I've been friends with this girl since middle school, and you could say that we've been best friends. As I've grown older, however, I find that she maybe isn't the best person to be friends with.
She has a number of unsavory behaviors, like exaggerating/lying about her accomplishments, downplaying the achievements of others, bringing up people's faults around their friends, and spreading (fake) rumors about people I know. She habitually copies artwork/projects and plagiarizes her writing without ever getting caught, but then pretends that the work was easy and she got it done in less than an hour (while simultaneously mocking people who struggled or take long hours to finish, like myself).
Throughout this college process, she and I had opposite feelings about it. She said she really doesn't care that much and just wants to graduate already. I was nothing short of a nervous wreck, thinking that I wouldn't be accepted anywhere, and she added on to this fear (saying things like, "you know it's really likely that you won't get into any of these places, right?" followed by a laugh). She says this despite the fact that I rank above her and have a better academic record overall, but I digress.
Her top choice has been Georgia Tech, and she's planning to major in Neuroscience double majored with Chemistry or something similar. A few months ago, she and another classmate got their Georgia Tech decisions. They both applied early action. My classmate got rejected, and she got accepted. She dropped news of going to Georgia Tech throughout conversations with many people, bragging that she got in despite making numerous mistakes on her application.
She would claim that she sent in one of her early SAT scores (around 1100) instead of her newest one, and that everything she did was at the last second (literally. I watched her type the essay when there were minutes left before the deadline). Her essay was also a bit questionable. While speed typing the essay, she exceeded the word count. But instead of cutting down the essay, she proceeded to hyphenate numerous pairs of words to change them into "single" words, even if it made no grammatical sense whatsoever. She is a resident of Georgia however, and perhaps that played a big part in her acceptance.
Another curious point is that when she talked about her acceptance, she said she's not going to start off at Georgia Tech. When I asked why, she said that her acceptance informed her that there was no room available for any more students (which is very odd to say for an early action acceptance), so she would need to take courses at another university and then transfer to Georgia Tech the next year
Lately, she's been looking into UGA extensively, which she says is the university that she'll be staying at for a year. Based on all previously mentioned, I suspect that she may actually be going there to get her degree.
Know that if she really did get in, I don't hold any spite towards her. I am personally very happy to be attending my university this upcoming fall (go Tritons!). I just feel sorry for all the people that she has talked down to on their own acceptances while showing off her own.
So what do you guys think? I know I care way more about this than I should, but it would give me some closure to know.
Thank you to everyone who read this enormous wall of text! I appreciate any answers from either standpoint
She probably did. Though it is possible to get an offer to transfer sophomore year. My kid got one from one rejection and got another from a school he turned down should his freshman year college not work out. That that would be odd for an for an EA acceptance. I would expect a defer first in that case probably?
Aren’t you glad you are almost done with high school!?
This. You may never know. You will be moving on next year to a new school with new people. Thats one of the great things about leaving high school behind…you get to leave these things behind! I also tend to obsess about things far longer then I should. I understand. But soon you really won’t care about this at all.
She’s not alone. In fact, I spoke with a parent earlier today who told me that their child got into brown Yale Cornell penn and Stanford early. But because of high costs will be going to another fine but moderately selective lac. She probably doesn’t know any better or that is what her child told her.
It doesn’t matter. A second after she finished with this spiel, the person next her smiled and politely asked her to pass the muffins. Lol
A few years back there was a girl who claimed she was such a genius that Harvard and Stanford had decided to collaborate on a super special simultaneous dual degree program just for her. Google “korean harvard stanford” if you want to read about a fake college admissions claim gone spectacularly wrong.
Thanks for your input! And boy am I ready to graduate and finally be released from mountains of AP work, but I can’t wait to start college! I’ve always liked learning ^^
Wow that girl’s story is crazy as I’m living in Korea right now, I know how cutthroat society can be here, especially when it comes to academics and college. There was even a popular K-drama about these rich doctor parents who would do anything to get their kids into top universities (Sky Castle!)
You can go to the Georgia tech website and look for a student directory and see if she’s there. And don’t you have better things to do, like who’s making a comeback or who is better Block B or NCT or Seventeen or something like that?
You’re right. I have a lot of work I should be doing now :lol: And although I live in Korea, I don’t really follow any k-pop groups lol. Anime is where it’s at
I’ve been slowly but surely trying to limit contact, but in a small school where the same 36 kids cycle through all the same classes where friend in question has an assigned seat next to you every class, it becomes a little difficult Though living overseas, most of us won’t see each other again after graduation.
I would 100% bet she lied! My D also has a friend who lied to her roommate that she got into the school’s highly selective Honors College. This state U is very easy to get into 90% admit rate, but their Honor’s College is very respected and difficult to get into. The roommate (another student in her HS) was admitted to HC. Now “friend” is looking at other colleges behind roomie’s back which will leave this poor girl with a random roommate in the Fall. D is so very happy to be almost done with HS. I do understand how hard it is to break away from a “friend” especially in a small HS. Even in a large one groups form and it’s hard to move into different friend groups. College will be awesome as you get a chance to start all over without any HS baggage.
Why do you care? None of your business. Yes, people lie all of the time. They also, surprise, surprise, lie about college acceptances.
In this case, you already know you are dealing with a liar.
At a number of high schools in order to use college info from the students, the counseling office has to see the letters from the colleges so that they know they are dealing with bonafide info. Parents, as well as kids, lie about waitlist, deferral , rejections, applying, scholarships, and every frigging thing about the process. I’ve heard about sport scholarships at schools that don’t even have the sport under NCAA auspices, or do not give sport scholarships. I’ve heard of scholarships from schools that give no merit money. All sorts of funky stuff. I’m sure some of this is due to mistakesuyu. Parent not quite getting the story and telling it wrong, but sometimes it’s an outright lie.
You can’t believe everything here on these forums either, though I respond as though the info presented is accurate.
To be honest, I would be less concerned about her scores, and spend more time questioning the friendship. My older daughter had a “friend” who sounds a lot like yours. The college admission cycle was particularly telling, as Steph didn’t miss a chance to build herself up by putting my daughter down.
After a while, my daughter came to a huge realization: she was tired of being Steph’s sidekick. All the glory, all the spotlight was always on Steph, with none to spare for my daughter.
They haven’t spoken since July, and my daughter is SO MUCH happier without her!!
@bjkmom, great advice! Some things don’t change. My sweet cousin, many years ago, hung around toxic people. They lied, put her down, brought her down because she hung around them and hung on their every word. Spent 5 or so years of her life limiting herself that way. When she finally shook them off, she was able to do ever do well, and left them in the dirt where they were telling her she belonged.
I think the Korean Harvard/Stanford story was pretty sad, actually. At least the father seemed remorseful having finally realized the pressure he put his kid under. I would feel like i’d failed as a parent if my child felt the need for some kind of external validation to make me proud as a parent. I would much rather have a happy child at a “lesser” college.
As for kids, yes they lie about things like this. Sometimes it’s shame and a feeling they aren’t good enough as they are (and I’d cut these kids a bit more slack). Sometimes it’s wanting to put people down- though this often stems from insecurity too, but sometimes …people are just mean. Getting out of high school and its dramas is often a good thing, as is gradually maturing enough to just let friendships go when the people do things that friends really shouldn’t.
It may be both true and untrue: Georgia Tech has a special program for the EA students (especially girls and lower income kids who may not have had the opportunity to take the classes GT would typically want) who seem like they’re able to do the work but not quite where GT wants them in terms of academic preparation or achievement and grades. The students are admitted on potential and have to prove they can fulfill that potential; they attend a GA public university GTech partnered with for a year (typically, GA College, GA State, GA Perimeter), must take specific classes, get specific grades and if they “prove themselves” they move on to GT.
So, don’t say anything to your classmate who got in. Do explain this to your other classmate who didn’t so that he feels better about it (especially since he must have a definite Admission by now so yay and don’t let this girl bother you). Although whenever she talks about college just give a knowing smile and go somewhere else. (must be in library/meting someone etc)
as I’m living in Korea right now, I know how cutthroat society can be here, especially when it comes to academics and college. There was even a popular K-drama about these rich doctor parents who would do anything to get their kids into top universities (Sky Castle!)
Though living overseas, most of us won’t see each other again after graduation.