<p>Guys, I want to reemphasize: DON’T BE DISCOURAGED, BY SUMMER PROGRAMS, COMPETITIONS, SCHOLARSHIPS/COMPETITIONS LIKE STS, OR COLLEGES. Yes, the people who succeed in these areas are extraordinary, but not everyone knows it haha. These things are selective, but hey, even the lotto has a winner. Yes, some of the people who get in have exceptional achievements, like international olympiads and science fairs (among the vast number of other ways one can be successful), but just as many get in due to other factors. There is a reason the application is not just a transcript, test scores, and a list of your awards. It’s holistic, as there are various ways to measure achievement, potential, and the general quality of an applicant. Passion and character are some of the most often heard of examples of factors that cannot be objectively evaluated. Phenomenal people get in, phenomenal people get rejected. Stop worrying, you can’t really predict these things unless you are an extreme outlier at either end of the spectrum.</p>