I’m so impressed by you, ski racer! You’re on your way to a great future!!!
This post is one of my favorites on CC so far. Thank you for sharing your story and your lessons of perspective and persistence in the face of many who tried to sway you to their version of what (they thought) was the right fit for you. Wishing you all the best in the future!
Update: so I knew that UNR had an environmental science major, but I just found out they also have rangeland management and forest management majors. My life is complete.
Imagine, with your AP credits you may even be able to double major!
@MYOS1634 oh snap this is true I’m so excited
Update: I got another scholarship and now I have a full ride 
Stars align!
Congratulations! What a great story…and it’s true! I hope you continue to post while in college (and beyond) to let us know what unfolds. Maybe you’ll be an inspiration to other students to forge their own paths.
I am so glad for you. It sounds like everything worked out well and you are in great shape. Out of curiosity, did you realize you forfeited your legacy advantage at Princeton by not applying SCEA there? It sounds like the right decision for you, but I was just wondering.
@roycroftmom I don’t think I would’ve gotten in either way. I applied SCEA to the school I most wanted to go to–Harvard. Of course, I am the oldest in my family and I went to a large public school, so I didn’t have much guidance. CC isn’t really a substitute for a good college counselor, especially since (no offense to anyone) I seem to be less high-strung than a lot of the people here. Additionally, I’m really not sure how much of a legacy advantage there actually is, especially for a white girl from a well-off family.
I love your postive attitude. Thanks for sharing your admissions process and perspective. And FWIW, I think you were wise to apply to Harvard SCEA. You knew UNR was always going to be there, and you were willing to go to Harvard over it. You are fully qualified for Harvard and no doubt would have been successful there, and your outcome in no way changes that. Also, no sense using an early card for Princeton if you didn’t feel it was the best fit. Congratulations on the full ride. You certainly deserve it!
@ski_racer I hope your first year is going well. Some High Stats kids from my D’s high school are choosing UNR, too We are anxiously awaiting a decision from CAL POLY for architecture coming any day now.
Thank you for sharing! I am passing this on to my daughter. What a great post to remind us that “fit” is everything - and that the Ivies are truly a crapshoot for any unhooked candidates, no matter how qualified. You’re maturity and insight are refreshing - we will revisit your post again this time next year when I’m sure my daughter will have similar rejections Best of luck to you! I have no doubt you’ll be at LEAST as successful and likely happier than those NE “wine sniffers” who name-drop their alma mater every other sentence. (Just kidding, although my Harvard-educated boss did work it into EVERY conversation.)
FYI. Major client of mine. As wealthy as you can imagine. Hugely charitable and awesome human being. Owes everything he achieved to UNR, his words. Big donor and unabashed fan. On the east coast!
You would not be happy with East Coast skiing. Just saying! ?
Hello all! I just finished my first year at UNR so I thought I’d give an update.
Academically, I completed 32 credits and maintained a 4.0 GPA. I will begin taking 300-level classes next semester. I am double majoring in rangeland ecology and environmental science. I expect to graduate in the winter of 2022. Due to my AP credits, I am now considered a senior by the university.
Athletically, I received some additional scholarship money from the ski team, bringing my total awards for this past year up to $23,000. The team competed at Nationals. Next year, I will be taking office as club treasurer.
Socially, it’s okay. I don’t like that all the kids are from Vegas. It seems like everyone mostly just hangs out with their high school friends. I’ve only met one other person from Idaho, which is a bummer. It wouldn’t be so bad is the Vegas kids weren’t so cliquey. Luckily, I have my friends on the team and in the Honors Program to cheer me up.
As far as my family goes, my extended family (re: grandparents) are still really pushing for me to transfer. I would like to explore this a little, just to see what my options are, but I’m leaning towards staying. If I did transfer, it would be for social reasons and because I don’t feel very academically challenged–my high school AP classes were WAY harder than some of the classes I’ve taken at UNR. However, I’m leaning towards staying because of the specificity of my rangeland ecology major and because I am looking forward to having some leadership on the team. I think rather than transferring as an undergrad a better option would be carefully selecting where I wish to apply for grad school. I still have time to decide, but I’m thinking a masters in environmental policy would be pretty cool.
I’ve enjoyed reading all your comments! Keep it up!
Good to hear back from you. Regarding grad schools, the social experience is different than undergrad. Most people are at a different point in their lives. No living in dorms, more serious couples, somewhat less partying. My kid has made good friends in grad school, but it is just a different circumstance. So that is something to consider.
You could complete courses in Rangeland Ecology and NOT graduate, but rather transfer to another university with more advanced courses that pertain to the topic (look into Environmental Engineering, perhaps, as it might be a good complement to your studies?) Fortunately for you, it sounds like you could get the best of both worlds: a collegial university with rigorous advanced courses after doing the “fun undergrad” thing (skiing+light academics at UNR). Basically, you’d apply Spring 2020 for Fall 2020 elsewhere, thus having two solid years at UNR then two years for advanced study at another university. Since it doesn’t sound like you want to be a professional skier, a solid degree with strong alumni connections would probably serve you better than a UNR degree, and that university could have good ski teams too. What about Cornell? UVermont?
I agree that grad school is very different from college socially. It’s more “professional”, in that you have lots of colleagues rather than friends. People in their late 20s, married/with serious partners, many have young children. It’s like working in a place where you produce ideas rather than manage things… but it’s still like having a job, work colleagues, etc. You can all go out to a bar/pub together but it’d be unusual for your colleagues to just hang out, they’d likely go home to their family (as in, partner/kids).
I’m glad that grad school is different; I want something different. Only time will tell if I prefer it.
If I did transfer, I would like to keep it on my side of the Mississippi. The idea of having to take 3 flights to get home is unappealing to me. A singular exception to this is Massachusetts and Connecticut, as I have family there. However, I don’t think transferring would solve my main complaint: that everyone already knows each other. Sure, maybe the students all come from different places, but by the time I come along, they’ll have already spent two years together.
@MYOS1634 Environmental science and environmental engineering are profoundly different disciplines. The requirements for a degree in each are so different that doing what you suggest would keep me as an undergrad for 6+ years.
Oh yes, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean you should switch to Environmental Engineering, just that, rather than graduating, if you transfer you could not only take more advanced classes in Environmental Science then add other courses (not degree) such as the ones that are offered in other branches of the field - the student I know in Environmental engineering is taking hydrology and all sorts of non Engineering classes linked to water for instance.