<p>Who do they think they are? I wasted so much time and energy filling up their crap application and spent so much money on their stupid fees. I feel the least they must do is set a standard and stop people who fall below the standard from applying. Every year thousands of students cry because they cannot go into these elitist institutions and end up feeling worthless. These schools should stop forging sympathy in these identical rejection letters which they send and actually do something and prevent further unnecessary disappointment and anguish in teenagers.</p>
<p>“Every year thousands of students cry because they cannot go into these elitist institutions and end up feeling worthless.”</p>
<p>You blame them because you don’t have the character to accept rejection? Puh-leez.</p>
<p>"and actually do something and prevent further unnecessary disappointment and anguish in teenagers. "</p>
<p>Like what? Prevent you and others from applying? Anyone who looks at a school with around ten percent or less acceptance rate – and cannot translate that into a realistic appraisal of his/her own chances-- possesses very poor analytical skills.</p>
<p>“I feel the least they must do is set a standard and stop people who fall below the standard from applying”</p>
<p>ಠ_ಠ</p>
<p>If you replace the word “applying” with “attending” you will understand the ignorance in your statement. That is why you have to apply. They weed out these people through the admissions process. It just so happens that they have to weed out more people than they would like to because of resource constraints.</p>
<p>Sure, this makes a lot of sense. Because if a handful of selective colleges tell a bunch of young people who haven’t submitted their credentials, “You’re not even allowed to send us your credentials,” nobody will have a problem with that…</p>
<p>I woke up early. Came to CC hoping to get a laugh to start my day.</p>
<p>Thanks, OP!</p>
<p>James…</p>
<p>I’m sorry that you weren’t accepted but the elites have no moral and ethical way of preventing these disappointments. </p>
<p>Do you want them to say…</p>
<p>Only apply if…</p>
<p>1) You have SATs above 2300
2) you’re a URM, then you can have a bit lower SATs and GPA.
3) You’re in the top 5% of your class and you’ve taken the hardest curriculum.
4) You’ve cured cancer or published a best-seller.
5) You’re not from the NE or Calif cuz we already have too many from those states.</p>
<p>^I agree, think of it as a lottery…and move on. Remember Ivy league isn’t going to make someone great…they were already great to begin with.</p>
<p>God forbid any young person knows disappointment!</p>
<p>I do think they should stop the ridiculous marketing to so many who have no chance.</p>
<p>I wasted so much time and energy filling up their crap application and spent so much money on their stupid fees</p>
<p>I know that this is frustrating when results are not what you wanted. Frankly, so many kids spend ridiculous numbers of hours writing essays and applying to schools (not just ivies) that they have little chance of being accepted to or affording. In both cases, these kids feel like they’ve been kicked in the face when the bad news comes in. </p>
<p>I think if kids limited to their financial reaches and their academic reaches to a 2-3 apps, they won’t feel as “kicked in the teeth” as they do when they apply to 6-10 of these reaches and too few/no likely affordable and accepting schools. </p>
<p>A friend’s D applied to about 18 schools last year. She had good stats, but not really ivy stats (2100 SAT, ranked about 10% in her class). She applied to many, many elites (several ivies, MIT, UChi, NU, G’town, WashU, Rice, etc) and a few UCs and a CSU. she spent hours and hours on her essays and apps…plus a LOT of money that the family did NOT have on sending scores and CSS Profiles. </p>
<p>Many times the mom and I discussed trimming the app list, but the D wouldn’t hear of it. The D knew that her chances were “iffy” for any elite so she justified her long list of elites by thinking that it increased her chances of getting accepted to at least one of them.</p>
<p>In the end, only the UCs and the CSU accepted her (instate) and she’s attending the UC that gave the best aid. She and her family feel terrible about the whole thing…waste of time, money, anxiety…much which could have been avoided if the D had been less stubborn and more reasonable about her app list.</p>
<p>^I totally agree…another person I know…she is ranked 30/700…applied to every Ivy possible and got rejected, got into the top tier UCs. It is not like she had an extraordinary talent or another hook. So if you are in the top 5-10%, you want to play the lottery…go ahead…but set your expectations correct so you are not hugely devastated. And for all the valedectorians rejected from Ivies, remember there are 4000+ other valedectorians in this country alone. Some years, our school sends 0 valedectorian to the Ivy, sometimes 1-2…in all cases the ones who get in have outstanding leadership/talent/national awards. And everyone, remember recommendations have to be outstanding as well.</p>