Day 1: Good evening everybody! I decided to document my admissions journey this year. Now if you notice the title, it states that I am an unusual applicant. Allow me to explain this. I am a black/ Caucasian female with some sort of extenuating circumstances. My GPA is a 3.14 UW // 3.2 W, I have an SAT of 1990 (CR:700 M:600 W:690) superscored, and I have weird extracurriculars. Since the age of 14, I have had to work to support my family. I have a dad who has had issues with addictions and gambling. As a result, I have worked at least 25-45 hours per week during my entire high school career to keep the family afloat. My GC explains this in her recommendation. I have done other things such as math team, mock trial, science team, and Spanish club. This year I have secured a main role as witness in mock trial and I was elected as a club office in an outreach club on my first day. I have other weird extracurriculars such as setting up a compliments page for my high school, which got the attention of the local news outlet. I also run an Instagram dedicated to positivity and mental health in academics. It only has 4,000+ followers and I do not know if Instagram is taken seriously in admissions. I still work around 24-30 hours a week, but on weekends at a fast food place. I am probably one of the poorest, if not poorest (financially) student in my class applying to college. I may only stand out in terms of this, amidst the recruited athletes and whatnot. So I’m not exactly expecting to be the one from my school or region that receives the acceptance email. Originally my DREAM schools (and schools with a reach comparable to the height of the Empire State Building) were Tulane and Yale. I am slowly coming to terms with the fact that this is very likely, in fact probably going to result in rejections from the two. However, today was a good day. I earned a $21k per year scholarship from Iona College. Let’s see where it goes from here!
Wow. That’s a good scholarship. Congratulations. You owna college. 
Congratulations! You’re going to college! The sky is the limit. With your energy, initiative and life experience, you have an edge over many people already. You will get over your initial disappointments quickly. And here’s a fact that may be discomfiting to many here on CC: your undergraduate institution doesn’t mean a whole lot in many case in terms of how far you go in life. Don’t believe me? Take a look at the book by Malcolm Gladwell, Outliers. See the undergraduate institutions of Nobel Prize winners in the last several decades: many, many of them would not be ones where the denizens of CC would deign to apply. All the best! (By the way, enjoy the diversity of. New Rochelle: it’s a great diverse town, with much to offer.)
Day 2: So it begins. Everyone who applied EA or ED to schools is hearing back. I know I should not be envious, I know I should not compare myself to other classmates, but I cannot help it. Is that not what happens in the admissions process? You are being compared to everyone else in the pool. I have had work to somewhat distract me all weekend, but college admissions is all I think about sometimes. I have tried listening to the Serial podcast to distract myself at times, but then they mention honor roll student gone wrong and it makes me think of how I’m not an honor roll student and how my chances at my dream schools are probably ruined because of it. I guess nobody gets anywhere if they let their distractions get the best of them. It is probably wise to keep immersing myself in biology and learning as much as I can about the French Revolution or the revolutionary period of Western Europe in general, as those topics highly interest me. I mean it hurts a bit to realize that every one else who is getting into these amazing schools
had time and resources to succeed while I did not. It hurts less than I thought it would. I am just increasingly worried about hitting that submit button. My supplements are complete, I’ve poured my heart and soul into my essay and my supplements, my recommendations are amazing from what I’ve heard, and my guidance counselor says these essays are amazing. I just can’t stop thinking about how stoic the ad coms are and how above all they academic institutions. I can’t help but imagine a long oval table, the center being lighted by some candelabra that Marth Washington or Abigail Adams donated, highlighting the fact that I just don’t qualify academically. “A 3.14 GPA?!” “Who does she think she is?” “Why look at that negative GPA trend!” One admissions counselor rises from his seat “I think we can come to a sensible conclusion on this one. Shall we take a vote?” Sometimes I think of how I can just end all of this madness and delete these applications to these schools. As much as I may want to attend them, as much as I think that I can succeed at them with the pressures from my life gone, are the adcoms going to believe it? On the other hand I will be wondering what would have happened if I just applied. Now I am just thinking of hypnosis methods that would make me forget about the applications after submitting them.
2 more days until Yale decisions come out. I believe that is your number 1 choice so Good Luck!
(documented) Day 3: it would be great if my family slightly observed Christmas so I could have some sort of distraction. Life is so weird. I have quite the list of high reach schools and it’s a very unusual position to be in. You tell yourself that you don’t know what to expect but then you remember that you should expect rejection because you don’t even make the threshold. What gets me through this time in my life is consistency. Those people who tell you that reality is what you make of it are not wrong. I think of the fact that I listen to Abbey Road to comfort myself. As McCartney’s long notes are gliding through the headphones, I realize that “Sun King” by the Beatles will always be there. I think of the fact that the Beatles have faced rejection before only to become the best music act in the world. I think of the fact that their music will always be there. I think of the fact that it is documented. I think of the fact that this journey, this reflection has now been documented and is forever on the internet. This here is the memory in its most concrete form; it won’t be altered by my brain each time I go back to read it. I need to be positive here. I need to realize that college is not the end all be all. The fact that I have the ability to write something, to document it, to have it here as a primary source reminds me of my favorite poem, Invictus. I realize that it needs to be applied to my life no matter what. "I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul ".
Documented Day 4: Yesterday my father quit his job. I was extremely taken aback by this because it made think of junior year. Junior year was the absolute worst year in terms of academics when it was supposed to be the best. I felt absolutely angry when he sat me down and told me that “education is the only way out”, “education matters”. Nobody told me this last year, where was that encouragement? I’m afraid it’s going to turn into last year again. The 45 hour weeks, the stress building up to a climax, all of it. It seems as if the extremely high reach, Harvard, has become totally unreachable. I don’t know what’s going to happen next, but all I know is that if I want to excel, I have to do something that I’ve never done before. Right now it’s no longer a matter of whether Harvard is a possibility or not. Survival is the goal. All I know is that I’m going to have to work harder than I ever have in my entire life.
I’m really sorry to hear that. I can’t imagine being in your position right now.
I think that your circumstances (now) are something that you should bring up in the interview.
Did you talk about your circumstances during your interview for Yale?
While Tulane is a reach, I don’t think it is out if range for you at all. You have special circumstances, you sound like perhaps low incom and URM. Don’t give up on that.
I live very near Iona. Yes, the I own a college joke is rampant here:). It is a great school too. Would you commute or live in?
@PolyglotGal , can you give us an update? I hope things are okay for you.
Good afternoon everyone! CC has banned the account that I posted this thread on, but I really wanted to continue this thread anyway. I don’t think it’s right to abandon it. Things are going alright. My dad is working again, so that is good. In terms of college decisions, it has been alright. I was rejected by Wellesley on the 22nd of February, I was rejected by UChicago this past Wednesday, and I was rejected by Boston University this morning. I’m not surprised. I’m used to rejection at this point in my life. I know I shouldn’t take it personally, but it’s so difficult not to. You feel like your life experiences, your ways of dealing with issues, and just everything are not worthy or that you’re incompetent or whatever. I pretty much know what’s in store for me this admissions cycle. I know it’s more than likely going to be a slew of rejections. But I will truly be a loser if I let several groups of 40 people in a room define me.
So, you got into Iona - did you get into SUNY’s?
BU probably rejected you because of financial need (they’re very much need aware).
UChicago rejects almost everyone, so, it’s sad and disappointing but you know you’re in a lifeboat with thousands of people.
More surprised by Wellesley - did you apply to other women’s colleges?
No, I didn’t apply to other women’s colleges. I also discovered something weird about Wellesley. Apparently I was only rejected due to a lack of SAT 2 scores (?). Don’t know how I feel about that. About BU, yeah I expected that. I live in a town that has many wealthy families and the two people in my school that were admitted are affluent. But then again, no need for me to be like that, for their credentials probably showed them to be more qualified than myself. I didn’t apply to SUNYs (now that I think of it, yeah I should have).
Did you not take SAT2 tests (“subjects”)? 
Could your GC call and say no one in your school knew about the subject tests, which is why you didn’t take them?
This would be a good argument in favor of a gap year, since you could prepare for those tests, ace them, and reapply.
SUNY New Paltz is still accepting applications and it’s not bad. They have an Honors Program, too.
I think SNY Buffalo also is still accepting applications but it’s iffier for the Honors College.
https://www.newpaltz.edu/honors/apply.html
http://honors.buffalo.edu/prospective/howtoapply.php
Hendrix, an EXCELLENT college whose main flaw is its location in Arkansas, still accepts applications. Academic quality, professors who care, smart, unconventional, relaxed peers, and their signature “Odyssey” program that can offer you funding to volunteer in Thailand or Costa Rica, to intern in DC, or do research with a professor.
https://www.hendrix.edu/
Hey everyone! Not very much has been happening. Ivy Day is in 6 days (YIKES!). I’ve been stalking the mail waiting for the letter from American University. I think it’s most likely going to be a rejection, but we will see whether the envelope is the regular small one, or the large one.
OP I am concerned because you are waiting for Ivy Day, but most selective schools require the SAT 2 tests. It seems that American U is test optional, so I am crossing my fingers for you, not only for an acceptance but also for a great fin aid package.
I would encourage you to keep checking in as your journey unfolds.
Hi there everyone. So I was recently rejected by Stanford, American University, and the Torch Scholars program at Northeastern. The first two rejections were expected. As for Northeastern and Torch, I genuinely expected them to give me a chance as the preach this message of giving a chance to applicants who never had a chance to show their potential or won’t really stand a chance this admissions cycle. Today is Ivy Day and I’m not feeling too optimistic at all. I’m really hoping for Cornell SHA as I LOOOOVE the program and I feel like I can handle it. But it’s out of my control at this point. Like everyone else, I need to expect rejection and hope for the best.
Well this is going to be an ongoing admissions story. I feel unbelievably relieved right now. So I will provide you with a list of acceptances and rejections.
Acceptances:
Iona College, Quinnipiac, Richmond University in London
Rejections:
Harvard, Yale, Cornell, Dartmouth, Brown, American, Boston University, Northeastern (Torch Scholars) , Wellesley, Stanford, UChicago, Yale-NUS
I cannot afford the schools I gained admission to (even with FA), so I have chosen to attend my local community college and see how the aid turns out for it. I’m applying for scholarships as well; fingers crossed that everything turns out well. Despite all of this rejection, I still feel as if the world is filled with opportunity. Getting rejected by 12 schools isn’t going to stop me from being a surgeon or saving lives, just as being admitted to a top school would not automatically make this happen. Despite what my fellow classmates may think, I have absolutely not hit rock bottom by choosing to attend community college. I’ve hit rock bottom
before in my life and I can assure everyone that this point in my life is FAR better than being rock bottom. I am personally excited to finally be able to manage my time and take so many classes that are of interest; it feels as if the classes that I had grown to dislike throughout high school are going to become interesting as well. I really love learning, so living in a country where you can still go to school despite numerous rejections is THE golden opportunity. Of course I cannot do all 4 years at CC if I want to complete a major in neuroscience and eventually attend medical school. Therefore, this will be an ongoing admissions story. I’m glad to say that I didn’t cry on Ivy Day; crying is alright though. Here’s to an ongoing admissions story. I also hope this can serve as a thread that demonstrates to applicants in my situation what not to do and how to not go about this process. I also hope to let you all know about community college and the transferring process. Congratulations to everyone who was admitted to the universities that I was rejected from!
You will go far!!
You are to be commended because you have heart and a great work ethic! Not all of us can start at a uni, but we can finish at one. You will be just fine.
Thank you very much for the kind words!