Roger_Dooley

"Record numbers of applications leave many high-achieving students without a seat at their first-choice school. But in some cases, second-best ends up being a winner."

Even a CC mention:

"Parents and students do not take rejection lightly. Online discussion forums are filled with student angst over denials, pleas for help in crafting appeals, and sympathetic posts aimed at soothing hurt feelings. One anonymous writer, who was accepted at Berkeley and Duke, asked fellow collegeconfidential.com readers where he should enroll and what he could do to ease transfer to Stanford or MIT, both of which rejected him."

College rejection isn't the end of the world - Los Angeles Times by Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times

mommusic

Great article.

That says it all. Don't feel rejected or lesser than the lucky tiny percentage that got in to Berkeley, Stanford, or HYP. They loved you, but they didn't have room.

Go elsewhere, do good work, have a great time and ultimately, a great life.

lextalionis

Thanks for posting this LA Times article, Roger. It's the latest installment on a "hot topic," but with a much more personal spin than the numerous other articles I have read on the now infamous "College Bloodbath of 2008." I enjoyed the article and can relate, as a parent, to the notion that sometimes "the perfect college fit finds you (the student)," rather than the other way around.

My S and I both fell in love with Princeton when we visited the campus. S had the stellar scores, the academic rigor and intellectual curiosity, the ECs, the teacher recs to get in, but no real "hook," and, alas, no admission.

His admission to UC Berkeley had preceded his rejection from Princeton. He had been accepted to the College of Engineering. No small feat, indeed. But he was so focused on March 31 when he would hear from Princeton, that he didn't give much thought to Cal.

After a couple days of general malaise after March 31, he realized that Berkeley actually has a BETTER academic program and professors than Princeton for what he wants to study. He's also a Finalist for an Alumni Leadership Scholarship, and has figured out that all of his AP classes in high school (which he thoroughly enjoyed) will allow him to enter Cal with sophomore standing. Like thousands of other students out there this year, my S has learned that he will be valued at the university that best fits his strengths.

In hindsight, then, it turns out that S's so-called "safety school" was a much better fit than his "dream school." And a heck of a lot easier on Mom and Dad's wallet to boot!

Thanks again for posting, Roger. CC has been an invaluable resource during this past month of roller coaster emotions. Please keep up the great work.

Northstarmom

"Podany felt better when she was accepted by the other nine schools she applied to, including prestigious Brown University in Rhode Island. But when Washington University in St. Louis offered her a full ride, she couldn't say no.

Still, she was rattled by deciding to attend a school many of her high-octane Marlborough peers had never even heard of.

"Everyone was asking if it was in Seattle," she said.

Her father told her she could always transfer if she hated the school but urged her to try to be happy there.

"When I got to campus, I was prepared to not like it, which sounds awful," she said. "I knew that St. Louis was a big city, but Missouri carries all these negative connotations, a town full of people who don't know anything, and the Midwest, and the Bible Belt."

So, she felt bad that for money reasons, she had to go to one of the country's top 12 colleges, and still wasn't satisfied. Sheesh....

epiphany

"try to be happy there."

Unbelievable.

UCBChemEGrad

Haha I remember that thread...I'm one of the "collegeconfidential.com readers" who responded to the writer's "plight".

Butternut

Is it sad that the first thing I think when I see a 1370 SAT score (out of 1600) is "gosh, thats low." I really need to get off CC...
Sad that the girl was disappointed that she had to attend WashU on a full ride.

fencersmother

Boohoo! A full ride! I'll bet WUSTL just loves this - not. Upper-tier school dissed in print.

You'd think that poor girl was FORCED to attend a local com col rather than an excellent college with a fine rep.

Northstarmom

I wonder what WUSTL admissions officers thought when they read the article. They probably wished they had given the scholarship to someone more appreciative.

fracto

I think everyone is being a little harsh here. I know both the girl and HS. She does say how she is loving WUSTL and is extremely complimentary now that she is there. I think this is just the kind of publicity WUSTL appreciates -- someone from an urban area turns down an IVY to attend and grows to love the school and location. It was not until the last few years that WUSTL has developed a nationwide reputation. Someone who grew up in LA would understandably know little about St.Louis and the mid-west. Also, keep in mind that what actually gets printed in a newspaper vs. what she actually said and how she said it can be two different things.

gellino

Someone more appreciative would probably have been a lesser student. In the end, she'll be an ambassador for WUSTL.

Northstarmom

"WUSTL appreciates -- someone from an urban area turns down an IVY to attend and grows to love the school and location. "

That's not the publicity WUSTL is getting now. It's getting publicity about a girl who turned down an Ivy to go to WUSTL only because of $, and is clearly feeling she is compromising herself by planning to go to WUSTL.

UCBChemEGrad

^ She's not planning on going to WUSTL, she's already there and enjoying the experience...

Northstarmom

Thanks for posting her quote. I'd missed that before.

Sam Lee

So true. Less grounded yet competitive is the worst combo. I hate Los Angeles!