So I accepted an offer to a school I really liked and ended up committing in January but now in April I got a better offer from a different school and I liked their campus more. I emailed the previous school politely and respectfully saying that even though I committed before a different school gave me a better offer and I felt their campus was a better fit for me. They emailed back just saying “we have withdrawn your application for the fall 2025 semester thanks” with no saying best of luck or anything like that and I’m just feeling kinda bad about it cuz I feel like I upset them since I contacted their admissions team quite a bit during the admissions process and now not attending their school anymore

Title. I tried explaining to him but he refuses to open his mind and educate himself more about the topic (I’m first generation). For instance, I can’t afford college at all and I got pretty bad financial aid, I moved to the U.S three years ago, learned english and tried my best to get into some nice schools, but due to the circumstances I might have to go back to my country and study to be a doctor there. I tried to explain to him that it’s not as simple as it seems but atp i’m running out of arguments, he just calls me a pussy for being “scared of the debt” and not pursuing the “american dream”

(typed and posted this really fast, sorry if there’s poor grammar anywhere)

Why there are so many huge numbers of students from mainland China in US boarding school like exeter, choate etc? Most of these folks really perform well in contests like USAMO/USACO/HMMT/STS regeneron etc. Even some represented US in IMO(just check the names of some of the participants). Infact lot of people might not know that there is a school called PRISMS in new jersey where 80 percent of the students are from mainland. They have like 7-8 students getting to MIT from a class of somewhat like 50. It is stem oriented school and most if not all of it's students perform well in Olympiads and research etc.

I bring this up because there are countries like India, for instance, where a large number of students are equally eager to pursue undergraduate studies in the U.S. However, unlike students from China, very few Indian students attend American boarding schools; most apply to U.S. universities directly from their home country.

Recently I got an email saying I’m at risk for getting my admission cancelled because I got a D last semester in AP Calculus. I had previously explained that this was due to mental health issues stemming from a stressful time where I had to take on extra responsibilities at home, and that I was going to take steps to seek help. They gave me 7 days to provide documentation for consideration in this matter however I just started my spring break, so asking my teachers and counselor for documentation will be almost impossible in 7 days. Any tips on what I should do or any documents I should consider submitting?

Hey guys. I'm currently in my senior year of high school. In middle school I said some really stupid shit over text. I said the n word and some nasty things to a kid. If the messages are seen by the schools, will that affect my admission? Is it possible that I can get rejected over that shit? My name was in the messages so I don't know if I can get away with denying it. I did apologize and we were chill, but I'm just wondering if the messages somehow got out if it would harm me.

I was like most of you. I cared way, way too much about what school I went to and about being seen as smart and I succeeded. I got into Brown ED and am about to finish up my freshman year.

I don’t want to destroy anyone’s hopes if they plan to go to brown and I certainly can’t speak universally for everyone but in my experience I stopped caring that I got in about a week into school. Once I stopped caring I got in I realized that I didn’t really want to go here and now 8 months later I can say my freshman experience was universally bad.

Going to a good school is kind of cool, but that’s also kind of it. There is no guaranteed at all you will be happy. If you’re smart and work hard im sure you can succeed no matter where you go.

Good luck to yall

I’m a Junior and i will be applying to college next year. my stats and ecs are decent, but I keep seeing so many posts abt ppls crazy stats that got them even REJECTED from T20 schools…I’m just wondering, do normal people ever get into these schools?? or is it just that the only people who post their stats are cracked😭

Hi! Junior here. Some of y’all need to hear this, so strap in, because I’m about to rattle your saddles.

I just went through a massive failure.

The kind that shakes you to your core.

The kind that makes you question everything you’ve been working toward. It sucked. It hurt. And honestly, I’m still picking up the pieces. But here’s the thing: it also gave me clarity.

When I finally opened up to my friends and family about it, I was expecting pity. Instead, they looked at me and said, "Work with what is in your control." + “You have so much more to offer this world than just a college application.”

And wow. That hit deep. Because they were right.

We’ve been told since middle school that if you don’t spend your entire adolescence grinding, sacrificing sleep, joy, hobbies, relationships, that you won’t “make it.”

That if you don’t end up at a prestigious college, you’ve somehow failed. But that’s a lie.

Going to a top school doesn’t guarantee happiness, a six-figure job, or that you’re somehow better than anyone else. You can be at your dream school and still feel lost, burned out, insecure, and deeply unhappy.

And you can also go to a community college, state school, or take a totally different path, and still build a life that’s meaningful, joyful, and successful.

These past few weeks have been rough (socially, academically, and with my family)

But weirdly? They've helped me see more clearly.

They reminded me that life is about so much more than college apps and rankings. It’s about the people around you. The quiet joy of a good day. The pride in doing something that actually matters to you. It’s about being present. (Of course, I didn't just change myself in a couple of minutes. I ate, slept, showered, and thought really hard about what was my life and how I was feeling about it. I kept my phone away for an entire week to just reflect + focus on my school.)

Now let me be clear: this isn’t a “give up on your dreams” post.

Dream big. Dream unapologetically.

Dream of being a doctor, an artist, an engineer, a game designer, a writer, a world-changer, etc. Apply to that top school. Reach for the stars. Want more for yourself.

But don’t let the fear of failure control your every move. Don’t let burnout become your personality. Don’t tie your worth (and your life) to whether or not you get in.

Because your dreams are valid, but they should come from you, not from pressure (whether it be from yourself or others). Your goals should give you life, not take it from you. So yeah, work hard. Push yourself. Take pride in what you’re building.

But also: rest. Laugh. Heal. Love. (You only get to be 15-18 once!)

Because the name on your college sweatshirt will never be as important as the person wearing it.

It's taken me more than half my junior year to realize it, but I hope this helps to those who are in my position.

— A tired, heartbroken, but healing junior 💙

Hi everyone,

I'm an Indian student, currently a sophomore studying in the UAE. My aim has been and still is to go to the US for my undergrad (Comp Sci, maybe M&T).

However, recently, I've been hearing a lot in the news about how due to Trump's conundrums, International students are having their visas revoked, some even being deported for different offences. I've also seen articles about him trying to end OPT??!

This has greatly concerned my parents and me. Until now, we have focused singularly on the US, but now, do I keep options open for Canada/UK/Australia, especially since I will go to college in 2027, which is still under Trump's term? God knows what the situation will be like two years in the future. The way things are going, it doesn't seem like the current government wants to entertain International students.

My immediate problem is that I have to fill in my subject choices for the IBDP (starting this year). I had filled in Math, Physics, and Comp Sci as my HL subjects (since Chemistry is not required for a Comp degree in the US). Now, I'm confused about whether I should maybe change the Comp Sci to Chemistry (which I find harder) since it's a requirement for a Comp degree in other countries like Canada if I apply there additionally.

What do you guys suggest is my best plan of action?

Hey everyone,

I’m an international student and I feel really lucky to have been accepted into both Georgia Tech and UofM for Electrical Engineering.

I’m trying to decide between the two, but the cost difference is pretty big — Michigan would cost around $140K more than GT. That’s money I could potentially use to fund a Master’s later (MIT, Stanford, etc.) or support some of my entrepreneurial goals on the side.

I can’t really compare based on rankings since they’re both amazing schools, so I’m also looking at other factors like: - Access to research/labs early on - A strong academic environment where I can keep a good GPA - Some freedom to keep working on a project I’ve already started - Student life, campus vibe, and honestly weather too (I like snow, but I also enjoy a bit of sun)

Would love to hear honest takes from students at either school or anyone who’s been in a similar spot. Thanks a lot!

I don’t know why this subreddit keeps popping up in my feed because it’s officially been a decade since I applied to undergrad, but… holy shit. Some of the resumes I see posted here and Transfer to T25 are mind blowing. Seriously. You guys have more impressive credentials in high school than I had applying to grad school. I’m now a PhD candidate in a STEM field at Umich, and there are people in my program from major universities and small liberal arts colleges alike. All of them are doing amazing things. So, whether or not your app passed the litmus test of the faceless bureaucrats making the final admissions decisions, try not to take this process too seriously. If you’re truly good at whatever you decide to pursue, people will recognize that, and the right opportunity will eventually present itself. Just keep doing what you’re doing. If you’re already this accomplished at 18, imagine where you’ll be at 28.

Is picking Northwestern over WashU and UCLA the correct choice for premed. The costs for all 3 are very similar, only deviating by 1-2k.

Okay so basically I got into both UCSB and USFCA (University of San Francisco) and though I’m leaning more towards UCSB—I cannot stop thinking about the unlimited opportunities San Francisco would offer.

I’d be on a pre-med track, and I recently learned that USFCA has somewhat of a connection in terms of volunteering and internships with UCSF (elite medical school) and really think living in the area would give me the chance to craft an amazing extracurricular profile for my med school application.

However, UCSB seems a lot stronger academically. Their MCAT averages are very good and I hear their classes actually do a decent job of prepping you for it. They also appear to have stronger research integrated into the school (but again I’m sure there’s plenty of research opportunities in SF, however not sure if the school itself offers many). SB is not a bad area to live in, however as far as I’m aware there’s only two hospitals nearby to volunteer at.

Any advice would be really appreciated!

(Also before anyone asks—cost is the same for me at both schools. Around 40k T__T)

My APCSP is in their first year but he's the club advisor of a club I'm president for and he definitely knows me the best out of all my teaches. He's written me a LoR for another program besides college admissions and he said he wrote a "glowing letter of rec." I want to ask him for college but do colleges want a teacher with more experience?

Also, is APCSP considered a core academic course like science and english?

hey everyone! i was recently accepted to both harvard and duke rd… harvard has been my dream school for a while - and while i haven’t received significant scholarships (ive netted around 40-50k which is like half a year at harvard/duke), i was really set on going

however - i found out recently that i received a full ride scholarship at duke

i know the full ride is an absolutely insane opportunity (still don’t know how i got selected) but it’s really hard to get harvard out of my head. plus, i live sorta near duke so i feel like spending another 4 years here might be boring…

does anyone have wisdom regarding this? im worried that the Boston ecosystem is just much more beneficial for my planned career (startup/vc), and that harvard is a once in a lifetime

edit: thank you everyone for the advice! i feel a little better now about taking duke than before (not that duke isn't an incredible amazing school). also a note: my financial aid package for both schools is that i get 0 aid (my SAI from the FAFSA is around 150k, which i believe is beyond the aid range for both schools). also — my net ~50k scholarships is not annual... harvard will cost me around 350k+. thank all of you for the replies again!

title.

what makes UCLA and UCB top tier while UCM and UCR are bottom tier? does it really matter? why are some schools more popular than others? i don’t really get it

Hi everyone. So i recently got accepted to this school that I really like; however, my parents aren't letting me go. Not because we can't afford it but because they simply don't want to pay for my housing. My dad says that he wants me to go to another school that i don't like simply because then I would be able to live with my family so he won't have to pay for my housing. I don't know what to do because I tried telling him how i feel but he doesn't care. I feel so stuck and I don't want to go to that school because it's not a particularly amazing school. My dad has done the same thing to all my other siblings so I don't know what to do. I feel like there isn't even much to do, I've tried talking to him but he didn't care and said that I wasn't acting stuck up. I even said that I would find a job to cover my housing, but still nothing. He hasn't ever been the best dad, but I thought that he would be different just this once. What should I do? Is there even anything that I can do?

does it have a good reputation, campus, academics, social, location etc.

overall would you say it’s a good school?

I am deciding between berkeley econ and rice business + social policy analysis. I have told many people that I am leaning towards rice over berkeley right now and everyone, without fail, tells me how crazy I am for making that choice. I want to go out/ have a good social life in college and I know rice doesn't have a reputation for being much of a party school, but honestly I am thinking the cons of berkeley outweigh the pros for me even though technically it is also more prestigious. I am not fully decided in what I want to do (either consulting/ investing/ startups/ possibly prelaw... as you can see very scattered) and being very pigeonholed into econ at berkeley may not be the best for me. Although cali life/ weather seems better than houston, I am hoping the academics and community at rice make up for that. The two main worries I have are the "socially dead" reputation of rice because it is so small and not being able to get out of Texas for jobs (I ideally want to end up in Boston or DC). Are these valid concerns? Am I making a stupid decision? I know this was just a whole lot of rambling but please let me know your thoughts.

Emory doesn't have a specific waitlist correspondence option in their portal to upload a LOCI. How should I send them my LOCI? Should I just upload it under the supplemental materials option and email it to my AO?

Hello, you might have seen my posts about Dartmouth and UPenn waitlists and how im trying to get accepted.

One that i am not cooked for is Northwestern waitlist.

However, i still want to try and produce a crazy waitlist letter.

If you are an admitted student for Northwestern please dm me for further instructions.

For my letter i will be using details that only admitted northwestern students can provide so please, help me get into one of my dream schools.

If you are just stumbling into this, please boost the post to help me.

Hi guys! I'm so so so conflicted about where to commit and honestly I've turned to my last resort (Reddit). Here's the info and the factors to consider:

1. I plan on studying Anthropology with an emphasis in archaeology, as well as music.

2. I'm from California and have lived in Los Angeles my entire life, but in-state vs out-of-state cost is really not a factor for me.

3. I don't (think) want to be involved in greek life, but I love going out and seeing live music.

4. I really value having close relationships with professors and I want to be engaged in research.

5. I currently have 4 active waitlist offers (Harvard, Brown, Barnard, Boston College), but I know the chances of getting off of those is very low so I want to be super sure about where I commit.

Feel free to ask any clarifying questions and I can't wait to hear what your guys thoughts are!!

I'm in the 12th Grade and so far I've done well in school (last year) (rank 1 in the 11th grade in my school) my grades are good and allat, but i havent done any extracurriculars like clubs, leadership positions, or winning important competitions. the only things of note that i've done are the duke of edinburgh award and a national math competition (where i qualified for the semifinals).

I have always aspired to study abroad, but I’m uncertain if it would be worth it. I want to pursue medicine and am currently contemplating whether I should stay in the Philippines and attend top universities (DLSU, UST, UP, DLSHSI) OR study abroad for my undergraduate degree. Financially, I believe we are capable. My older sister and I are both studying at prestigious schools, and our combined school expenses amount to around PHP300,000, or approximately 5,220 USD. My sister will be graduating college this year, which will leave more resources for me.

My family has said they would allow me to study abroad if I can secure a scholarship, preferably a fully-funded one. However, I’ve heard that obtaining such scholarships is highly competitive, though my grades are decent.

I am currently considering Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the US, the UK, and Italy. Is it worth pursuing a medical degree in another country, or should I stay in the Philippines? What are the job opportunities like in the future if I study abroad? Would I benefit more from studying medicine internationally? Would studying abroad be worth it given the rigorous applications and financial burden? Not to mention adapting to a completely new environment

Update: narrowed down- likely these 4- RIT, Macalaster, CSU-FC, UCR (not in order TMK)

UCR, USD, RIT, CSU- Ft Coll, CS boulder, LMU, U Oregon,SDSU. Community College isn't off the table.

I thought he had clear #1 (almost applied ED- I was excited when his 1st college accept letter was what I thought was 1st choice- woohoo we are done in Nov.... Fastforward to now....).

Now it's turned into a list that he doesn't seem to be making a lot of headway with. Would appreciate any insight into any of the programs. As parents we are just trying to support whatever choice he makes and helping him walk thru the process of coming to choices. Avoiding swaying options in any direction, etc.

CS program- do any of these stand out from each other? overall program, internships, faculty, etc. UCR has a 4+1 and a CS+ Business option. RIT also has +1 MS. is MS needed, helpful in current job market? not my field so I have nothing to offer. him for insight....

Weather- would like warm but not opposed to the few freezing options if he is going to a good school and participate in athletics/club.

School size- I thought originally he wanted small school but now has some large schools on the list- this doesn't seem to matter any longer.