Spring Break 2010
Where do I even start…
From March 26 to April 1, hands down the most disappointing week of my life.
March 26 - Received an email from Berkeley informing me that I have not been chosen for the Regents Scholarship after I drove down for an interview on the 10th. Wasn’t too disappointed; I had never considered going to Berkeley anyway. Still, I had a funny feeling that this letter would mark the beginning of a disappointing chain of events. I didn’t know just how right I would be.
March 27 - Received a rejection letter from Stanford to start off the first official day of Spring Break. I’d always considered the school one of my top choices if I got in, but surprisingly, I was not too disappointed by this decision. My supplemental essays were weak, so I felt this was somewhat deserved. However, some admits I knew where definitely less deserving than me, and that irritated me greatly.
March 28 - Went to San Francisco with Hallie to take my mind off things. It was an enjoyable trip. The Walt Disney Family Museum is pretty cool, and the Crab House is delicious, albeit a tad expensive.
March 29 - Email from the USC Ba/MD program informing me that I did not get in. I had driven 400 miles to LA and 400 back. Missed 3 days of school for my interview, including two finals. I felt extremely slighted. Yet, though I felt quite downtrodden, this decision only affirmed my dislike of the campus, medical school, and surrounding area. I asked myself: Do you really want to spend 8 years here? The answer was a firm “No.” Also, I received an email that those chosen for an interview for the UCSD Medical Scholars program would be contacted by phone tomorrow by 3 PM. All others would receive an email.
March 30 - Spend half of the day waiting for a call that never came. What was the point of sending out the initial email? So that applicants would wait by their phones, anticipating, hoping, wishing, then despairing over a phone call? Why couldn’t you just send a rejection email directly? Speaking of which, my hopes were not completely killed until tomorrow, when my official rejection was emailed to me.
March 31 - By this time, I felt like shit. Today, I got the mail I had been eagerly anticipating, only to find that I did not receive the Buck Scholarship. Surprised at this one. I thought the interview went very well, but I must have been wrong. Perhaps it was my essay that killed my chances. I really don’t know. I was one of two from my school to be chosen as a finalist, so I suppose I was fortunate to have even gotten the interview. Regardless, this didn’t daunt me too much, as it was just money (and a bit of pride). My family wouldn’t have trouble paying for my education. I hoped for better news tomorrow, but I knew hope was dangerous at this point.
April 1 - Waitlisted by Yale, Brown, and Harvard. Rejected by Princeton. Insulted that Brown would waitlist me, and not banking on getting off the waitlist for Yale or Harvard. Today, I also realized the power of affirmative action. Spent the remainder of my post 2:00 PM day with Hallie. We ate Chipotle and watched Kill Bill and Ironman at her house.
In conclusion, Spring Break 2010 was the most bitter, depressing, and disheartening week of my life. Worse yet, I have 7 chapters of Economics to do in 3 days, and much Science Olympiad to take care of. Still, this entire experience has opened my eyes to the arbitrariness of the college admissions system and, in a broader perspective, life. The only thing I can do now is to enjoy my time as a Regents Scholar at UCLA, and kick serious ass for the next four years. Hopefully, a 45 on the MCAT and valedictorian status will compensate for this hellish week. :)
