Why am I so mediocre at winning big awards?

In high school, I didn’t win any state awards and national awards when I should have. I did make USAAAO in my senior year, but that is nothing compared to something like the IMO or USAMO. Even after years of preparation, I did not make the All-State band on clarinet while the people whom I despise did. I studied hard for the SAT for months and I only got a 1530 out of 1600 when I should have gotten a 1600. I don’t understand why there are others who don’t study for the SAT get higher scores than me. As a result, I am not going to my top choice, Princeton, because I am simply a loser with no great accomplishments. I am merely average. I am sick of this. People did not like me as first chair in band and they were so happy when I left after I didn’t make All-State in my last time auditioning.

Yes, laugh at me when I am in despair.

Are you a HS student or college student? In your other thread, you talked about applying to graduate schools.

No one is laughing out here. Stop measuring yourself by what you didn’t accomplish. (By the way, I was a clarinet player, 1st chair in my HS band, and practiced like crazy & was quite good. But I had the hardest time pulling off the performances I’d practiced for in competitions - came home with more red ribbons than I can count because I couldn’t pull off in front of a judge what I could go flawlessly at home. So… I feel your disappointment about All State band!).

My dad used to say that there is ALWAYS going to be somebody smarter than you or with more talent at what you are attempting. Always. And you can’t let it get inside your head. You can only control how hard you work and how you react in a situation. Get up off the mat, dust yourself off, and go get ‘em at a college that did accept you.

Also (don’t flame me, Princeton folks) Princeton is kinda snooty with their eating club culture. You might very well be better off someplace else anyway. ?

@damon30, I am a college student, but I still feel screwed over by high school. I deserved better.

Okay… time to move on. ? No one “deserves” to win awards. Wherever you are in school now, it doesn’t make any difference now that you didn’t get into Princeton. And you are stressing now that some people in your HS band didn’t like you? You must have something better to spend your time on now.

Yes, but it is horrible when I had to be humiliated to the fullest. I was pretty much expected to make the All-State band for four years and I didn’t make it. People expected a lot from me and I disappointed myself and them.

MODERATOR’S NOTE: You need to speak to a counselor. There’s nothing we can do to help.