Yale EA Deferral Survivor

Colleges & Universities Yale University
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<p>I wrote this yesterday, but the server was too busy to let me post it. Enjoy and comment anyways.</p>

<p>Early Action with Yale. Wow. I remember this Friday like it was yesterday.</p>

<p>One year ago, I would have been at a swim meet, a loooooong swim meet. The actual meet started around 5, and there were no computers in sight. Rather than call home and have my mom look at my status, I decided I would wait it out. </p>

<p>The ride home was the longest trip of my life. The meet ended around 11, but the team had to stop and eat dinner. A sit down dinner. At an Applebee’s. After spending what seemed like an eternity, we were finally on the road. The ride home from the meet consisted of kids telling me how awesome I was, and that Yale would definitely let me in.</p>

<p>I attended a public high school, and I was a high profile kid. We would send anywhere from 0 to 5 or 6 kids to ivies any given year, so when someone everyone expected to go ivy was about to hear about admission, it was a big deal. The whole school was cheering for me. I was student body president and a swim captain, so the whole team knew that today was the day. I intended to listen to my iPod and play out acceptance, deferral, and rejection, in my head, in that order. I wanted some quiet, personal time. But no, lots of kids told me stories how if I didn’t get into Yale, they would get into our state university. The comments were appreciated, but nerve-wracking. </p>

<p>By the time I was in front of my computer in the comfort of my home, it was nearly 2:30 AM. I had been so anxious. Literally, my life flashed before my eyes. I saw the little 4th grade version of a friend and me discussing how we were going to go to Harvard and Yale, respectively. I remembered when my aunt, a Yale alumna, sent me my first Yale shirt, and how I wore it so proudly back in middle school. I remembered my first high school biology course that truly challenged me, and made me question if I was indeed Yale material. I remembered editing my application ad nauseum before submitting it and going trick-or-treating with my best friend barely a month beforehand. It was now time. I clicked the box: Deferred.</p>

<p>After a loud expletive and a punch no my keyboard, I sat there and collected myself. All was well.</p>

<p>The hardest part of deferral was explaining to everyone what it meant. Most couldn’t understand. They thought I would be accepted or rejected.</p>

<p>Fast forward to March 30, I was at my computer at five o’clock, ready to go. Let’s put it this way: Yale rejected me. Harvard didn’t. Duke didn’t. Most schools accepted me.</p>

<p>Fast forward to today: I ended up deciding to attend a liberal arts college on a full merit-scholarship. I absolutely love it. In retrospect, I know where I ended up is my perfect fit. I am home now on Christmas break. I survived my first semester, and finals.</p>

<p>I guess my reason for writing this is because I am about to say what I would have told myself one year ago. Deferral is NOT the end of the world, nor is rejection. Regardless of what you think people expected of you, everyone still loves you. </p>

<p>One of my good friends from a comparable high school, and arguably the better candidate was rejected early. She was devastated. She ended up getting a scholarship to a “Top 30” school, and is doing amazing there.</p>

<p>I was glad that I was not accepted early. My plan was to cancel all other applications and send in my enrollment fee on the spot. The best thing about deferral is that I was able to take off the ivy-tinted goggles and reanalyze things. Before regular decisions, I discovered that I was best fit at the school I ultimately chose, and that I would most likely turn down Yale, even if I were to be admitted.</p>

<p>If you believe you want Yale still, retake your SATs, keep your grades up, but move on. There are other schools that are amazing. If you “are Yale material,” then you will end up somewhere great, and you will do amazing things there. Good luck to all, and regardless of what the decisions say, your sleep tonight will be the best you’ve had in weeks.</p>

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<p>Thanks for that. I’ve already stopped feeling badly about it. This is why I’m glad there are so many colleges out there…so people looking for fit/prestige/money/whatever can end up happy as long as they don’t give up trying.</p>

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<p>aww that was cute. thanks for the post.</p>

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<p>“aww that was cute. thanks”</p>

<p>that’s not condescending at all</p>

<p>By the way, when you say Harvard didn’t reject you…did you get accepted or waitlisted?</p>

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<p>^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^</p>

<p>what do you think?</p>

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<p>Are you asking me? I’m thinking waitlist</p>

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<p>Who cares?</p>

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<p>No one, we’re just curious/wasting time. Thanks for your post by the way</p>

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<p>I like the post a lot… hehe I care. But that really was a good post</p>

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<p>Thanks for the post. I liked the part “The hardest part about deferral was explaining to everyone what it meant.” I don’t know how many times I’ve heard someone say “What does that mean?” I think about 3 or for people didn’t ask that, if that. My parents even asked. But anyways, that post was great and encouraging!</p>

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<p>Any chance you’ll tell us where you are attending on the full merit scholarship?</p>

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<p>…look towards the higher end of the liberal arts college rankings.</p>

<p>Specifics are not important. The decisions have been out for about a week, hopefully everyone has realized that the world is not over.</p>

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<p>wow, that was like my recent experience with my harvard early decision. I got home @ 12 from a swim meet and found the big D in my email. The next day, my friends were incredulous that i got deferred and decided to tp harvard. However, although I know how you might have felt during the deferral, I’m still doubtful that I won’t go if I got into a school like harvard or yale.</p>