No...
My whole point was that the world doesn't end with a rejection.
And that because of a rejection, we shouldn't turn against a school.
Do I still respect Yale after getting rejected? Oh, yes.
Have I dissed Yale? No and I wouldn't.
Sorry if I did sound unclear...my post was provoked by the multiple comments on the previous pages in which someone else who got rejected just trashed Yale totally, which I thought was dumb.
PS: I also meant to say that what we often think to be the best fit for us may in fact not be the best fit and that a rejection/ deferral should be used to find that fit.
Like a lot of folks, I was rejected after being deferred. Someone told me that deferral was basically a polite rejection, but I still held on to some hope...now thinking back, I should've been more realistic. I think the best advice for someone applying to a place like Yale is to aim high, but keep all expectations low. Of course Yale is a great school, but it isn't the only one. I really don't believe that there is a "perfect" fit for any one - I can see myself at a lot of places. Just be happy that we're young and have our whole lives ahead of us!
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 2 of 500
AP (place score in parenthesis): 5 (Lit, Chem, USH)
Senior Year Course Load: AP Psych, Calc AB, Physics, Language, Spanish
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): umm, QuestBridge?
Subjective:
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Several clubs, but I mostly focused on music: Marching Band (Drum Major), Concert Band (1st Chair), Orchestra, out-of-school bands, organized a large charity event.
Summer Activities: Band Camp, Drum Major Camp
Essays: One about band and how I've matured from it, the other about growing up and supporting my family.
Teacher Recommendation: AP Chem and USH teachers, didn't read them
Counselor Rec: Loved me, didn't read it
Interview: Good, we were from very similar life circumstances and she liked me.
Other
State (if domestic applicant): Illinois
School Type: Very crappy public, never sends to Ivies
Ethnicity: Jordanian (marked Caucasian)
Gender: Male
Income Bracket: Under 40,000
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): Low-income, gay catholic arab?
Reflection
Strengths: Decent academics, strong personality shown in my essays
Weaknesses: Lack of awards or national recognition
Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: My unique life situation, and the fact that my teachers knew me very well.
Where else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected: Accepted to Harvard (attending), Dartmouth, Brown, Cornell, Amherst, Wesleyan, Vassar, University of Illinois. Wait-listed from Princeton, Columbia, Duke, and University of Pennsylvania. Rejected from Yale (EA).
General Comments: Acceptances are a crap-shoot. Apply to as many as you can and just be honest in your application. Where you end up might not be where you thought, but everything works out for the best.
