I'm Not That Impressive - How do I Sell Myself?

Applying to College
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<p>I’m a junior in high school and holy crap did time go by fast. It’s almost time for me to apply for college and get kicked out of the house by my parents (okay they’re not that mean), which I guess is pretty exciting considering the freedom I’ll have. However, I do have one qualm about the countdown to the end of high school and pretty much all of you competitive, neurotic peers of mine (and their respective helicopter parents) on this site have the same problem: ** getting into college **.</p>

<p>Now, getting into any college isn’t hard by any means - there are always JC and state schools which will happily accept the run-of-the-mill student, but honestly, at CC (as well as my super-competitive asian peers at school), most of us aren’t going to settle for anything less than Harvard. Okay, granted it’s a slight stretch, there’s some truth in it that I’m sure many would acknowledge. </p>

<p>I’m not particularly unique or impressive myself, but realistically, I’m better off than most. I’ve got an SAT score that matches or exceeds the 75th percentile of all Ivy League colleges and a GPA that puts me into the top ~1% of a highly competitive public school (We’ve broken a few records for our ACT and SAT scores - oh yeah we don’t rank but who cares I’m guessing) with 600 students in my graduating class. In addition, I’ve taken a good share of perfect or near perfect AP tests and SAT IIs. But I’m not perfect. I’ve been lazy. I haven’t padded my resume with ECs and leadership, I haven’t started a successful business, nor have I won any famous international science fairs that start with an I. I haven’t invested countless hours into honing particular musical or athletic talent either. Maybe I’ve done some community service here and there, joined the Debate club and run my own school club - but otherwise, I’m not anything special. While my peers spend their time studying for AMCs and national academic competitions, I’ve squandered my time with other more platitudinous pursuits such as updating my tumblr or facebook feed. Essentially, I am the embodiment of those unspoken masses of students who may have (had) the potential to go places (cough ivy league top 20 elite number 1 cough), but haven’t been able to realize it in the form of accolades or leadership.</p>

<p>Enough rambling - I’m here on a quest to on CC to gain knowledge on a topic a lot of you guys want to learn more about too: ** how do I sell myself successfully to top schools - without being ridiculously impressive. **</p>

<p>Now college confidential, is it possible for a student like me to be successful in my endeavor of obtaining admission to a top school? Is it possible to outcompete the rest of the pack with less extra cirriculars? Can a brilliant essay alone save my ass?</p>

<p>Discussion, input from former sufferers, would be appreciated.</p>

<p>Note - I know the dreams of getting into a “top” college are trite and commonplace here, perhaps even foolishly naive to some eyes, but seriously - I’m special, so make an exception. Just kidding, I’m definitely not, but I feel like others here share my frustration and that we could collectively benefit from such a discussion.</p>

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<p>Not sure if your post is real, but the answer is quit the ‘I’m not good enough for top schools’ and start to realize that you are a good student and life really isn’t about what school you go to, but about what you make of your path in life</p>

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<p>nice diction brah that will def help u @ havahd</p>

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<p>@crizello - my post is most definitely real, although i acknowledge i might be somewhat lighthearted in my articulation of the quandary - i’m definitely stressing out hardcore</p>

<p>now honestly i’m going to end up saying that when i’m in college, but for the moment it’s kind of hard not to worry about something that i feel like i can change</p>

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<p>What is your main selling point, do you think, besides test scores/academics?</p>

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<p>Good question…Don’t think you’ll get an answer though:)</p>

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<p>You know, right, how many applicants who fit top quartile get rejected? What you need to do is make your app make sense to each college.</p>

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<p>You know what…do something you really love doing…The rest will happen on its own.:)</p>

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<p>in hindsight i should have just asked - do extra cirriculars matter, because i barely have any</p>

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<p>They must matter to some extent because there are too many students who have the test scores and GPA to get in.</p>

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<p>Yes. But you’re a junior. Go get some that incl responsibility and impact. Not just the same old hs stuff. To get into an Ivy or top 20, you should show ideas and follow thru. Some will say Nah, but play your cards wisely.</p>

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<h2>I’ve got an SAT score that matches or exceeds the 75th percentile of all Ivy League colleges - quote</h2>

<p>Exceeds the 75th percentile of all Ivy League Colleges? So you have a 2400?</p>

<p>If so, don’t worry about EC’s. You’ll get in somewhere good. Write good essays and show lots of interest in each college individually. E.g. if you are applying to harvard, mention how you love their classes, their professors, how you love Boston, etc. If Stanford, mention how you love CA, and Palo Alto, be very specific to each different college.</p>

<p>Don’t mention you are Asian. If you last name gives it away, sorry. </p>

<p>If you have a -2300. Then good luck.</p>