<p>All of us who have been rejected from our dream schools MUST and NEED to know why we got rejected, even though we have the stats and "rounded". So, I will start. </p>
<p>I think the reason why I got rejected because I sent in five recommendation. One of which is from someone who is very influencial. However, this could have shown the colleges that I was not confidence enough in myself.</p>
<p>Secondly, I'm an international student. Maybe the pool was too competitive than the domestic applicants. </p>
<p>Finally, I believe that they thought the reason I took those AP courses and classes at a local college just to impress them. FOr example, I intended to double major in economics and political science. But I'm currently taking Linear Algebra and Diff. equ. Also, I signed up for AP Physics and AP Biology (I got A in all of them). Are these the reasons why? So what do you think is yours?</p>
<p>Not sure in my case...my admissions pattern was unusual.</p>
<p>Perhaps, in terms of crafting a college class, I did not particularly stand out with respect to my stats, recs, ecs, or essays. I'm not sure what did me in at some of the schools.</p>
<p>The reason all of you well-qualified students didn't get into your "dream" schools is you all applied to the same schools. There are just too many of you. Economics 101, supply and demand. If a biological weapon had wiped out half the population last September, you'd all be in. Don't second-guess your application, or question your self-worth. If your dream school had been a true match instead of a reach, chances are you'd be going to your dream school. People just naturally want to reach a little higher -- and it's harder to stand out there with all the other standouts standing around.</p>
<p>That's the thing...the college I really wanted to attend is statistically easier to get into than some of my reaches (that did accept me) and some of my matches (also accepted).</p>
<p>I'm not worried about it, but I felt that I fit best at my first choice. I do understand I have some amazing choices, and I'm not at all depressed. I was lucky enough to get into schools which would make for a great sticker in the back window. It's just that the colleges and universities that accepted me became less attractive once I threw out prestige. It became about fit. And, since my top college was a match school...I was a bit surprised.</p>
<p>Just posted to say that it is difficult to say what may have affected my admissions to different schools.</p>
<p>Why do you need to know? I mean, applications went way up this year (in numbers). It doesn't really matter now. It's time to move on. There's nothing wrong with you. I got rejected and waitlisted. But I wasn't a flawed canidate.</p>
<p>SAT scores sucked. i didn't really know anything about sat IIs, didn't study, did badly. Although, my normal SATs weren't too hot either. My ECs were a little underdeveloped, and i didn't win any huge awards or make scientific discoveries or anything. I had a B on my midyear report. In one of my essays, I made the mistake of calling the college's dance minor a "ballet minor". </p>
<p>IsleBoy, you threw out prestige?! Well, I take it back. Obviously you're flawed after all. ;)</p>
<p>Kidding aside, not getting into the school where you were statistically most likely to get into and getting into other schools where you weren't does make you wonder where you "went wrong" during the application process, even if you didn't really "go wrong" at all. Statistics only tell part of the story. Obviously, statistically it is "easier" to get into a school with a 40% admissions rate than one that only admits 20%. But even at the "easier" school, 60% of applicants don't get in, and many of those are well-qualified. Falling into the top 25% of gpa and SAT feels statistically better than falling smack in the middle. But if the admit rate is 30%, except at the purely numbers-driven colleges, some of the non-admitted 70% will come from that top quarter. Maybe the school needed more oboe players and humanities majors and you play the cello and put down pre-med as your major, who knows? Having read some of your recent posts, I'd say your dream school really missed the boat. I'd love it if you were sitting in the chair next to my daughter at her first college class next year; you sound like a very bright, ambitious person with true compassion who has his priorities straight. Best of luck to you wherever you go.</p>
<p>It is a little disconcerting to see so many people fixed on rank or prestige. I can understand the pressure, and even the idea that an admissions offer can be a validation for some. Perhaps it's due to our increased dependence on USNews and such. </p>
<p>Seriously, I'm a little disappointed about my first choice school, but I did apply to others which I am more than happy to attend. I guess matches and safeties for me were just as important to me as my first choice. And, it is strange that all of a sudden matches and safeties are frowned upon after the letters go out. If a school was good enough for someone to apply to, I wonder why it's not good enough to go to?</p>
<p>I guess it's the hope/belief that we won't need other match/safety colleges like other applicants will. I was lucky to have some level-headed friends to speak with and adults who looked past the prestige and walked by the USNews College Ranking issue.</p>
<p>Again, thank you for the best wishes. And, I'm sure that wherever your D ends up attending there will be others like myself to hang out with. It would be funny if we did wind up at the same school, however. Given the twists and turns of this admissions year, I would not bet against it. :)</p>
<p>u weren't falwed. I got into columbia colelge but was rejected by harvard and waitlisted at yale. I have way more flaws than any of u and all of u cmobined. It's just admissions is though. 9% acceptances rates r not easy to break through.</p>
<p>I got like 3 Cs freshmen year because I slacked off. I absolutely suck at math and Science and I got a C+ in math and a B- in science related classes (nearly) every year and it always killed my GPA even though I always got As in History and English classes.</p>