As several of my clients are applying to and often getting into their first choice college I’m reminded of a “fun” thing that happened to me. I remember the pressure and the stress of getting the applications done. I succumbed less to the stress of getting in than most. For some reason I rolled with that one. Anyway, my first choice was Brown. I knew I didn’t have the “resume” to get in, but I thought that my ADHD gave me an explanation as to why my “measurables” weren’t quite up to snuff but that if you looked at my total package I was a good candidate. Still a reach. Not getting in would have been a minor footnote in my life as it wasn’t that big a deal. For example, I can’t remember if it was Oberlin that wait listed me and Vassar that I didn’t get into… or the other way around. Who cares.
But Brown was different. My Dad is an Alumnus. So, when I didn’t get in, they sent him a letter offering him counseling, presumably because he should be so disappointed at his son’s lack of success. I have let this fuel me for the 20 years since. In fact, pretty much every time the world has told me that I can’t do “it,” I’ve made it my mission to do “it” anyway if it was really important. Or I’ve let that fuel me as I’ve gone in a different direction.
Standard Disclaimer:
In an effort to foil my own perfectionist tendencies, I do not edit my posts much… if at all. Please and typos, mistakes, grammatical errors, or awkward phrasing. I focus on getting my content down. An imperfect post completed is better than a perfect post that goes unposted.