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IndigoIntentions
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To (All) schools that rejected me 02 Apr 2013, 18:10
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This.

To (All) the schools that rejected me

Quote:

Like me, millions of high-school seniors with sour grapes are asking themselves this week how they failed to get into the colleges of their dreams. It's simple: For years, they—we—were lied to.

Colleges tell you, "Just be yourself." That is great advice, as long as yourself has nine extracurriculars, six leadership positions, three varsity sports, killer SAT scores and two moms. Then by all means, be yourself! If you work at a local pizza shop and are the slowest person on the cross-country team, consider taking your business elsewhere.

What could I have done differently over the past years?

For starters, had I known two years ago what I know now, I would have gladly worn a headdress to school. Show me to any closet, and I would've happily come out of it. "Diversity!" I offer about as much diversity as a saltine cracker. If it were up to me, I would've been any of the diversities: Navajo, Pacific Islander, anything. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, I salute you and your 1/32 Cherokee heritage.

I also probably should have started a fake charity. Providing veterinary services for homeless people's pets. Collecting donations for the underprivileged chimpanzees of the Congo. Raising awareness for Chapped-Lips-in-the-Winter Syndrome. Fun-runs, dance-a-thons, bake sales—as long as you're using someone else's misfortunes to try to propel yourself into the Ivy League, you're golden.

Having a tiger mom helps, too. As the youngest of four daughters, I noticed long ago that my parents gave up on parenting me. It has been great in certain ways: Instead of "Be home by 11," it's "Don't wake us up when you come through the door, we're trying to sleep." But my parents also left me with a dearth of hobbies that make admissions committees salivate. I've never sat down at a piano, never plucked a violin. Karate lasted about a week and the swim team didn't last past the first lap. Why couldn't Amy Chua have adopted me as one of her cubs?

Then there was summer camp. I should've done what I knew was best—go to Africa, scoop up some suffering child, take a few pictures, and write my essays about how spending that afternoon with Kinto changed my life. Because everyone knows that if you don't have anything difficult going on in your own life, you should just hop on a plane so you're able to talk about what other people have to deal with.

Or at least hop to an internship. Get a precocious-sounding title to put on your resume. "Assistant Director of Mail Services." "Chairwoman of Coffee Logistics." I could have been a gopher in the office of someone I was related to. Work experience!

To those kids who by age 14 got their doctorate, cured a disease, or discovered a guilt-free brownie recipe: My parents make me watch your "60 Minutes" segments, and they've clipped your newspaper articles for me to read before bed. You make us mere mortals look bad. (Also, I am desperately jealous and willing to pay a lot to learn your secrets.)

To those claiming that I am bitter—you bet I am! An underachieving selfish teenager making excuses for her own failures? That too! To those of you disgusted by this, shocked that I take for granted the wonderful gifts I have been afforded, I say shhhh—"The Real Housewives" is on.

Ms. Weiss is a senior at Taylor Allderdice High School in Pittsburgh.
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To (All) schools that rejected me 02 Apr 2013, 18:29
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Tell us how you really feel....


honestly though, what are you so upset about?
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To (All) schools that rejected me 02 Apr 2013, 18:33
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^ Upset??

Lighten up. This is a funny article about college admissions.
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To (All) schools that rejected me 02 Apr 2013, 18:39
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"To those claiming that I am bitter—you bet I am! An underachieving selfish teenager making excuses for her own failures?"

hard to equate a high schooler's frustrations with blaming external factors for not getting into the program you wanted
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To (All) schools that rejected me 02 Apr 2013, 18:42
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^Maybe you need to get a life dude? And a sense of humor?

And while you're at it, some RC skills. I'm very happy with my admits. Thankyouverymuch.
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To (All) schools that rejected me 02 Apr 2013, 19:23
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I think obnoxious brat is the only description that comes to my mind. If I were her parents I would be incredibly embarrassed.
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To (All) schools that rejected me 02 Apr 2013, 19:53
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"As the youngest of four daughters, I noticed long ago that my parents gave up on parenting me."

I'm not sure if she is trying to be funny with this, but it's just flat-out disrespectful!
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To (All) schools that rejected me 03 Apr 2013, 08:13
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I don't know guys, I think this is meant to be a joke, and I myself though it was pretty funny. Although she's obviously exaggerating, unfortunately getting into the top colleges is getting harder and harder. Being a well rounded kid with good grades just doesn't cut it anymore. Whether kids are brats for expecting to get into college after being good students and having just regular extracurriculars, I don't know. But it does bum me out that kids as young as 12 are already worried about college admissions. At that age I knew I'd eventually go to college but wasn't in the slightest concerned about where I would go. Things just keep getting more and more competitive. Kids should pursue hobbies they are interested in, not ones for the sole purpose of it looking good on a college application.
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To (All) schools that rejected me 03 Apr 2013, 08:29
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IndigoIntentions
^Maybe you need to get a life dude? And a sense of humor?

And while you're at it, some RC skills. I'm very happy with my admits. Thankyouverymuch.
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Wasn't referring to you here, was referring to the person who wrote that blurb.
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To (All) schools that rejected me 03 Apr 2013, 08:32
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Dakells
I don't know guys, I think this is meant to be a joke, and I myself though it was pretty funny. Although she's obviously exaggerating, unfortunately getting into the top colleges is getting harder and harder. Being a well rounded kid with good grades just doesn't cut it anymore. Whether kids are brats for expecting to get into college after being good students and having just regular extracurriculars, I don't know. But it does bum me out that kids as young as 12 are already worried about college admissions. At that age I knew I'd eventually go to college but wasn't in the slightest concerned about where I would go. Things just keep getting more and more competitive. Kids should pursue hobbies they are interested in, not ones for the sole purpose of it looking good on a college application.
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Agreed, while I protest the tone / venue of her letter, I think it brings up a very real and very serious issue that is becoming more and more prevalent. What do kids have to do to get into college?

I had the benefit of playing soccer very competitively from age 5 through college - including a year as starter for my high school's soccer team which was nationally ranked. You bet my essays were focused on my 'years of teamwork' and my 'experience in high pressure circumstances' and my 'dedication and determination that only years of training towards excellence can foster and exemplify'.

Without my soccer experience I never would have got into the schools I did, and that was 10 years ago - things have become so much more competitive since then.

I dread having kids because I don't want to have to worry that if they're not fluent in Mandarin by 3 then they're already behind. That if they don't get into the best kindergarten they'll never get into college. That type of thing. I'm sure I'm blowing it out of proportion, but it's getting crazy.
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To (All) schools that rejected me 03 Apr 2013, 12:51
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Interesting response:

https://gawker.com/5993140/attention-stu ... ag=college
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To (All) schools that rejected me 03 Apr 2013, 14:07
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While the op-ed might seem whiny to some (I thought it was fairly tongue-in-cheek), I really don't find its sentiment controversial - "just being yourself" does not maximize your chances of getting into a school. It never has. It's kind of like using admissions consultants - most schools will tell you not to do it, but people do anyways, and sometimes get into a school they otherwise would not have.
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To (All) schools that rejected me 03 Apr 2013, 15:36
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jko
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I don't know guys, I think this is meant to be a joke, and I myself though it was pretty funny. Although she's obviously exaggerating, unfortunately getting into the top colleges is getting harder and harder. Being a well rounded kid with good grades just doesn't cut it anymore. Whether kids are brats for expecting to get into college after being good students and having just regular extracurriculars, I don't know. But it does bum me out that kids as young as 12 are already worried about college admissions. At that age I knew I'd eventually go to college but wasn't in the slightest concerned about where I would go. Things just keep getting more and more competitive. Kids should pursue hobbies they are interested in, not ones for the sole purpose of it looking good on a college application.

Agreed, while I protest the tone / venue of her letter, I think it brings up a very real and very serious issue that is becoming more and more prevalent. What do kids have to do to get into college?

I had the benefit of playing soccer very competitively from age 5 through college - including a year as starter for my high school's soccer team which was nationally ranked. You bet my essays were focused on my 'years of teamwork' and my 'experience in high pressure circumstances' and my 'dedication and determination that only years of training towards excellence can foster and exemplify'.

Without my soccer experience I never would have got into the schools I did, and that was 10 years ago - things have become so much more competitive since then.

I dread having kids because I don't want to have to worry that if they're not fluent in Mandarin by 3 then they're already behind. That if they don't get into the best kindergarten they'll never get into college. That type of thing. I'm sure I'm blowing it out of proportion, but it's getting crazy.
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Agree with you jko. As I understood the article, she is also complaining about how things that the student can't control - i.e. upbringing and demographics - have a big impact on admissions (sometimes almost veto-like).