I'm finishing high school in December and starting university next March. Still don't know what I'm going to do. I'm posting this because I'm just so fucking depressed right now. I wanted to study software engineering at a really nice uni, it's public(we have public and private unis here) so I don't have to pay anything, it's an hour and a half commute from home but I don't care, it's regarded as one of the best in the country, overall a great university. In my country most unis don't care about your grades, so you can go to whatever college you want as long as you pass the entrance exam or take a small course(some don't even have that! So you sign up and get in) but this one, it HAD to be the university I want to go to, only welcomes 1000 students per year and selects them based on their grades, on average. I don't know how to explain... say you have 10 in math, 8 in biology, 7 in P.E., 9 in english. That'd give you an 8,5 average. My average was never good, I almost always have 10s on my tests, but I always forget to do my homework. I get distracted a lot and it's difficult to concentrate on stuff. Like, I get home, I KNOW I have to do homework, but something else catches my attention, and I totally forget about it. And when I do my homework I often cannot concentrate on it for too long. Sometimes everything's fine and my mind just starts to wander, next thing I know I don't know how to do 2+2 because I keep forgetting what I had to do next. Another thing is that behaviour influences a LOT in your grades and it's like this in most schools in my country. Because I get distracted so easily, I'm always talking in class, or drawing, or spacing out, or just not doing what I'm supposed to. So then even if I have perfect 10s in all my tests, I can have a 1 on behaviour and the teachers can easily put a 7 in my trimester or even fail me(6 and below). Now... I don't know what to do. I was really looking forward to going there. I know that if I were given the chance to take the entrance exam I would surely get in. But no, these guys just looked at my grades, said 'this girl has a shitty average so she must be stupid' and that's it.

Sorry for the long rant, I just wanted to vent, I'm so stressed right now, I'm crying. Gah.

TL;DR: I didn't get into the college I wanted, now I'm sad. Any encouraging words or advice would be appreciated.

Oh geez ahaa, I think almost every hard working high schooler like you can completely relate to this.

Unfortunately the only thing I can say and I hope to Gawd I don't come out like an ass (if I did, please feel free to call me one and I won't mind at all) since I tend to be blunt is: It's done. It happens. Get over it.

Now to make it sound less like my dad and more like me - don't worry. I'm not very clear about what exactly you lost by not getting in. I'm assuming it's because you had a very strong desire to go there.

ANYWAYS. I'm from California and these schools called the UCs (University of California insert city here) only look at your GPA (grade scores, more or less the exact same thing as yours. Too low? You're stupid. Too high but you didn't do anything special? You're out) and that's it. If you're tied with someone they will look at your extracurricular activities and supplements/essays that you turned in. But those cases are very unlikely. During my senior year I applied to all of the UC's and private schools. I got reject from. every. single. one. And I got rejected from this one private school I had set my eyes on ever since I was 7 years old. I was incredibly devastated to the point where I cried and could hardly bring myself to eat or wake up in the morning. So I decided to just go to another college and yeah it sucked I felt like shit but after some time I got over it. I mean honestly if you wanted to go there just because it was the best in your subject - sometimes that just isn't the best choice.

I wanted to major in Medicine, so I wanted to go to that private school where Medicine was the top. My friends got in, I didn't. So like I said I went to a nearby college and did all he same classes as my friends at that fucking private school. I think the most hilarious part is what happened after two years - where I am now. The same classes I took at this college were much harder and went into much more detail than what my friends learned in that so called "top school". For example I completed one year of General Chemistry at my college and finished at the same time as my friends in that Private University. I got two As and they got 1 B and 1 C only because you know - that school was the best and it was harder. The funny thing is - not only did I get a much higher grade than them, I knew WAY more than them in that particular subject with less studying.

I decided to transfer with the grades I had with that lower college. My friends decided to do the same and transfer out from that Private University. We wanted to go to this other college. Guess who got in and guess who didn't? I got in - my friends didn't. I came from a lower college with higher grades and they came from a higher college but with lower grades.

What I'm trying to say is that don't beat yourself up on not getting into your University. It sucks yes - it's heartbreaking yes - but this might teach you a few things. I did the exact same thing in high school. Those rejections were a SLAP in the face for me and you know what - I forced myself to give a shit and pay attention and everything, and you know what? I don't regret not getting into that at all. The fact that you didn't get in could be a sign that "Hey this just isn't right for me" or "Hey looks like I need to get my act together". I hope I didn't cross any boundaries, but it's all I have to say on that matter.

Don't overgeneralize. It may be a great University but it can't guarantee you a great life. :)

Im really sorry you didnt get to go where you wanted to But maybe its for the better and you dont even know it! Just keep your head up and keep on trucking

That's unfortunate...seriously, I'm sorry that you didn't get accepted! I hate colleges like that sometimes...ugh. =__= Good grades aren't everything. I know a girl who got accepted into a really good university and all she ever did in my class was cheat off of smart people, literally. The teachers never caught her, but of course they'd get the other kids for chewing gum or texting on their phone, which is pretty miniscule compared to cheating on unit tests. It's frustrating.

My personal advice for you comes from personal experience. I KNEW I was doing horrible in high-school and wouldn't get into any university that I wanted, so I applied to a community college (currently one of the best in the U.S. - offers practically everything), and am basically working for all my credits for an AS degree right now. I will then transfer to my wanted university (as long as I have a B average, I'll get in) and finish my BS for the next 2 years. It saves me A LOT OF money than if I were to just go do all 4 years at a university. I think you should do the same. You'll still get to go to your dream-school, it'll just cost you a lot less and you'll do the first 2 years at a community college.

:)

You didn't sound like an ass at all. You just told it as it is, and I appreciate that. I wanted to get into this Uni because it's one of the best, if not the best, in the country, in the subject I want to study. You're guaranteed a job as soon as you graduate. Plus it's free. The only other university on par of this one is private and extremely expensive. I can't afford it without my parents' help or a scholarship, but because I have a baby, they are not paying. And obviously a scholarship is off the table because of my grades.

Thank you :) My mom told me the same thing, "maybe it's for the better and you don't know it yet"

I was talking to my parents yesterday and they said the exact same thing as you :) I'll probably start going to the college where my dad teaches, or maybe the one where my aunt teaches :P I know I'll get in for sure because they don't make a fuss about your grades or anything. My mom told me to just make sure I have good grades that first year so I can transfer to the University I want to go to. Plus both colleges I'm considering now are really close home and one of them even has a daycare! It's great for me and my daughter :)

Thank you all for your words ♥