<p>Or folks fed up with the entitled brats in this country.</p>
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<p>OK. How many development admits does it take to change a lightbulb?</p>
<p>That depends on how much it costs to replace the building. ;)</p>
<p>I can’t believe how many people are seriously enraged with Suzy Weiss. She obviously meant the piece to be humorous. She’s 17 and I think she actually wrote it herself. She admitted she was a boring candidate, like 99 percent of applicants, so she transformed the mundane into humor. A lot of teenagers take themselves way too seriously and have no idea how to write a self-deprecating and witty essay.</p>
<p>I feel sorry for Suzy Weiss because I’m sure she was not the only person thinking this. Although her opinion seems to stem for misinformation, it is not an uncommon one. She simply had the misfortune of drawing enormous public attention to her musings. I say give her a break. Rejection hurts, and if this is her way of venting, fine. I just wish she hadn’t used this as a ploy for attention.</p>
<p>^Yes, countless kids are feeling the way Suzy is. Difference is: they didn’t go to the media to whine about their college rejections. It’s not “misfortune” that she got public attention–she asked for it. I have zero sympathy for her.</p>
<p>What strikes me is how much the “I thought she was so funny” rests on projection. You think she’s mirroring the common disappointment. Or worked so hard at such a tough high school. You assume she did the right things and kept her little fingers crossed… </p>
<p>Just read what she DID say.</p>
<p>My problem with the “crapshoot” or “random” critique (for highly competitive colleges) is that folks are so into the hierarchical thinking (score ranges, who took more APs, BMOC, etc,) that you forget there is an appplication process. Multiple pages, multiple chances to answer questions and craft a self-presentation. I can’t imagine what Suzy conveyed in an essay about being beaten by an asthmatic- but, off the top, it makes me cringe. Did she show understanding and tolerance? A misplaced self putdown that came across as offensive?</p>
<p>The elites are not looking for high school kids, who in the hs context, following hs rules, etc, perform to a certain high school-expected level, beat that hs game, please hs standards, teachers, peers. Because an elite college is not high school. </p>
<p>I’ve said it before: you don’t get into a highly competitive college because you were a great hs student. It’s not a look-back to see who performed best in your school and collect those kids. It IS about using your past and your self-presentation to determine who is going to fit and thrive in THAT college’s competitive academic environment, contribute to the vitality on that college campus.</p>
<p>It’s delicate, because I see apps and see just where the Suzys go wrong. They assume. Their frame of reference is not “life.” It’s high school and family. Take a hard look at the CA and the college supps. See if you can figure out why they ask certain questions, what they hope to glean. </p>
<p>I agree with all who say you can think about strategy on your app. This is NOT about a fake charity or pretending to be NA. It’s about what you convey about attitude, awareness, resiliance- and curiosity, energy, engagement, tolerance, willingness to be tested. And a biggie: perspective. Not simply who gets the best scores or takes the most APs or raised money or won a contest.</p>
<p>If you are asking to get admitted to a most competitive, you need these attributes.</p>
<p>ps. and no matter what is decided for Fisher and UT, the most competitives will still need these qualities.</p>
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<p>… my experience with students getting into the top schools is that they are more than outstanding students, they exhibit excellence and leadership in other areas in addition to their strong academic credentials…99% boring??? I think you are way off…</p>
<p>yes, they are “boring”. It’s not their fault; they are only seventeen, but yes, most of the applicants to Harvard have straight As, very high SATs, and have shown excellent leadership qualities. Any Ivy League admissions officer will tell you how hard it is to reject them. Most of them will be very successful in life wherever they go…but expecting the extraordinary from them is just ridiculous. SW is just making fun of that expectation.</p>
<p>Yeah, I see nothing wrong with it either.</p>
<p>Making fun of that expectation? By wishing she had started a *fake * charity? </p>
<p>As if?</p>
<p>Notice she didn’t say: in hindsight, instead of focusing on (fill in the blank with a worthy effort,) I wish I had also experimented or tried something new or taken a leadership role, etc.</p>
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<p>…so if you don’t do something “extraordinary”, you are boring?</p>
<p>LI: Funny. </p>
<p>@lookingforward: I totally agree.</p>
<p>I understand Suzy Weiss’s frustration. Rejection–in whatever form it may come–is hard to digest. However, notice how she handled it. Her vitriol was directed at minorities, homosexuals, and selfless volunteers–as though they stole possession of what is rightfully hers. Satirical or not, Suzy meant most of what she said. As stated by countless others on CC (myself included), she never poked fun at the “over-privileged” legacy students or the children of CEO’s. And I suspect it’s because she thinks they belong in a prestigious school as much as she does. </p>
<p>Moreover, admissions officers probably saw something in Suzy that led them to decide she wouldn’t be a good fit, and by submitting a whiny OP-ED to the WSJ, she affirmed their decision. I’m positive none of the colleges that rejected Suzy read her OP-ED and said, “Gee, we really missed out.” Chances are, their response was something like, “See, aren’t you glad we didn’t admit that entitled brat?”</p>
<p>What makes me chuckle about some posters’ indignation over Suzy’s ostensible <em>insensitivity</em> toward minorities is that Suzy is a Jewish Republican for chrisssakes! Like she wouldn’t know what it’s like to be discriminated against or treated differently. She deserves her own check box on the app for that status. Lol</p>
<p>The Ivy League is nothing more than a sporting league with arguably some the of the worst teams in the college universe. During basketball season it was laughable to see the grey hair in the stands, presumably alums and parents, and a dearth of students at many Ivy League games. I can only dream that one day the Ivy League starts having its membership change and improve its athletic standing. How about BC and Syracuse join the Ivy League? The other athletic conferences have been much more dynamic in comparison.</p>
<p>AlmaPater…I guess you missed Harvard beating New Mexico, a #3 seed in the recent NCAA basketball tourney. For years Princeton pulled upset after upset, Cornell had a deep tourney run 3 years ago. Ivies are regularly in the top 10 in the country in both Hockey & Lacrosse. Cornell recently had the only wrestler to ever win 4 national championships at 4 different weight classes. For nonscholarship colleges, I think they do extraordinarily well</p>
<p>Yale won the NCAA hockey championship yesterday.</p>
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<p>Exactly. Which is why she chose the WSJ for her tantrum. Everything she said was red meat to its wealthy, conservative readership.</p>
<p>^Right, because no homosexuals or minorities ever read the WSJ. (Insert humongous eye roll here).</p>
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<p>No. In her so-called-satire, she listed things she could have faked. You can’t fake your parents’ status as CEOs or alumni.</p>