A message to the 2015s

JonoWono
Sat, 07 Aug 2010 20:21:33 +0000

Hi everyone, I’m a class of 2014 and went through everything you’re about to go through last year. I just thought I’d share a little bit about my experience.

Alrighty, so I went to a public Ontario high school, had a 96+ average, 2200+ SAT, 800 Math II, 770 physics, was student body co-president, got invited to some national math events for high school students (we’re talking top 100 in the country), and took a very difficult course at my local university. I also had imho a nice essay about my response to a very serious sports injury. My references were rather nice as well. At this point last year I was feeling pretty sure of my ability to get in, though mind you I am/was hookless.

I only got into one school.

I got rejected to princeton and stanford, waitlisted to Harvard and Wharton but ultimately rejected. I had gotten early acceptance into every single Canadian program I applied to including the likes of Ivey and Queen’s commerce. But here’s the kicker, I was a lucky one! Two of my friends also applied with even better grades and 2300+ SATs, the one had also been invited to much more national math events than I had, and they were by no means only nerds they were also involved with ECs. Neither of them got in anywhere.

My point is not to discourage all of you, but only to recommend you don’t plan on getting in anywhere. Plan on going to that great Canadian program because to be honest getting into top US schools is a lottery with the odds firmly stacked against you. My two friends who got rejected are the two smartest people my age I know, and I know people from the US going to top schools. If you do get in view it as a very pleasant surprise. I wish I had. I’m going off to Duke in a couple weeks (scary!) and am extremely pumped, but I just remember this time last year when my heart was set on Stanford and it hit me like a ton of bricks to get rejected (ED). I wish you all the best of luck, if you have any questions I"d be happy to answer of them.

Mind you none of this applies if you’re a recruited athlete, but that’s a whole other discussion.