May have aimed too high?

College Confidential Community
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So… I got my first rejection today (Case’s pre-professional program) and it made me pretty much doubt everything I have done. I also got deferred from a couple of my top choices during the Early round (Penn and Chicago). I feel like I may have aimed too high and that I’m not gonna get into any of the schools I really want to go to (don’t worry I got into 3-4 good safeties- OSU, UVa, UMich). I know I can’t do anything anymore but should I be preparing myself for a lot of rejections from top 20 schools come March? Not many students from my school (like no one) apply to top 20 schools so I feel like I may have had an inaccurate picture of what it takes to get in. I initially thought that I would really have a good shot at Case PPSP and today was kind of a shock…
I am kinda venting but any feedback is welcome. Be honest please

Some schools I reallyyyy like: Brown, Penn, Chicago, WashU, etc.

Here are my stats:
•Asian-American - First Gen- Fluent in Hindi and English (if that helps )
•Planned major: Biology/Management double major w/ a pre-med route

Academics:
•35 ACT w/ 10 Essay
•SAT - 2220
•SAT IIs - Bio (700), MathII (720), Lit (720)
•GPA: 4.49 W/3.99 UW (Ranked 4th in a class of 371) Red flag here- I have 2 Bs (AP Calc AB/AP Chem)

Classes: (most rigorous at school with a science focus)
Freshman:
•Hon. English 9, Spanish II, Hon. Alg II, Hon. Biology, World Studies, Orchestra, Public Speaking, Sports Medicine (Alg I and Hon.Geo 7th/8th grade)
Sophomore:
•Hon. English 10, Hon. Chemistry, AP Biology (4), APUSH (4), Hon. Pre Calc, Human Anatomy, Spanish III
Junior: (very few at my school take all AP- extreme rigor)
•AP Lang (4), AP Chem, AP Calc AB (3), AP Stats (4), AP Euro (4), AP Spanish 4.
Senior: (Mid-year report pretty good**- about a 5.1 GPA (All As))
•AP Lit, AP Spanish 5, AP Psych, AP Calc BC, AP Physics C, AP Gov

ECs:
-3 Year Tennis
-Founder and President of JSA club
-Founder and President of Dance club
-Officer of a leadership club at my school (Jaguar Ambassadors)
-Chairperson of Pennies for Patients (raised $5,000 for cancer patients with financial needs)
-400+ Volunteer Hours at Local Hospital & Temple
-Research Internship at local hospital (did very well at science fairs using the research I did here; currently working on 2 papers for publication in medical journal and won state level awards)
-Raised a $7,500 to help build a school in an Indian village and helped set up curriculum- big project
-Shadowing a surgeon here as well as in India (when I visited)
-Teach Sunday school classes at local temple relating to a foreign language and religion
-Tutor a lot with ACT and classes

Awards:
-A few minor writing and public speaking awards (worth reporting?)
-AP Scholar w/ Distinction
-National Merit Semifinalist (223 in Ohio)
-Science fair awards previously mentioned

Midyear report: improvement (5.08 GPA)
Cumulative GPA went up to 4.55 and rank is 4/378 (class grew)

Not much else to update schools on though extracurricular-wise (the schools I got deferred from want update letters)

Recs/Essays should be good, tried my best on essays and picked good teachers for recs

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@VaishS – Don’t panic. First, you have already gotten into several great schools. Don’t think that they are somehow less because they accepted you. Your stats are certainly good enough for you to get a serious read at any of the schools you think you’d prefer. Don’t lose sight of the fact that ultimately, what matters to them is whether you meet an “institutional need” for them. This isn’t about whether you were “good enough”.

Here’s the analogy that I use. You needed a certain qualifying time in order to participate in a big meet, but when you get to the meet, you find out that you’re not going to compete on the basis of time but on how much of a certain color you happen to be wearing, or whether you know the words to some obscure song – in other words, something that is about you but that you couldn’t foresee. The qualifying time in this case are the grades and test scores. The crazy criteria is set by each school.

You’ll probably end up at one of your preferred schools, but don’t get yourself into a mental space where you can’t be happy with the places that DO want you. You will thrive there as well.

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@gardenstategal I’ll try :confused:
I’ve just been dreaming about some of these schools for so long, just so worried :((
Cant wait until March xD

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You’ll get into some at least.

As for essays, those are the wild card in applications. If someone makes a mistake like naming the wrong school or not addressing the right prompt in their essay, that could be a problem.

AP scores don’t mesh with your excellent grades, but not all schools consider that.

UMich is excellent, my son’s friend had extremely high grades and is going there now.

And a “good shot” is maybe 50% when others have 10% or less chance - as long as you have “a good shot” at a bunch of these schools, you should be fine.

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UVa and UMich were your “safeties”? Geez…Yes, it is possible you will have to go to a “safety”…lucky you. Your grades/scores are high, but I don’t see anything there that shouts: “IVY must have”. So why you thought the others were safeties, I don’t know. Kids with higher scores than you got deferred from them!

You’ll just have to wait and see. Learn a little humility in the meantime, ok?

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@rhandco @HRSMom Thanks!
I guess I should have used the term “back-up” instead of “safety”. I would highly prefer to not attend UMich bc I am OOS and can’t really afford it- it would be a last option. And I didn’t mean to say those schools weren’t good bc they really are
My concern is that I aimed too high and won’t get into any of the schools I have truly dreamed of going to such as WashU.
No one in my school really goes to schools other than OSU or local Ohio schools so I didn’t really have a good gauge as to where I fit.
Thank you for mentioning some concerns as to maybe why I aimed too high (APs, lack of hook, scores, etc.) :slight_smile:

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Case only takes 15 to 20 for it’s pre-professional med school program, so I would not read too much into that.

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Well, for what it is worth, I dont think WUStL is aiming too high. Nor are the others, as long as you keep it all in perspective. They just admit so few kids, you want to aim high, but expect little, and you’ll be happy. I hope you get what you are looking for and enough aid to go.

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@HRSMom Thanks!

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@VaishS I also grew up in Ohio, so I know what you mean. Good luck.

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UChicago and WashU will love your 35 ACT (their ranges are 32-34 and they’re relatively more numbers-focused among the top 20), so don’t worry!

When you say first-gen, does that mean first-generation immigrant or first-generation college student? The latter would be a significant hook at the top private schools.

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@goldenbear2020 that is the range but on CC I’ve seen on a lot of threads that the range is higher for Asian. So for an Asian a 35 would be “average”. I don’t know how true that is or if it is reliable but that is a popular theory on CC :confused:
And I’m a first gen immigrant so that doesn’t help much :confused:
Idk I know my stats are ok but maybe they aren’t outstanding enough for schools to notice :confused:

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My Asian-American daughter, who got a 2390 on SAT, also applied to Brown as well as Yale, but will probably go to University of Oklahoma which gives OOS National Merit Finalists $124,000.00, or more. http://www.ou.edu/content/dam/recruitment/scholarships/NMpackage_2016_NonRes.pdf

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Hold your head high. Rejection sucks, but the fact is that you have waaaay better stats than the vast majority of people. I know users posting their stats here doesn’t help your perception too much.

What you ought to do is follow up with the colleges that deferred you to express your passion for your major in addition to the usual stuff (like listing more impressive accomplishments since submitting your app). Is there a specific medical research problem you want to dive into? You may want to discuss that to show the admissions committee that you will use your investment in education wisely. Yes, you have done a ton to prove your aptitude for handling an undergraduate workload, but you also need to prove that you will take the skills you develop to help the world. After all, the university is ultimately looking for students that will most likely support their philosophical and financial interests. (Having done this on my application is honestly the only reason I got into GT for materials engineering. Believe me, 2 Bs are not bad.)

Stay in there, someone will want you!

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Waitlisted from WUSTL :confused:

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@VaishS keep your head up!! Your grades are spectacular and no one can tell you otherwise. As for this college process, it’s very stressful. I actually did not get Case either but I’m a strong believer that if you’ve worked hard, all that hard work will eventually work out for you in the end - so hang in there!! And the schools you’ve gotten in so far are all schools that other people would absolutely kill to get into! You’re in great places already and I know for myself how stressful this process can be - it’s easier said than done but don’t fret too much! We’re in this together :slight_smile:

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Don’t be discouraged; you seem to be in very good company on the WUSTL waitlist!

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This might sound weird but, is your name obviously Asian? If not, maybe you could leave your ethnicity off the checklist.

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Yeah my name is very obviously Asian so I did mark my ethnicity Asian. I didn’t wanna try to hide it since it would just make things worse

And further updates- rejected from JHU and Chicago
Waitlisted from Northwestern too

Haha trying to not be completely hopeless for vandy, Duke, and Ivy day but it’s getting harder and harder

Thank you guys!

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Going to be honest… I think your ECs are light for the Ivies. Maybe i missed it, but i don’t see any accomplishments beyond your school level (no state level, or even conference level type recognition). I think that will likely hurt you with the Ivies. However, you have VERY good options already where you have been admitted. (Go Blue!)