I was really rooting for her and then after she was rejected I felt bad. But the end of the video completely changed my mind. You get a full ride and act all sarcastic about it and throw the paper on the floor? If only they saw this video, they would snatch that scholarship right from you. Ungrateful people man.

This is completely true. I'm a senior this year and admission decisions for literally all my elite colleges came in today. I'm blessed to have extremely understanding parents. Neither pressured me to apply for Harvard, Princeton, or Yale, but I can relate to what the girl is saying. My relatives in China know very little about American colleges, maybe not even all the Ivies. So when she said she wanted to get into Harvard, Yale, or Princeton so her grandparents would know what they were, my heart went out to her.

I was feeling for this girl... until the end. come on. And I cant help but feel disgusted by her parents as well. Half assed "comforting" and then saying "Im 100% sure she will get into at least one of them." Obviously you can tell where her skewed goals and unrealistic expectations in life are coming from. And watching her as she finds out her decision. Totally not feeling any pressure at all, mom!

She's definitely got some sort of superiority complex. She said she didn't expect anything but that may not be true. She threw her University of Delaware acceptance on the ground, it was so ungrateful.

Well, I got rejected from Harvard, Yale, Dartmouth, Cornell, Princeton, Brown, UPenn, and Columbia, so yeah...

None of u understand...u have to spend 4 years some thier entire lives to get into a ivy everyday u dream of going but when you get that regection eventing u work for goes down. Your entire dream your entire work is for what..nothing

I WOULD KILL TO GO TO JOHNS HOPKINS!!!!! GIRL I WANNA GO TO HARVARD TOO, BUT DON'T DOWN IT WHEN YOU HAVE JOHNS HOPKINS PLUS A FREE RIDE AND OTHER ACCEPTANCES!!!

First of all, the greatest mistake is oftentimes made in the beginning when one decided to work his or her ass off during the next four year of high school just for the solemn purpose of getting into an Ivy. One must NOT dedicate their life into getting into an Ivy because nothing is for sure. You may be the best student of the country and still be rejected. One must be realistic and not assume that he or she will have a guaranteed admission into an Ivy regardless of how good that person is. There are other colleges that are just as good as an Ivy. It's dumb to narrow one's interest into just one specific set of schools without exploring other possibilities.

I sympathized with her, with all the rejections and everything. I feel like I'm in a similar position at the moment, but getting a full ride into any college is a big deal. Sure, it may not have been your initial choice, and I can understand the Ivy League prestige. However, it's important to be grateful of what you get and make the most out of it.

Wow... that personality...

Sophie, I respect and thank you for your strength and courage to share these human moments. More power to you and your family.

You saw in Sophie's email that she got into Johns Hopkins

Ivy League isn't everything, she got into hopkins dude that's awesome

I understand that she was upset that she was rejected. And I empathize with her. I also understand the fact that she wanted her grandparents to know what school she was going to. But she seems to not realize that all of the Ivy Leagues aren't the same, and that they are only a name brand. She got a full scholarship to W&L and didn't appreciate it. So I do agree, to an extent, with the posters that commented that she was ungrateful. But I hope it was just a heat of the moment reaction.

I was also rejected from Harvard, Columbia, Yale, Cornell and Penn... It sucks. I'm also not special enough. :/

Choosing an education is a lot like choosing a car, the more expensive, better the looks, more popularity the more people will admire that over a cheaper, lesser appealing, less popular car. But, in the end, a car is a car, a college is a college and both will take you as far as you need to go in life.

How she feels is totally understandable. I would feel the same way, and I kind of did.

When i was in 9th grade i use to mock the school I go to now. It was a back up and i was set on going to the school of my choice. My back up isnt a bad school just didnt want to go there. Ended up not getting into my school of choice and got a full ride from my back up. It was a reality check for me. I realized that I shouldnt take things for granted. Now i couldnt be happier where I am and getting paid to go to school :D

I strongly agree. Rejections are difficult to handle.Especially a rejection from something so life changing (For viewers: keep in mind not everyone knows how to make sand into gold and she was young). When you work really hard for a long time and fall short you endure a large amount of pain.

I really feel bad for Sophie too. Getting a rejection is just a terrible feeling. I had a 2270 SAT, 4.0 GPA and was rejected from Georgetown University... I was so devastated and G-Town wasn't even my top choice school.

okay, i can honestly say this pissed me off. i applied to 13 colleges, and got into most of them, and each time i got a acceptance i was happy. if she cant be happy that she got full tuition and into a great school then i can easily say i am glad she didnt get into an ivy

I would never check my college decision status with my parents standing behind my shoulder.

Just watched this and got the feeling that I am going to be just as scared and nervous when december/april come around.

I don't know if anyone else really understands her as well as I do. I got rejected from all four of the ivy league schools I applied to and it was probably the most painful thing I ever had to deal with in my life. Getting in gives an end that justifies the horrible means of rigorous classes and a lack of social life. Yes it is for the name, and yes this is wrong, but getting rejected feels like a failure to those who are taught and conditioned by the ivy league admissions not to fail.Oh well

honestly, i think the best thing a student can do is make the best of where they go. just like how we are trying to make the best of where we are now anyway.

@ainezm What did you write about in your personal statement?

To all people applying to the Ivy league schools, just know that its only a name. As someone who went to an Ivy league school, I can tell you that you will get as good, if not a better education at a different university. Just remember, in the end, the name does not matter, the education and experience does.

Yeah true. My mom was so proud of me too even though she pushed me a lot to keep applying for scholarships and study for those standardized tests. She wanted me to apply to Harvard too lol but I'm happy where I currently am. And Sophie is currently enrolled at Johns Hopkins for grad school.

When so many great students apply to Ivy's, it's tough to get in when everyone looks the same on paper. I did get accepted to Cornell, but I turned down the offer to go to a public university because I felt like I'd be happier there. Regardless of where you go, if you make the most of it, you can have an amazing time. If you work hard, you can have a great job afterward, even if your diploma isn't from an ivy.

Man I have to go through this 3 years later??? I probably would feel the same. Even if I got a full scholarship to a college. I mean, yes, I probably would be ungrateful, but it's almost a dream, a standard for Asian Americans to get into Ivy. If they don't get into Ivy, it's like they're a failure. No one is impressed even if your college is actually very good. Since this will likely happen to me, I hope I can give better reactions when my time comes.

dude, it doesn't matter which school you get into. just as long as you try your best, and become devoted into what you do. honestly, i would love to get into any ivy school but it obviously doesn't matter; in the end, its how you are as a person, and keeping perspective.

What were here grades and scores?

...she said "I'm scared..not really because I'm tough...(a minute later, driving) I'm really scared."

I think you have to keep a positive massage not a negative.. One like " I really don't except much". Like Joel Osteen said.. When you keep a positive message like :: I am beautiful, intelligent, and I will be accepted would have helped so always keep positive ness first and don't ever be dissatisfied. :)

Actually it's not more fun opening the letter, because a big envelope means "accepted" and a small envelope menas anything but accepted so you know the second you open your mailbox.

How do you know? And how did she get into JH and WL if that was so?

where do you go to school?

what were your stats??

Its not about being ungrateful, I was accepted into two ivies and six other big name schools, but I just like her, worked my ass off for MIT and nothing less. Shes allowed to be disappointed.

so where did you end up going to?

whoa, respect! I live in finland but i will try to get into few good US colleges aswell. I wish you best luck :D

cant believe people genuinely believe that ivy league doesn't matter, im from the UK where we have better unis and university name is important. the reason why is because there is no standardisation across university degrees so everyone looks at the quality of your uni to judge the quality of your degree. a 2:1 from harvard is not the same as a 2:1 at a lower uni

Hmm. Colleges seem very good at distinguishing their top tier students. I would be extremely happy to get that scholarship... just seeing a person like her throwing that way already reflects the negative behaviors she has despite her academic achievements which is a big no-no for Harvard, Princeton, etc. they want students who would represent their college. By all means representing a college is something more than grades alone.

Actually, a big name in med. school doesn't matter (it's not like they can undereducated a physician...). It would help to get into med school, but a good name only matters if you're specializing, or so they say. Btw, she got into Washington U, arguably /the/ best name in medicine. So while it's nice to watch ivy league schools see through superficial (?), 'paper-thin' transcripts like hers, she still got accepted to an astoundingly good university, on scholarship

I believe she should have been grateful for the other great schools she's gotten into, but keep in mind that there's other reasons why a lot of seniors are upset that they don't get into certain schools. A big one is disappointment from parents. While some parents appear to not really mind, sometimes they really do and that can really hurt. Sometimes it's not for the prestige, it's to avoid disappointment. But yes I KNOW that being grateful for other acceptances is important.

That's exactly what I was picturing...a hard working kid in another state that worked his ass off for a chance to go to college being disappointed that he can't afford it and then this spoiled brat acts like she's too good for it. Unbelievable.

Yes. That doesn't mean I wouldn't take the full scholarship. But considering my sister got into all the schools she applied to, including the Ivy League, Stanford, the best tech schools in the country...there goes the parent pressure.

@luxBATTLE I'm applying to UPenn CAS for ED, got any tips? :P

Counting the people that got in because of: - Legacy - Athletics - Went to feeder schools such as Andover, & Exeter sometimes costing over 40k a year - Conections + money Acceptance rates to these schools are lower than the published % rates. Every year that passes competition/applications increase which makes it harder to get in the next year. Many Harvard students who got in 30 years ago wouldn't be able to get in today. In 1869 U could get in to Harvard as long as u passed their ent. exam

Washington and Lee is a top notch school, and this girl put in the amount of work that her parents required, she didn't do it because she was motivated herself. As an extremely hard working student, with ivy dreams myself, this girl disgusts me. Think of all the people W&L turned down, many of them would kill for this opportunity and whether it's her first choice or not she shouldn't be so ungrateful.

Don't amass a bunch of debt because you want to get into an ivy league college. Its really only good for the networking and it looks good on your resume in industries like investment banking. But when its all said and done its pretty much about "who you know" if you want to succeed in most industries.

Exactly! I know that all the Ivys and prestigious colleges consider your school's academics and reputation and how you've used all the opportunities they offer to the max. You don't need to go to a big named high school to be accepted.

Her parents seem so supportive "Either way we will be proud of you, okay?"

@luxbattle you said it best. Anyway, why apply to a school that you get no happiness from upon acceptance?

Ironically speaking, 3 of my family members that did to go NYU, Columbia and Yale ended up working at careers where they make less than $150,000. 4 members of the family that went to non-ivy league school are currently doctors and 1 business owner with annual salary ranges from $250,000-$650,000+. LOL ivy league schools doesn't promise great money.

it's even harder to transfer. Yale accepts 20 to 30 transfers out of over 1,000 applicants. Plus grades no longer count, it's your leader ship + everything beyond as well

I know, right? That's every high school senior's dream. She's so ungrateful. IF SHE CONTINUES TO ACT UPSET, THEN SHE WILL NEVER GET THROUGH THE COMING YEARS AND ASPIRE TO GET A GREAT JOB. She's not as tough as she says she is, crying is what pessimists and babies do. Optimists who take what they can get and have positive expectations are the tough ones. Had she been positive the whole time, she could've gotten in.

True. Perhaps it was reflected in her essays...

She actually ended up going to GWU because of the money. You have to remember she is class of 2010.

The top score that you can get is a 2400, but for the schools she is looking at you should have a mid-2200 and higher SAT score. And she's Asian. It is known that colleges, especially top colleges, discriminate against Asians because stereo-typically (well, maybe not since this is often true) Asians have higher GPA's and test scores that any other race. Therefore Asian applicants are held to a higher standard in college admissions. So basically-she was screwed from the start.

If you look carefully 2:57 there's an email with the subject "Congratulations from Johns Hopkins University!". I hardly think that's a mediocre route.

@Samonuh ED is the way to go!! I did RD, but those who apply ED have the best shot of getting in b/c it is a smaller application pool, if you get deferred you are still considered during RD, and the wait list...also, its a higher acceptance rate during ED...SAT scores matter, but not soooooo much, but make sure you have a mind blowing essay! (not generic though)

she has got a car, her own bookshelf chock full of books and many extracurricular activities. i don't get why she's not happy.

Her parents were so supportive! :)

Man, i remember when I was waiting for that webpage to load....

I completely agree with you. There are so many people who can't afford to go to college or take out loans and get in debt. It's a really good school, who cares if it isnt an ivy?

@luxBATTLE, i think that this is a bit harsh.when one has decided on a "top school",his/her first choice,getting a rejection letter really does feel like the end of the world. Im starting my freshman year in 2 weeks. My top choice was Stanford,and I was rejected. It hurt like hell. It still hurts a bit to this day. UCLA accepted me,however, and I am proud to be a Trojan in a little while, but I know that I most likely would not have chosen to attend the school had I gotten into Stanford.

"sophie later learns that she has also been rejected from Havard" ...HAVARD??

Hey I know it's painful that you worked your butt off so hard to try to get into an ivy league but they are VERY selective and your parents are very proud of you either way. My friend got into Washington & Lee on a full ride and you're definitely in for a very good treat. I currently attend UF and if it makes you feel better, an ivy league definitely would've declined me for sure. I barely missed the top 10% of my class lol.

Wow. the way she just thew the Delaware and Washington admission letters was pretty harsh. I mean she acted like they were rejection letters from local community colleges. She should be grateful that she was good enough to be accepted somewhere. Especially with a full tuition scholarship!

@luxBATTLE Would talking about my marching band experience be generic? I mean, we've won national awards and it has pretty much been my life for the past six years...

I agree. I would love to go to that college on a full ride tuition. Some of these kids are never grateful for what they have in front of them. We know she only wanted to Ivy League Colleges. Yeah, so does every other kid in America and around the world. In my opinion, attending a great school matters, but studying a good major that will get you a good job, having something to do that would look good on a post-graduate resume, and saving money is way more important. Forget the famous name.

So did she get into a college ??

this makes me feel bad about myself

When the camera goes off, the beatings begin.

success ≠ ivy league college; ivy league college ≠ success

In order to be a competitive candidate at all but the least selective ivies (ex: Cornell) you need above a 34 on the ACT or a 2250 on the SAT. A 2100 is very good, but it's not what the Ivies want.

If you guys have watched her Princeton interview which she did not prepare for at all and dressed very informally for, it'd make more sense as to why she didn't get into 6 Ivies. Obviously, her work ethic needs improvement. There is no extreme bias. You are who you are.

Derp. "all four of the ivy league schools I applied to"

I have always hoped that the top schools evaluate the character as well as academics...this proves that they do. Faith in educational institutions restored!

I wanted to get into Yale just to prove people from small public schools can. Around here people believe that you have to go to some huge or prestigious school to even stand a chance. It sucks to see people limit themselves

Thanks for giving us a rare look into a person's quest to get into their preferred universities. You set your hopes & standards very high and IMHO that's commendable & better than these low-expectation-settle-for-scraps-MFs who slag you for it. The pressure to succeed is palpable - you're also carrying the hopes of your parents, family & friends. I can fully empathize why a full-ride scholarship ANYWHERE else isn't going to cut it for you in this moment. My humble advice: Go Ivy for Grad School.

Sophie is just upset because she had a dream,and unfortunately, it didn't work out the way that she had wanted it to. To express content over her not getting into an Ivy, a dream of hers, is very harsh.

she got into gw with a FULL scholarship and she threw the letter on the ground?

what is your gpa and sat

search ivy league dreams (yes, she got into Washington and lee class of 2010)

How do you know that her essays weren't good, or that she 'bombed' her interviews?

I totally understands what she means about making her grandparents back home proud, and that's why the name matters ti her. I see where she is coming from.

nice parents. I know in HS getting into a good school was a matter of pride and not just where the school would take you. If i knew i was going to the same school as some other kid who didnt wasnt at my level i would be pissed. I got into my reach school fortunately which outranks some of the ivies in certain fields (take a guess) but i am struggling, i cant even keep a 3.0 which shuts me out of most opportunities. Those "bums" in hs probably have got better summer gigs than i do now

I agree she should be grateful, but being rejected causes serious damage to a person's confidence and emotions. She applied to many Ivy League schools with the thought that she was that "special" person.She probably worked hard ,like all the other candidates, to get into her selected colleges. When she was rejected she felt as though she "isn't special" and all her work was for nothing. Yes later on she'll realize what she has(I hope) but at that moment her life came to an end.~Empathy~

Watching this makes my spirit go down for college admissions :/

Which means that it's probably not fully her fault that she's "superficial". If a family stresses out the child and never allows them to experience life for more than a college decision, then it's the family/the culture that molded her in such a way. Kudos to you for your achievements. Your probably going to do fine in life, did I massage your ego enough?

@jetliigor of course that happens sometimes but youre forgetting that you just compared 3 doctors (with 4 more years of schooling) to three people with a bachelors. I agree career makes a bigger difference but what a school does is when you are applying to large corporations it gives you a leg up if the interviewer went to the same school. And again this only matters if youre applying to a major firm or lab. Otherwise it wont make a difference. And btw i dont think nyu is an ivy

@asianthinspiration I come from a similar background. I was waitlisted at Princeton (and later accepted), but I never disrespected my other acceptances (Michigan State, University of Michigan, University of Toronto, George Washington) when they offered me acceptance and a scholarship. My parents wanted the name, honor, prestige and quality that comes with an Ivy as much, but probably more, than hers. Sadness is justified, but blatant disrespect and mocking is not. Colleges prefer humility.

poor girl, but she understands her parents are pushing her for her own good.

@MANNYoMANNY Asian parents, black parents, white parents, blah blah parents, are all parents in the end. My parents put a ridiculous amount of pressure on me and I want to make my parents happy as well.

A FULL scholarship to Washington & Lee and you throw it on the ground?! My buddy goes to W&L, had over a 4.5 in high school and got less than 5K a year in scholarship money. BE PROUD!!

I had this SAME experience. I felt like crap for a good two weeks.

I hope everything worked out for you. Just get into a college even if its not top notch.

Transfers are even more difficult when it comes to these schools, generally.