<p>Haven't Heard From:
Princeton
U Penn
Cornell
Dartmouth
Brown
Georgetown</p>
<p>My stats are:
3.7 GPA, top 5%
AP English (5), AP US History (4), AP Calc, AP Computers, AP Chem, AP Lit
2200 SAT (one test)
760 Math II, 740 Math I, 670 US History
strong extracurriculars
didn't apply for financial aid</p>
<hr>
<p>Basically, I'm not feeling too good about myself right now. In retrospect, I feel as if I wasn't properly prepared for this and should have applied to more "safe" safeties. BU and Villanova were two of my safest, and when I called Nova to ask why I hadn't been informed of my admission decision they told me that I never hit Submit on the payment and so I was not considered. (I was never informed by e-mail that my application was incomplete or anything like that, and I still think that I did in fact pay. Checking credit card statements to confirm, but as of now it doesn't seem like there's anything I can do anyway.)</p>
<p>Now that I got rejected from CMU and waitlisted at BU, I've lost pretty much all confidence that I'll be accepted at any of the Ivies or Georgetown. Please refrain from criticizing the choices I've already made, because believe me, I feel badly enough about them as it is. I would just like to know what I should do in the seemingly likely event that I am not accepted to any of the rest of the schools I have applied to. What are my options? Do I take a year off? Look up some crappy state school that is still accepting applicants then attempt to transfer? Or just go to NJIT? (I really would rather not...)</p>
<p>I'm in desperate need of some optimism right now; has anyone else ever been in this position? Is anyone else? What do I do now?</p>
<p>I’ve heard of an anecdote (from this forum in fact!) about some guy who was rejected by a bunch of SUNY schools and a few Ivies. Then, he got an acceptance packet from Harvard, which was the only school who accepted him.</p>
<p>It must be awful to be in your position. But at least you still have quite a few schools of hear back from… at least one of them would take you in, I suppose.</p>
<p>Keep your head high! You still have a chance.</p>
<p>It’s a very strange year for waitlisting due to the size of the class and the economy. I would attend NJIT and plan to transfer, but if you like NJIT just stay there.</p>
<p>A friend of mine got into BU off their waitlist last year, and is now very happy there. Don’t give up hope for there and Lehigh, and you may still get into the Ivies and Georgetown.</p>
<p>Stay on both waitlists. Choose one to pursue. Write a personal letter telling them how much you want to go to their school and updating them with any new information (awards, achievements, grades, etc.)</p>
<p>If you’d truly hate NJIT, I’d go to CC for a year or take a gap year and apply to a new crop of schools (but if you go to CC, you may have to apply as a transfer, not a new student.)</p>
<p>Just wait. Wait until you hear from all the other schools. If you don’t get in to any of them, plan to go to NJIT and remain on the waitlists for the other schools.</p>
<p>If the news isn’t good from the other colleges, choose either Lehigh or BU to pursue. Have your guidance counselor call that chosen waitlist school to let admissions know that you <em>really</em> want to go and ask “What can he do to improve his chances of getting off the waitlist?” The question is really the kind you ask a salesman when you already know the answer; the GC will be expressing interest for you in the guise of a question.</p>
<p>Then write an impassioned letter about how you will attend that school. In your mind, make it into your dream school (forget all the others even though you should keep the other waitlist spot) and explain specifically why you would love to go there. And how the college would benefit from your talents. Get an extra recommendation, if you can.</p>
<p>Do the same for the other school, minus the GC call and the promise to attend. Still be passionate about the school.</p>