<p>So, I was browsing 2012 decision threads, and I came upon this comment from one of last year's hopefuls:</p>
<p>"Remember when in like 7th grade you were waiting for the list of kids that made the basketball team, hoping that your name would be on it? Except this may decide the next four years of your life."</p>
<p>That's basically the most accurate description of my feelings that I've found so far. I remember those days of junior high sports, desperately hoping against all odds that I had made the highest team. This is exactly like that....on steroids.</p>
<p>This is what is on my mind everyday when I am off to school.
It is rather terrible!
I either go to Yale, learn and meet great people and then get a great job…
… or just go to another school and just suck it up, struggle and write a book after that.
You decide which of these is more impressive. I should have applied to more schools</p>
<p>I keep imagining that feeling of seeing the email hit my inbox, and then opening it… covering the screen with my hands and revealing the page slowly. And I can’t believe I have to wait until December. I feel for you guys. But I’m also envious that in a week or so you’ll at least be able to get some closure on this feeling of not knowing and that will move onto excitement of wherever you’ll go to college. And I’ll still be here waiting for that basketball list to go up. Eep.</p>
<p>As a football player I never had to experience the whole being “cut” thing for sports. But speech and debate and band has definitely had that experience. For anyone others in speech and debate you know the feeling of seeing the break list. It is kind of like that.</p>
<p>^ Ahhh. I won’t get to apply until next year but yeah, I totally know what you mean about the debate thing. we usually didn’t stay until they posted the break list but they had this like voicemail thing that announced it…and I would just hear it go through the whole list and wondering if my name is going to be the next one. Or when we stayed for the list to be posted, I would have to like skim the list like 3 times to make sure my name was/wasn’t on the list. And whenever my name wasn’t…I’d look over it over and over again, hoping that maybe I just missed it…</p>
<p>I can see myself reading my rejection letter over and over again, hoping that I just misread it and the word acceptance is actually written. Hahhahaha. Ohhh boy.</p>
<p>ANNND cheer/dance tryouts for junior high squads. Haha, it was such a big deal for us back then. Kids were crying and throwing a fit …or jumping off the wall when we saw the list…</p>
<p>My worst experience with “breaking” was at Nats in Vegas last year. They would unfurl these huge banners with colorful drawings, catchy phrases, and of course, the numbers of the speakers advancing. I got to see my number up there 3 times…and then that last time…for making it to finals…it wasn’t there. :(</p>
<p>That’s exactly how I feel right now, like I’m waiting to see if I broke to finals or not…</p>
<p>^Wow, totally jealous you went to Nationals.</p>
<p>I didn’t even get to do State last year because I was out of town. I was really disappointed. But for one of our tournaments, we made it to quarterfinals, then semifinals and we were totally excited. We worked SOO hard, like we basically stayed up all night at the hotel revising our case, figuring out how to answer certain arguments and researching stuff on the affirmative cases we heard the day before. And then when the finals list went up, we didn’t make it. But the thing was, they used initials instead of the full name…and another team had almost the same initials as me and my partner…we were so excited for like just a split second before we realized it wasn’t our initials. haha. </p>
<p>But I’m sure you guys will all end up at great schools no matter what! Good luck with Yale guys!!! </p>
<p>I’m already anxious waiting for results for YOU guys…haha. …in fact, I really want to get started on my Yale application. I guess I’ll have to wait a bit longer :)</p>
<p>Wow hookem you got to semis at Nats, color me impressed. I was two people out of qualifying for nats last year but I qualified in Domestic Exempt so I am looking for it to it this year. </p>
<p>At Texas state tourney they do the same banner thing and I got to see my name up there twice and again I was two people out of going to finals this year. Hookem what event do you do?</p>
<p>Well, what I semi’d at Nats in was OO. I love writing, and I love speaking, so delivering something I’ve written was cake for me.</p>
<p>But at the local/state level I did pretty much everything except for hardcore debate (past tense. I don’t compete anymore. I didn’t go to districts because it conflicted with Mock Trial): FX, StuCo, DI, HI, Duo, Prose, Poetry, etc., ad nauseam.</p>
<p>I’m truly blessed in that my safety school (the Barrett Honors College at ASU) is almost a mirror image of the ivies I have applied to. It is a residential college system, with powerful connections and great opportunities both during and post grad. If I don’t get into any of my top schools I will be extremely happy. And even if I do, I will have to make a huge decision, b/c I like my “safety” very much, and view it on par with the ivies I have applied to. </p>
<p>@bizzyjudy–Policy IS so much cooler. Of course, that’s the only type of debate I really did but I loved it. I did oratory once, and tried exempt but haha, they didn’t work out as well.</p>
<p>I never understood American debating. I’m sure policy is popular at the university level, but the debate societies at Northeast schools (and UChicago and Stanford) are all APDA, which is Parliamentary style.</p>
<p>We call Policy Debate “CX” down here in Tejas! Although I don’t personally compete in either event, LD is infinitely better IMHO. I watched the final round of both events at Nats, and LD was way more impressive. CX/Policy has become too technical, to the point where you almost have to go to summer camps, etc. to succeed at a really high level. It’s all about speedreading and using proper debate terminology, whereas LD is more philosophical. BTW, if memory serves me correctly, last year’s LD Champion is a freshman at Yale :)</p>
Of course, that’s the only type of debate I really did but I loved it. I did oratory once, and tried exempt but haha, they didn’t work out as well.</p>