I apologize if I offended you with my message, but I want to reiterate that I am not unhappy with my acceptances but rather my rejections. I am by no means “insulted” by the fact that I have been accepted at the colleges I mentioned; why on earth would I have applied if I considered their approval an offense? Princeton, to me, has been a goal since I was eight years old. I was the kid who went to every possible information session, read and read and read about it, essentially memorized its brochure, and dreamed of what my time there would be like. So, yes, perhaps, I am being unreasonable- but when have dreams ever been reasonable?
Also, sitting out of college for a year is not an end-all decision… Many people take gap years that are fruitful, and they learn a lot from what they choose to do. I have already been told that it is possible to postpone my admittance to Columbia if I were to do a year-long volunteering project, and if I were to be rejected again at Princeton, I would have somewhere to go. I understand your perspective, but please appreciate mine also and know that I have really thought this out.