Expect the Worst

Applying to College
1

<p>Over the past week or so I’ve seen (and heard) too many sob stories and depressed people, so I’ve come to the conclusion (in case you are the one person that doesn’t already know this), that you should expect the worst before you apply. Prepare yourself to go to a Community college, get the depression out of your system, and if you want to take it to the extreme, visit your Community College, take an counseling appointment (kidding), and what not.</p>

<p>That way when you get accepted into a school, you will be utterly thrilled (and that experience CANNOT be beat). If you don’t, hey you expected it. This also avoids the, “oh I only got into <em>insert college name</em> not <em>insert another name</em>”, because you will be thinking, “I’m not that stupid after all!”.</p>

<p>Just my 2 cents.</p>

2

<p>Ok I wouldn’t go that far, but I definitely recognize the need to be realistic. A few of my friends went through the same thing.</p>

<p>That’s why I’m applying to a couple schools that have rolling admissions, as well as SCEA to my first choice. That way I’ll be able to test the waters (so to speak) before finalizing my college list.</p>

3

<p>The extreme was added as humor (though I’m not really good at it and it shows). But yes you really do need to realize that you are not a shoe-in to any college. I consider myself extremely lucky in that I got into colleges I wanted (save one - Stanford), so the lack of setting realistic expectaions didn’t truly hurt me. But that can’t be said as true for all.</p>