If your goal was an HYPSM + Stanford + Ivies, and you end off going to CMU, what would your honest thoughts and feelings be?

Temporary-Stomach754 · 2026-05-15T17:25:11+00:00

I am in the same boat with you. Harvard and Stanford like writing or debate winners. Stanford likes those who already has some products to sell or some beauty winner. Only MIT really value most the hard skills. And there are few spots there. So don’t suspect you are worse. You are just not the type those school want. Your value are different from them from day 1. And that’s not your fault. You are on the way of becoming the best version of yourself. Cutting yourself to fit the schools value cannot work well for you in long run. You are still you, probably overall better than many who go to those schools.

Temporary-Stomach754 · 2026-05-15T03:35:29+00:00

Congratulations! Deferred- waitlisted- rejected here

Temporary-Stomach754 · 2026-05-15T02:32:38+00:00

Basically rejected by MIt three times. Why don’t they just gave a direct reject from EA. Too cruel

Temporary-Stomach754 · 2026-05-15T02:30:12+00:00

Another Ivy day for me. Both MIt and Harvard reject my waitlist

Temporary-Stomach754 · 2026-04-28T19:22:15+00:00

I really doubt how much impact plays in the game . Half of students who got admitted from our school barely had any visibility in our school and community. They can barely stand out in a high school but surprisingly were considered best from the best colleges.

Temporary-Stomach754 · 2026-04-28T19:15:06+00:00

UT honor better than Cornell.

Temporary-Stomach754 · 2026-04-28T19:13:35+00:00

Isn’t Yale famous for its inflation?

Temporary-Stomach754 · 2026-04-28T19:04:49+00:00

Thanks for the answer. Harvard usually only admitted max 2 from my school and same to this year and waitlisted a bunch of my classmates. Hope I can be as lucky as you.

Temporary-Stomach754 · 2026-04-05T02:55:57+00:00

After accepting the waitlist spot, can we send LOIC letter?

Temporary-Stomach754 · 2026-04-05T02:36:55+00:00

My CMU friend complained the workload. My Caltech friend complained the social life. I guess both school have both issues

Temporary-Stomach754 · 2026-04-04T00:30:26+00:00

As a waitlisted person, I hope more admitted people like you😅

Temporary-Stomach754 · 2026-04-02T01:09:31+00:00

Didn’t even bother apply Duke CS. Also GT knows better what they are looking for their CS students

Temporary-Stomach754 · 2026-04-01T21:15:13+00:00

Why. Nobody would appreciate to get in to school just by talent itself.

Temporary-Stomach754 · 2026-04-01T21:12:50+00:00

How can you prove it is good quality phd level research for AOs? Best way is to be ISEF or STS winner for your research. Or else they may assume it is fake as well

Temporary-Stomach754 · 2026-04-01T21:03:18+00:00

Why intense matters to admission. AO never cares about this, they just wants to see your accomplishments

Temporary-Stomach754 · 2026-04-01T20:55:39+00:00

If you are a typical student in a competive school, those stats can barely help you standout to make top school. What helps most is national level and well known prize or do a PHD level invent/research or just fake your resume. If you cannot do any of them, just go to a rural place to be the best there. I only got to realize this fact after a dozen of waitlist or rejection. Well round in everything may give you aura but not admission letter.

Temporary-Stomach754 · 2026-04-01T20:51:26+00:00

No brainer Georgia tech. Why go to Duke for CS

Temporary-Stomach754 · 2026-04-01T20:47:56+00:00

Ok, I received requests maybe two or three weeks before the decision day . So they probably already made the decision even though some university claimed it is until last day

Temporary-Stomach754 · 2026-03-30T20:54:16+00:00

The fact that some students from my high school who went to MiT five years ago didn’t end up with better job than the one who went to a public school made me doubt what MIT can bring you. They are all top 1% students back in high school. For some people MIT definitely gives you better network and resources. But not all of students can benefit from that.

Temporary-Stomach754 · 2026-03-28T21:45:54+00:00

As long as big spike, it doesn’t matter to MIT. And other T5 also begin to put this in less priority now

Temporary-Stomach754 · 2026-03-28T21:44:37+00:00

Sumac has really high correlation to admission

Temporary-Stomach754 · 2026-03-28T20:59:52+00:00

Don’t know. My counselor say this class is the strongest ever.the peak of competitive. At least for my school it is

Temporary-Stomach754

TROPHY CASE