I'm a Failure

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SmokeyG

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So I'm a senior. As an undergraduate, I couldn't even get into the schools I thought were safe. I was wait listed at Vandy and Northwestern. I'm very confused. I was the valedictorian in my class, I got a 1490/1600 SAT, and I had a 33 ACT. I had a perfect math score in the SAT, ACT, and SAT II. I had awesome ECs, and my recs (that I read) were good. I'm not saying I'm entitled to get into these schools, but at the same token I'm very confused. My app had no apparent weaknesses, and I still can't get in anywhere. Ivy decisions come out next week, but I'm expecting nothing. How can I get into medical school if I can't even get into a good school now? I may not be able to go to college next year. I feel so small and insignificant. What did I do wrong? Should I reconsider medical school? I'm just distraught. I don't even know if I can go to college next year.

Before you tell me I'm obsessed and that I need to suck it up, consider my position. I don't think I'll be able to go to college unless I get into Cornell, Brown, Penn, UVa, or Notre Dame.
 
Is it too late to apply to a real safety school? e.g. state u? I know this isn't what you were asking directly, but there's no need to go to a top undergrad to go to a top med school. Were there interviews for these schools? Admissions are a bit of a crap roll when you're looking at highly competitive schools. If you cast a wide enough net, you will likely come up with something, but there's certainly no guarantees, and you should makes plans on the assumption it doesn't happen. Unless you'd rather potentially take a gap year and try your luck again than go to state u, I'd throw the app in for state u (and frankly would recommend state u generally, regardless, but that's beside the point).

Good luck with your remaining apps.

Edit: Just saw your mcat thread. Take a chill pill and enjoy life broski. You're going to have a diagnosable anxiety disorder before you make it through college
 
SmokeyG said:
So I'm a senior. As an undergraduate, I couldn't even get into the schools I thought were safe. I was wait listed at Vandy and Northwestern.
Click to expand...

Here's your problem. Schools like these aren't safeties - for anybody.

Dude seriously, don't sweat it. Becoming a doctor is too long and arduous a process to let your ego get bruised when you don't get into an Ivy. You are now finding out that there are many, many others out there that are smarter than you. There is your dose of humility for today ;-)

Anyways, don't try and equate the undergrad admissions process with med school. Going into undergrad no one has a clue what they want to do so the applicant pool is very broad. Medical school is a longer selection process - no one gets in without having put the sweat into building a good resume. Work hard where ever you go and you'll be fine.

Also - save yourself the money and go to a state school. Seriously. My state school sends people to places from our local state school to places like Hopkins. You just have to work for it, like everyone else.
 
SmokeyG said:
So I'm a senior. As an undergraduate, I couldn't even get into the schools I thought were safe. I was wait listed at Vandy and Northwestern. I'm very confused. I was the valedictorian in my class, I got a 1490/1600 SAT, and I had a 33 ACT. I had a perfect math score in the SAT, ACT, and SAT II. I had awesome ECs, and my recs (that I read) were good. I'm not saying I'm entitled to get into these schools, but at the same token I'm very confused. My app had no apparent weaknesses, and I still can't get in anywhere. Ivy decisions come out next week, but I'm expecting nothing. How can I get into medical school if I can't even get into a good school now? I may not be able to go to college next year. I feel so small and insignificant. What did I do wrong? Should I reconsider medical school? I'm just distraught. I don't even know if I can go to college next year.

Before you tell me I'm obsessed and that I need to suck it up, consider my position. I don't think I'll be able to go to college unless I get into Cornell, Brown, Penn, UVa, or Notre Dame.
Click to expand...

Uhh...isn't the SAT out of 2400 these days? Troll?
 
SmokeyG said:
Before you tell me I'm obsessed and that I need to suck it up, consider my position. I don't think I'll be able to go to college unless I get into Cornell, Brown, Penn, UVa, or Notre Dame.
Click to expand...

Uhm....

The good news is that many folks get into medical school who didn't attend ANY of those programs, wild huh? You may need to adjust your approach to college.
 
Please tell me that this is just a sad sad troll... There is no freaking way you can be this anal retentive and still be in high school.
 
phantomx87 said:
Please tell me that this is just a sad sad troll... There is no freaking way you can be this anal retentive and still be in high school.
Click to expand...

Dude have you ever met any Asian kids? srsly this is nothing. OP, you should re-evaluated you definition of 'safety'. Sorry you had to learn the hard way. Try to apply to your state schools or local community college and hope you either get one of those outstanding acceptances or come off the waitlist.
 
Did you write your essays the same way as you just wrote that post? Did you do anything else besides studying? Is UVA really that difficult to get into? I guess I only applied to b10 and pac10 schools + texas where they didn't do this "wait till spring to see if you get in stuff." I had a 31 act and 3.75 (no weighted grades for ap at my high school), but 3 sports and a part time job, but i knew in the fall i was in everywhere i applied so im just surprised by all this.
 
Tic said:
Dude have you ever met any Asian kids? srsly this is nothing. OP, you should re-evaluated you definition of 'safety'. Sorry you had to learn the hard way. Try to apply to your state schools or local community college and hope you either get one of those outstanding acceptances or come off the waitlist.
Click to expand...

🙄 I don't go out. I stay home to study and cook rice. 😀

OP, relax, I would go with the advice posted before. Find a real safety school.
 
Tic said:
Dude have you ever met any Asian kids?
Click to expand...

I've dated a few (including my girl now for 3 years), and none of them have ever been that bad. It just amazes me that someone (in high school no less) could seriously be that uptight. I mean I thought I was bad, but this is ridiculous.

OP, go get laid or something. A little bit of strange and a shot of penicillin in the arse may change your outlook on life....
 
SmokeyG said:
So I'm a senior. As an undergraduate, I couldn't even get into the schools I thought were safe. I was wait listed at Vandy and Northwestern. I'm very confused. I was the valedictorian in my class, I got a 1490/1600 SAT, and I had a 33 ACT. I had a perfect math score in the SAT, ACT, and SAT II. I had awesome ECs, and my recs (that I read) were good. I'm not saying I'm entitled to get into these schools, but at the same token I'm very confused. My app had no apparent weaknesses, and I still can't get in anywhere. Ivy decisions come out next week, but I'm expecting nothing. How can I get into medical school if I can't even get into a good school now? I may not be able to go to college next year. I feel so small and insignificant. What did I do wrong? Should I reconsider medical school? I'm just distraught. I don't even know if I can go to college next year.

Before you tell me I'm obsessed and that I need to suck it up, consider my position. I don't think I'll be able to go to college unless I get into Cornell, Brown, Penn, UVa, or Notre Dame.
Click to expand...

Unless you were planning on going to an Ivy League Med school or a med school in Cali it doesnt matter what college you go to. Seriously dude...acceptance to med school largely depends on ur MCAT score and extracurriculars and hardly ever the school. I agree with other posters...if you keep sweating the small stuff like getting a B in Organic Chem in college (knew a friend that did this...went el nutso for like a month) you are going to burn urself out and not accomplish much.

Sit back relax and enjoy the ride! Everything will work out.
 
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Look I completely understand how you feel but it doesn't mean anything about your intellectual capacity. Your scores were phenomenal and you were valedictorian of your class. You are obviously a high caliber student. That being said. IT DOESN'T MATTER WHERE YOU GO TO UNDERGRAD (as long as it's accredited.) Look at it this way, in a state school you have a chance to continue standing out from your peers. At an ivy league school...youre just one of many valedictorians. Attending a state school gives you a chance to outshine everyone else. In the end you could end up going to one of the top ranked med schools like Harvard.
 
I really think that you are applying to the wrong schools. My SAT scores were not as good as yours but I was able to get into the honors program at my state university.

Given your position, you should talk to your teachers, advisors, or anyone you know personally and have been through college for their advice if you have not already done so and do so ASAP. By now, you should be receiving acceptances and be applying for financial aid.

Look, you have not taken the MCAT, let alone the pre-reqs, so whether or not you are capable for medical school is not an issue right now. There are many people who go to a community college, transfer to a state university, and then go from there to a medical school and that is just one route. There are many different yet legit ways to get into medical schools but that is not your main concern right now.

The way I see it, any situation (failing grades, not getting acceptances, etc.) is fixable as long as you are willing to take an extra step to get to where you want to be.

If you are really set on going to a particular school then go meet with the adcom for that school in person. A simple extra step that a lot people don't do (until recently, I was one of them). If that school rejected you, ask why and see if it is not too late to fix it or at least not make the same mistake with other schools that you apply to.

For all you know, as others mention, maybe one of the LORs is bad or your essays is rubbing adcoms the wrong way. If that is the case, simply removing that LOR or editing your essays could improve your situation greatly.
 
SmokeyG said:
So I'm a senior. As an undergraduate, I couldn't even get into the schools I thought were safe. I was wait listed at Vandy and Northwestern. I'm very confused. I was the valedictorian in my class, I got a 1490/1600 SAT, and I had a 33 ACT. I had a perfect math score in the SAT, ACT, and SAT II. I had awesome ECs, and my recs (that I read) were good. I'm not saying I'm entitled to get into these schools, but at the same token I'm very confused. My app had no apparent weaknesses, and I still can't get in anywhere. Ivy decisions come out next week, but I'm expecting nothing. How can I get into medical school if I can't even get into a good school now? I may not be able to go to college next year. I feel so small and insignificant. What did I do wrong? Should I reconsider medical school? I'm just distraught. I don't even know if I can go to college next year.

Before you tell me I'm obsessed and that I need to suck it up, consider my position. I don't think I'll be able to go to college unless I get into Cornell, Brown, Penn, UVa, or Notre Dame.
Click to expand...

You shouldn't be thinking about medical school right now, you are still in high school. You don't need to go anywhere special to get into medical school, even if you want to go to an elite medical school. All undergrads have something good to offer and all can send you to any medical school you want. You start with a clean slate in undergrad, and what you do with it is what's considered by medical school admission committees.
 
SmokeyG said:
I was the valedictorian in my class, I got a 1490/1600 SAT, and I had a 33 ACT. I had a perfect math score in the SAT, ACT, and SAT II. I had awesome ECs, and my recs (that I read) were good.
Click to expand...
Not everybody can get 1400+ SAT.
 
Don't know why y'all are still replying seriously (or at all)... It's a troll.
 
DoctaJMa said:
Unless you were planning on going to an Ivy League Med school or a med school in Cali it doesnt matter what college you go to.
Click to expand...

It doesn't matter then either (unless you go somewhere too hard and get bad grades or too easy and don't learn enough for the MCAT).
 
Undergrad attended has very little impact on where you go to medical school. I know people who went to state schools who ended up at ivies for med school and friends who went to ivies who ended up at state schools. don't worry and definitely apply to your state school if you haven't already!
 
you should apply to your state school. I know many schools are still accepting applications. For example, LSU still accepts applications until April 15 (I happen to know this one because I live in state and my friend just applied last night)
 
Your safe schools were Vandy and NW? Those are tough for anyone regardless of credentials. There are so many unknown factors in the application process, try an in-state public school to be extra safe!
 
Been there, felt that....... and seriously am glad I didn't do it. It's not the end of the world. I've seen many people that are very successful and aren't in medicine. AND, get ur education at a cheap school. A degree is a degree is a degree. A person with an M.D. from Harvard and a person with an M.D. degree from Jibipbap are still M.D.s and can be just as successful. That goes for anything. Take my word or leave it (been to Hopkins n know people from Princeton and Harvard-If it makes a difference). But, I used to think like you- wish I hadn't, would have had a ton of money in the bank right now, instead of paying off all these loans. It's the person, not the name of the school that makes the physician, or lawyer, or pharmacist, or whatever great. There tons of fields where you can make money and be successful. You'll see later on, as I did.
 
Does it really matter what undergrad school you go to?

There are so many people that get accepted into medical/dental school that go to a normal state University..

I remember watching MTV True Life and there was this guy who was a CERTIFIED GENIUS and he couldn't get into the Ivy League schools...

You pretty much have to walk on water...
or have connections.
 
You guys are so negative, instead of encouraging him and be like.."It's cool, apply to a different..state college" or "try again next time". Anything would be better then saying "go get laid" and calling him a troll. It's just sad that seems you guys have no empathy. Everyone has their bad moments/days and I know if I worked that hard and achieved that much, I would expect the best for myself. When I set a goal for myself and I don't achieve it, I get real O.C.D. I'm a freshman in high school and I remember in the first 9 weeks I had 3.71 GPA. I was pissed, I still regret it to this day because I know I could have done better. I keep a 4.0 now but I don't care, I still wish I could go back and do better my first report card.
So I know what it's like to work so hard and not get what you expected. Many of you should too, so why is everyone in this thread pretty much disregarding this person and being so harsh to something where it seems all he needed was some encouragement or tips?
 
Missdetermined said:
You guys are so negative, instead of encouraging him and be like.."It's cool, apply to a different..state college" or "try again next time". Anything would be better then saying "go get laid" and calling him a troll. It's just sad that seems you guys have no empathy. Everyone has their bad moments/days and I know if I worked that hard and achieved that much, I would expect the best for myself. When I set a goal for myself and I don't achieve it, I get real O.C.D. I'm a freshman in high school and I remember in the first 9 weeks I had 3.71 GPA. I was pissed, I still regret it to this day because I know I could have done better. I keep a 4.0 now but I don't care, I still wish I could go back and do better my first report card.
So I know what it's like to work so hard and not get what you expected. Many of you should too, so why is everyone in this thread pretty much disregarding this person and being so harsh to something where it seems all he needed was some encouragement or tips?
Click to expand...

Come on. The guy posts his SAT score out of 1600 and then claims that he never applied to any safety schools. And he never posts back.

And you still believe him?

Don't feed the troll.
 
ElCapone said:
Come on. The guy posts his SAT score out of 1600 and then claims that he never applied to any safety schools. And he never posts back.

And you still believe him?

Don't feed the troll.
Click to expand...

My university only looks at the critical reading and math section so effectively the other 800 points might as well be ignored. I also believe a lot of universities don't care about it.
 
serenade said:
My university only looks at the critical reading and math section so effectively the other 800 points might as well be ignored. I also believe a lot of universities don't care about it.
Click to expand...

This, the writing is often ignored and for a lot of scholarships they only tell you the CR/Math requirements because the writing really isn't taken seriously.

So, we either have a troll, or a very neurotic and frustrated HS kid.

Just for perspective, my HS valedictorian was flat out rejected from Brown, but a kid who was like ~30 something in the class got in. Figure that one out.
 
How was your personal statement? I'm doing part time work as an ACT/SAT/college prep tutor right now while waiting to go to med school next year, and I've had a lot of exposure to the whole college admissions ratrace. These days top schools (and your schools are all considered "top") emphasize grades, SAT and personal statement almost equally. Some actually place the essay ahead of the SAT in terms of importance. ECs, contrary to popular belief, actually lag well behind those three things in terms of importance.
 
Apply to uConn!! They have a really good bs/md program that would scoop up stats like yours anyday.....and please stop whining!!
 
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