What happened to being young?

warblersrule
Tue, 18 Apr 2006 16:15:57 +0000

I don’t think it’s out of control except maybe at the very top level of applicants (i.e. CC). I was an infrequent lurker/poster on the old CC and didn’t really start posting until Nov. of my senior year. Consequently, I knew relatively little about admissions. I hadn’t heard of RSI/SHARP/etc. and only did one summer program the entire four years of high school. Prior to my senior year, I had only taken two AP exams and two IB exams, none of which were terribly difficult or got credit. I only applied to 8 schools, and I completed the applications (except one) in a day or less. My SAT II’s were very low for CC (only took them once), and I never took the ACT. My extracurriculars were good but certainly not anything special (nothing at the state or national level). My counselor was brand new and didn’t really know me.

My point is it only gets out of control if you let it. I had a rather naive view of admissions, and it never really crossed my mind that I would be rejected anywhere. I enjoyed learning for its own sake, and I did my relatively few ec’s because I genuinely had fun with them. Looking ahead to college is ok, but dealing with the present is a lot more important. I feel sorry for the people who feel the need to retake the SAT to improve that 2300, or think they’re not doing enough ec’s, or take physics instead of art even though they hate science. The truth is they won’t get much further than some who enjoyed the ride. Some of the people I know here have gone to private schools since birth (only slight exaggeration) and have been groomed for a top school. They don’t do any better than those of us who had a normal life in a mediocre public school.