<p>Hey everyone! </p>
<p>Many people may not see this, but I feel compelled to write anyway.</p>
<p>This college process has been long, stressful, rewarding, hell, exciting, filled with joy, filled with anxiety and more. But it’s been worth it. </p>
<p>8 months ago, I began making decisions. These decisions were big, but hardly of the same caliber as the ones i’m making now. I decided to apply to eight colleges. Three were impossible reaches. Three were reaches/matches. Two were safeties. I had no idea what I was doing. Being homeschooled, I had taken on a rigorous courseload, but this whole college application process was foreign to me and it scared me to death. Luckily, key people came along side to help me through, many of those people came from this board.</p>
<p>One such reach was obviously Stanford. I never thought I’d get in. I was born a dreamer, my parents recognized this and never stopped it, but made me aware of it. Being a dreamer is useful as well as harmful if not kept in check. My parents let me apply to Stanford, I guess, partially to “scratch the itch”. When I decided to apply, I put all my effort into the process. I must’ve spent a couple hundred hours on my Stanford application. It was so worth it. How? Well, ignoring any result that may have occurred, I learned valuable writing skills; how to display myself on paper, showing and not simply telling, organizing thoughts and editing them. I had a lot of help from a kind mom on these forums. I’m not sure why she agreed to help me in the first place, but she did, and boy, she got herself involved deeply!</p>
<p>My strengths were mainly my extra curricular activities. My GPA was good, but my ACT was average (31). My SAT 2’s were humorous. I wasn’t going to be noticed for my scores. However, I brought a sense of intellectual curiosity to my application that may have accounted for something. AT that point in time, I had no idea.</p>
<p>So I submitted my application and waited nervously. The Early Action round is exciting, but nerve-wracking. When December 15 came around, I was prepared for rejection. I understood I didn’t have much chance, despite my wildest fantasies. The result? I was deferred.</p>
<p>See, being deferred for some is agony and failure. Instead, I felt like I was lifted onto the wings of an eagle. I felt content. This seems crazy right? Well considering the number of students Stanford rejected, accepted and deferred, I was truly lucky and blessed.</p>
<p>The next few months were rough. I didn’t hear anything from Stanford, as they were busy with the RD round. I wasn’t sure what to feel, so instead, I resorted to apathy. The romance of Stanford waned a bit as I began focusing on other universities. </p>
<p>I decided to apply to Princeton. Why? Well, my deferral showed me that I was capable of more than I expected. So i spent time and wrote the essay and submitted my application. The interview was fun and great experience and I’m glad I made this decision. </p>
<p>Backtrack to REA days. 15 of us became close on this board. Taking time to read the whole thread will make those 15 obvious. We then moved to Facebook where we quickly bonded even further. We organized mass skype conversations and video chat sessions. We helped each other with essays. Most of all - we cared. I didn’t know who the heck these people were at first, but they were genuine, driven teenagers and I’m glad to call each one of them my friends. I don’t think i would’ve made it through this season of my life quite so well if it wasn’t for the support they gave me. It has been incredible.</p>
<p>This group has some of the smartest people i’ve met. All 15 of us have made it to a top 25 university, which is incredible! Most of us have made it into a top 10. These are incredible odds and these students will do great things. I can’t believe I may go to college with 3 of these people.</p>
<p>Back to me. In January, I was admitted into the University of Southern California and invited to compete for the Presidential Scholarship. This meant a lot - For one, I was into my second choice, two, I could potentially afford it, three, I could actually get in somewhere!! I loved USC, and visited a couple weeks ago.</p>
<p>Yesterday, I sat nervously at my computer. I had been extremely calm up until the moment they announced that decisions would be out in a matter of hours. Really? You’re kidding me right? I was a nervous wreck.</p>
<p>I wasn’t so much nervous about getting into my dream school. Deep down, I didn’t want to disappoint those people who had put so much into me. The wonderful lady on these forums who spent way too much of her time helping me with essays. My friends from here who had given me moral support. My parents, I wanted to prove to them I could get in. Myself, I wanted to know that I hadn’t wasted my time and that I really could do something amazing, even when odds were against me.</p>
<p>The clocked slowly ticked down. At 5, I gracefully went to my emails and waited. Two minutes later, an email came through. My mom was in the room doing something, but I didn’t tell her the email had arrived. I took a breath and opened it. The email said I had been accepted. I was beyond ecstatic - I was overwhelmed with a mass of emotions. I felt like The Read Sea walls were crashing down on me. </p>
<p>The point isn’t my acceptance, it’s hope. I didn’t have amazing scores or anything. I simply tried. I didn’t do perfectly either! I got rejected from Penn and Princeton, waitlisted by Wash U. I’m not bitter about that at all. Im blessed enough at what I got.</p>
<p>I guess what I’m trying to say to future applicants is this: Take life by the horns, don’t not do something that you may regret later. Listen to your heart sometime, even when your brain doesn’t agree. Being smart does have its downsides! Most of all, believe in yourself. Even if you can’t get into any top 25 college - believe in yourself.</p>
<p>For me, I’m a Christian. Through the chaos and stress of it all, I had an underlying peace that God’s will would prevail. Most people would laugh and mock at me, but basically every single person of my group (the 15 of us) has remarked at some point how that peace has not only affected me, but has transcended me and affected them. God’s will WILL prevail. This doesn’t mean you’ll get into the best college - it means you’ll be used to execute his plan! This means you’ll be making a positive difference in someone’s life somehow. THAT is exciting, and THAT is what we should live for.</p>
<p>I’m so thankful for everyone who has helped me in this process. Love you guys. Good luck to next year’s applicants.</p>
<p>To God be the Glory.</p>
Even so, I have a full ride offer at a state school and may still attend there (not my wishes at all, 100% parental). But it’s a process and you have to take things as they come. I certainly could not have done it without the support group I had