Dathan

Hey everyone,

As a student who underwent the very stressful process of SCEA ---> Deferral -----> rejection, I would like to offer the following advice to help you get through this process.

1) It's never personal: Stanford adcoms deal with thousands of applicants, all with mind-blowing credentials, and mind-blowing stories. As much as I tried to convince myself that my deferral was my fault - something that I could have prevented - the reality was that far better applicants were also deferred, moreover, rejected.

2) Don't let the pressure hinder your performance: one of the best philosophies in life is to prepare for the worst, and hope for the best. So long as you prepare yourself for rejection, if by some chance you are rejected, your pain and pressure will not be exacerbated by the sudden necessity to fill out nine other applications. Additionally, if God willing you are accepted, your acceptance will feel all the better - knowing it was unexpected, and gratuitous.

3) Finally, and this one is perhaps the single most important message I can share with you all: don't let your obsession with Stanford stem your ability to like another school. I applied to nine schools, several of which were ivy league, all of which were stanford calibre, was accepted to 8, and eventually rejected at Stanford. Rather than celebrate the 8 acceptances, my unrelenting desire to go to stanford, prevented me from even wanting to go to college. Please don't follow my footsteps. Have some faith in God, in your own abilities, your merits, and I can assure you, you will end up in a good place - whether or not that place is in Palo Alto.



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With that said, there is always transfer =P.

Sci-Fry

Thanks for posting that. It actually makes me feel a bit better! =D

teahouse

that's real good message.

are you thinking about transfer? :P

Rolandic7

Amen to that; especially about the 3rd message

Junie

thanks.
i was actually considering xferring into stanford if i dont make it in..wellesley to stanford. that's good right?

zing

i stopped reading after i saw "rejection"

llpitch

2) Don't let the pressure hinder your performance: one of the best philosophies in life is to prepare for the worst, and hope for the best. So long as you prepare yourself for rejection, if by some chance you are rejected, your pain and pressure will not be exacerbated by the sudden necessity to fill out nine other applications. Additionally, if God willing you are accepted, your acceptance will feel all the better - knowing it was unexpected, and gratuitous.

Yeah that's how I survived the wait. I just assumed that I'd be rejected from all my reach schools, and when I got the acceptances, it was great.

USNAgolden2014

Dathan, thank you so much for your post.
I have gleaned what you said from the other posts/attitudes in the forum, but your summary is very nice, especially for those who aren't familiar with last year's cycle.

I smiled when I saw that you are at Duke, because that's my number 2 (after Stanford).
I've convinced myself of rejection and I've moved on to my other schools. If I'm lucky then Dec15 will be the happiest day of my life, if not, I'll wait for my other acceptances and the happy days that await.

Thank you for your post, we all appreciate it.

Sci-Fry

Haha yeah, I'm applying under the impression that I will 99% most likely get rejected. So getting accepted will be a major surprise. I'm trying not to daydream about it too much xD

Nitro Hawk

what sucks is when you know you dont have an ice cube's chance in hell at getting in but you still day dream 24/7... story of my life.

KevRus

For me, my desire to get into Stanford is not only rooted in the fact that I love the school but also in the fact that it would mean I don't have to fill out 9 other applications...

Diana Oh

Great message, thanks!