the prompts. Although it’s 1400 words long, this essay by far came the easiest to me.</p>
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<p>I think Geography is great, but most of the material in the class was a review of my 9th grade geography class. Considering how much coloring I had to do (and I really hate coloring), I don’t think the class would be worth it if it had no effect onto getting me in anywhere.</p>
<p>Well, chaos, I can certainly understand you much better, now.</p>
<p>Anyone with Chicago as their first choice is a very serious academic. Also, being from Chi-town, I will send the best thoughts for your admission. I hope you get what you want and it turns out to be what you hoped for.</p>
<p>H went to Booth for grad school. Some seriously Harry Potter architecture down that way. AND WIND. Good luck to you.</p>
<p>ETA: please let us know the outcome, if you can, at some point. I am very curious, now.</p>
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<p>I don’t think everyone who wants to go there is a very serious academic, or at least not anymore. (And my friend definitely wasn’t when he applied there, but he hates it there now) I don’t want to sound too judgmental, but I feel like lots of people say that they “love to learn” without actually doing so.</p>
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<p>Those were my thoughts of the Chicago campus exactly! And thank you!</p>
<p>I reread the Wellesley decision thread, and I’m even more confused about my decision. Are my grades that bad? I’m really hoping that all of my colleges are receiving my college grades from this semester.</p>
<p>I think it’s Tufts syndrome. I think you need to just let it go, now. For whatever reason, you and Wellesley are not meant to be. It’s best not to obsess on these things, or take them personally, though I know that can be difficult.</p>
<p>I know you don’t really believe this, but you are so young. You have so much ahead of you, and not all of it is going to go the way you want it to. All you can do in life is give it your best shot and let go of the results. It’s over and it was out of your hands the minute you submitted your app.</p>
<p>So, what is something you really enjoy doing? I’d suggest you do that, read a great series, or watch the whole Battlestar Gallactica, really entertaining, but super smart and full of shakespeare and Melville and myth. Or go running for a while. Do some sodoku. :)</p>
<p>Both of my kids refused to take honors English much less AP English senior year, so that they could spend more time doing things they enjoyed. Neither spent much time on test prep. They didn’t get into every college they applied to, but they both ended up with good choices. In the case of older son, I’m sure everyone on CC would have told him (had he asked) that he would never ever get into Harvard without AP Lit, but he did.</p>
<p>I don’t believe in Tufts syndrome - I think holistic admissions makes it hard to predict admissions results because beyond a certain baseline grades and stats it’s the essays, recommendations and some sort of gut feeling on the part of the admissions committee ends up being the what decisions are made on.</p>
<p>I don’t understand rhe Wellesley EA. Doesn’t a possible mean just that, still possible like being deferred?</p>