<p>Just go rejected from Rice and Stanford and will probably have to go to "big state U" like all the rest.
I wont go into the nitty gritty, but here's a little backstory:
I have always been motivated not to go to said state school and really don't want to go their, so I took more AP's than any of my friends, maintained almost straight A's, and had scores of 4+ on each test (10 counting this year). My SAT was pretty unremarkable, which was my doing because I didn't do any prep. I had great extracurrics: search and rescue, very good XC and Track runner (but not quite good enough to get big school attention), and other volunteer stuff with NHS and church.
I am just very disappointed because I worked SO much harder than all of my friends and will end up in the same boat, and some kids that did much less than me, even cheated, get into their dream schools. This may sound a bit vain, but I am only saying so because it is true.
Any words of wisdom or motivation. btw i'm aware that I am really not that special and was just trying for waitlist, and I do know I can always transfer or get grad degrees elsewhere</p>
<p>Both Stanford and Rice have teeny, teeny admission rates. So you didn’t get in with some very distinguished company. I object to your “not that special” remark. Who the h*ll makes that determination? Your value as a human being is not determined by your college acceptances. </p>
<p>Damage control: It would have been good if someone had advised you to include more alternatives in your list. That said, you can thrive and make an interesting, successful career at a state school if you so choose. You can make good grades and transfer, or you can take a gap year, read up here on some good match/safety options (the safety ideally being a place you can afford and would be reasonably happy to attend) and live happily ever after. Don’t worry about what other people are doing. Figure out what <em>you</em> are doing, in this interesting, difficult mortal coil we all share.</p>
<p>If you’ve actually done all the things you describe, you may end up in the same college as your friends, but you definitely won’t end up in the same boat. ;)</p>
<p>Just keep doing what you’re doing - your hard work will take you far, even if it doesn’t seem that way at the moment.</p>
<p>…the SAT was the killer - go to a lower-ranked school that is known for your major…</p>