<p>GG I have been reading your posts all over CC. You have gotten outstanding advice in this thread. And yet you refuse to listen, to take a hint. </p>
<p>Newsflash 1: You sound arrogant and desperate. Correction: arrogant, desperate, superficial and conniving. If a bunch of anonymous people on a bulletin board can sniff it out, I can only imagine that Harvard, Yale and other peer schools will be able to pick up on it and give you wide, wide berth.</p>
<p>Newsflash 2: Acing classes in summer programs and earning “perfect” grades in a PG year (darn, there’s that arrogance thing again…) is not going to help you, when there are hundreds, nay thousands of kids who got it right the first time (namely 4 years of solid GPA in addition to testing, ECs, recommendations etc.) and are out there doing interesting things with their summer or gap year. </p>
<p>Bottom line: You have not given one shred of evidence that you want to attend any of these schools for anything other than the prestige and possible connections they confer. </p>
<p>One thing that puzzles me…you state that your “consolers” (gah! I hate when people misspell “counselors”) were clearly worthless the first time around since you only applied to three schools (Harvard, AFA and State U), but are now advising you? You don’t want to invest in an educational consultant but your family can evidently easily pay full ride at Kent and for pricey summer programs? Something doesn’t add up. </p>
<p>You failed to plan ahead and only got into a State U. Suck it up. Consider it tuition in the school of life. Work the hell out of the opportunities you do have. If you’re as outstanding as you say you are, you’ll be a star there. Then shoot for Yale, Harvard, etc. for grad school.</p>
<p>winker, you should read the thread instead of taking the same amount of time to write your emotional response. </p>
<p>“you state that your “consolers” (gah! I hate when people misspell “counselors”) were clearly worthless the first time around since you only applied to three schools (Harvard, AFA and State U), but are now advising you?” I haven’t checked my other posts, but the one above yours, I spelled it correctly. Anyways, I was referring to my counselors at the two schools I applied to and my prep school, not my high school counselors (who were not really active with students and college). </p>
<p>You have gotten outstanding advice in this thread. And yet you refuse to listen, to take a hint. Really not true - like I said, the emotional type posts are a waste of time in this thread, and a waste of your time too. Take the time to read the thread instead.</p>
<p>To the “newsflash2” you wrote - PG years, more often than not, are spent focusing on sports. I plan on doing this, but will also make a point to perform well on academics. Some prep schools offer pre-engineering programs. Doubts about my future college performance because of my lower than normal (compared to Yale applicants) GPA can be softened by A’s as a post-graduate. After all, I’m going to college after a PG year, and not after freshmen year of high school. Anyways, summer programs like Stanford’s are very attractive, not just because they’re not a lock-A like some secondary schools, but they are fun and educational. Not to mention the environment and people there. It also wouldn’t hurt for me to add some EC’s that I love.</p>
<p>Anyways, I appreciate your effort and time though. I’m sorry for provoking, it really wasn’t my intention. There are lots of schools (like Harvard or Yale) that I like and fit into in many ways. I wish I was introduced to them before. I will apply to my sought-after schools this coming admissions round/season. The AFA app is very complex and thorough; combined with prejudices of where I should go to school in my household, in addition to perhaps questionable HS counselor, I didn’t apply or visit to more of these schools. I hope you can appreciate my situation for what it is.</p>
<p>Gekko: You are saying, essentially, that the rest of us here are delusional because we haven’t seen your incredibly spectacular unique ECs. OK, time to enlighten us so we can all go eat crow. Double dare ya!</p>
<p>The viciousness of some of the foregoing posts undercuts some of the sound advice to be found, there. Really, if Gordon is naive or impressionable (I don’t think arrogant), then he is to be pitied and, thus, deserving of help not being pilloried and pummeled.</p>
<p>Shame on some of the posters, especially if they’re “adults.”</p>
<p>Also, I’m curious to see if you could actually articulate why you want to go to Harvard (or Yale or Stanford or EVEN Notre Dame, jeez). If you did get into UMass Amherst (and I’m assuming as a “viable” candidate for Harvard you got into Commonwealth Honors College), you can get a very good education there, especially with the consortium. Then, if you exhaust all opportunities there, improving your grades and continuing your extraordinary EC commitment, I’m sure you can transfer to another excellent school.</p>
<p>So why is it, specifically, that you want to go to Harvard? What does it provide you that other schools can’t?</p>
<p>Quite frankly, he strikes me as all three: naive, impressionable, and very arrogant. Who takes it for granted that he’s guaranteed A’s? Moreover, judging by his posts, he seems to think he DESERVES to be at Harvard, and that the only thing stopping him is his grades. That’s simply untrue. </p>
<p>What’s more, he’s clueless as to WHY we think he’s arrogant. I hate to break it to ya, Gordon, but it’s not because you’re mentioning Harvard on a Yale board (if you think that’s it, you’re extremely misguided). It’s because of the sense of entitlement permeating your posts and your desperate attempts to go to Harvard (for seemingly no other reason than the fact that it’s Harvard).</p>
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<p>You can only go so far in trying to help someone. He’s clearly living in denial:
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<p>Despite an almost resounding consensus, he still refuses to listen – unable to think beyond his one track mind. He’ll probably dismiss everything I’ve advised him to do now that I’ve criticized him.</p>
<p>Sorry, Gordon, if what I told you isn’t what you wanted to hear. Just take the good advice here and do something productive with your summer. Stop lurking on these boards and seriously go do something.</p>
<p>Kdurs, Harvard offers Engineering Science, among their few other engineering programs. It is a non-pure degree (i.e. Biology/Chemistry are pure sciences), something that I would like to pursue. Although I like Biology and Chemistry, my interests are very wide. Plus, it is often suggested that college is a growing period. Many people have college degrees, such as journalism (like Sarah Palin…:rolleyes: ) that they never use.</p>
<p>However, the kicker is that Harvard is very much a humanities oriented college. Almost all of the engineering schools like Harvard’s Engineering School do not do this. Building on my ‘wide interests’ (and please don’t randomly take this as arrogant, to the few posters who said so earlier), I like fields other than science, such as writing. I would much rather experience college in a diverse environment that may even be foreign. In other words, many other students will be studying political science, writing, etc. Science is my “true love” (for lack of a better word), but I do like other majors, not that I will study them. I suppose the next best thing is living with the people who do. After all, many say that the most growth that takes place at college is on the personal level, not on the education level.</p>
<p>I put Notre Dame on the list because I like the school for different but also good reasons, not because I think it’s a lesser school. Notre Dame has arguably the most loyal and loving alumni. That is perhaps the best indication of a good college, not US News and World Report.</p>
<p>studystudystudy, I responded once before, and I think I covered all of your negative complaints (not really suggestions or advice, as you labeled the - more emotional responses to some nonexistent provocation of mine). I have no beliefs of entitlement to college, and I have no idea why you think so, other than how you said they “permeate from my posts”… doesn’t make sense. If you mean on a subjective level, I would call that bad speculation, since not only have you not seen my application, but you also are making social conclusions when this is text communication… i.e. no body language.</p>
<p>Try this approach: I want to go to Harvard (or Yale) to study with Professor ____________ because s/he is doing research in ______________ that no one else in the world is doing. I want to participate in that research because I am passionate about the study of __________ and I can apply my knowledge of ________________ to the Professor’s research.</p>
<p>When you have made that kind of definitive statement, you will know why Harvard (or Yale) is the right fit for you.</p>
<p>Sorry GG, fitting at a school is almost never about academics. There are tons of schools that have the characteristics you mentioned. You don’t know if you’ll really fit into a school until you are accepted and attend the preview program.</p>
<p>Yelo, maybe you’re right. I answered from an academic point of view, despite that many (including H’s admissions dean) say that growth on the personal level between students is more important. I am friends with many current Harvard students; the interaction I’ve had with them is no doubt the purest and most fulfilling, as far as me becoming a better person. I like the diverse nature, and likewise I feel as though I can bring a new perspective to them. Just my thoughts though. Obviously H is not the end all and thee all of schools; others like Stanford and MIT are so close that I would no doubt be rooting for them hard, despite the differences between each.</p>
<p>Gibby, perhaps H SSP would introduce me to these professors? I’m pretty set on Stanford SSP, partly because H SSP will come off as strange to admissions officers, given I already applied before. (Didn’t apply to Stanford last fall) Anyways, if this is a good approach, and I do get to know some H prof’s, perhaps I could indicate this in my interview or something…</p>
<p>I’m actually going to suggest that you do the PG year at Kent. I think you have some maturing to do, and it wouldn’t hurt you at all to spend some time at boarding school. Also, I believe you will get some sound advice in terms of college applications from the counselors at Kent. The focus of your PG year will be getting you into college, and Kent knew they when they accepted you.</p>
<p>They may not say what you want to hear, but they will assist you in getting into the best school possible. In the meantime, you will have a year to grow up a little bit, and that will be a good thing for you once you get to college.</p>
<p>I know it can be hard to just let go of these kinds of things, but you mention you plan to focus on athletics. Perhaps that would be a better use of your time this summer, or maybe some major community service hours, something to get you out of your head. </p>
<p>Except that in another thread GordonGekko says that he has to take out personal loans to pay for a PG year as well as the H or S summer program he plans to enroll in – $20,000. This is an awfully expensive way to get decent advice on how to approach selective college admissions. He and his parents could invest far, far less money by hiring a good independent college admissions consultant to give them some targeted advice on what it takes to get into a selective college and how to build a list of appropriate schools.</p>
<p>Or he could simply go to the public 4-year college that accepted him outright and take advantage of every opportunity presented to him there.</p>
<p>I can’t help but feel that GG is stretching the truth a little bit; either that, or he’s one of the more ignorant people I’ve met in my 17 years. </p>
<p>First of all, Gordon, what are all of these stellar extracurriculars that you have? Being vague doesn’t cut it - really, we’re dying to know what makes you better than the rest of us. </p>
<p>Secondly, applying to so few schools is not smart, as you’ve admitted. However, the schools you chose to apply to just don’t match up - Ivies and a state school? If you’re good enough to be appalled at rejection from Harvard, why even consider a state school? And don’t tell me it was for a “backup” - clearly you have no need for a backup, as Harvard should’ve accepted you the first time (/sarcasm). You’ve even admitted that your HS counselor didn’t tell you to apply to multiple schools, another point that surprises me; someone of Harvard caliber should have the logic to see their unfavorable odds in applying (even with an amazing transcript) and will have safety schools to go to when they are rejected.</p>
<p>Third, grades get people out in the first round of admissions, not the last. You were not put up against another applicant and rejected because your grades were not as good, I’m sorry to say. If your grades were not at a level that Harvard accepts, then you would be rejected immediately - they don’t waste time with bad grades, because that indicates that you likely can’t handle their workload, regardless of your essay/extracurriculars. </p>
<p>Please listen to the advice you’ve received. Don’t waste time with a prep school or overpriced summer program. Go to the state school, get a degree, and go to grad school at an Ivy (if you prove yourself worthy this time). Denial is a common human emotion, my friend, so we sympathize with you. When you finally face the truth that rejection at an Ivy is commonplace, and that you are not better than others who applied, the advice in this thread will be waiting for you. </p>
<p>Kent might be a good reality check for the OP. The college counselors there are well versed in guiding kids through selective college applications processes. and will be upfront with him, and hopefully give him a realistic assessment of his chances at the most selective schools. Hopefully, they will also help him find school for him to add to his list that are likely to accept him and where he can flourish. </p>
<p>Personally, I don’t think it’s going to boost his chances. PG years are effective when there is some concrete reason why a kid needs that year, not because he was a “near miss” for school that he wanted.</p>
<p>Thanks for the responses. I also dearly appreciate the PM communications I’ve had with some of you. Great information, great prespectives.</p>
<p>I believe this thread has run it’s course. </p>
<p>I ask that we can please stop posting in this thread. Especially the vicious responses. Apparently I come off as an arrogant, out-of-it teenager when typing on forums. As a result, repliers are making wrong conclusions and basing their comments about my situation on that. Unfortunately we probably won’t know each other in person. Obviously me and my family have enough ‘emotions’ to deal with for now, personal attacks coming in on this thread do not help. So please, let’s end the thread here. </p>
<p>Thanks for your understanding in ending the thread, and for your time posting here this past week.</p>
As a result, repliers are making wrong conclusions and basing their comments about my situation on that. Unfortunately we probably won’t know each other in person. Obviously me and my family have enough ‘emotions’ to deal with for now, personal attacks coming in on this thread do not help. So please, let’s end the thread here. 
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