I got rejected from EVERY SINGLE IVY SCHOOL and it was 100% MY FAULT
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 22 авг 2024
- Just personal opinions, but rec letters are fr the scariest part of the process since you can only influence and not control.
Edit 9/17/22: every time I look at this thumbnail I hemorrhage a little on the inside, but oh well it seems to work
==================
Artwork by:
► @nico.d.pie on Instagram
Disclaimer: These are only my experiences and personal suggestion, I am not a professional educator.
-----------------------------
Hi! My name is Shadouw and I am currently a freshmen undergrad at Northwestern University at the time of this video.
Find more information about me here: / vincent-yang-4464291bb
Follow me here:
⋆ Insta: / shadouw_official
-----------------------------
Have feedback or suggestions? Email at vincentyang2026@u.northwestern.edu
I would really like to say thank you, I have a teacher who has been asking for what should be put in the recommendation and I had absolutely no clue what to offer them besides just the basic information because I felt it would be out of place to influence their writing so much. This is awesome to know!
As long as you phrase it as "I believe this would help me the most due to my essays and activities alr writing about x,y,z ___" or "please consider adding x, y, z, because ___" and explain why rather than "you have to write about this". If you're transparent, I think the teacher wouldn't feel like it's out of your place :) Each teacher is diff though so be cautious
@@vincent_yang I’ll try this out and keep that in mind, thank you!! :)
I went to a public school, only have a bachelor's degree, and at 26 years old I make $185k in a a senior engineering position that normally requires 12 years of industry experience. Where you go to school literally means nothing, it's about the choices you make in life.
Yep, it's about networking, skills, being open and searching for opportunity and more
@@hiphipjorge5755 and in order for WE to find GOOD connections is to go to these schools…or im wrong?
Bruh dudes going to northwestern top ten school in the nation
@@scarlett9750 I will say, it is definitely a lot easier if you go to a good school. Also- if you are an immigrant in an area where most people are locals it may be more difficult for you to find connections and navigate through life, hence school does help quite a lot.
Hey, could I ask how you did it?
everyone likes talking about what they did to get in, but it's much harder to talk about what they didn't do right, arguably more useful. thanks a lot for this, I watched it at the right time.
good luck at northwestern you've worked so hard you deserve it!
Thank you!!
I just looked northwestern university up. It seems amazing like 9% acceptance rate??? Dude you shouldn’t feel ashamed at ALL. you did good 👏🏿
I went to UChicago so we obviously made fun of Northwestern all the time because Chicago school rivalries and all. But it’s unquestionably a T15, if not T10 school, and imo it’s better than half the Ivies anyways. Not that anyones opinion matters much at all, different schools are better for different people and the focus on rep and branding of a university is really pointless.
He wanted ivy though
@@matthewchen8452 definitely not better than half the ivies.
@@JAYWLEEIt’s on the same level as half the Ivies.
Yes! My college advisor gave out a brag sheet template to fill out which included personal topics, outside activities, clubs, etc. She’s telling us to be superrr descriptive
My school forces us to do that essentially 😅. Micro controllers, but it's pretty helpful.
0:14 1. Be forward for your letters of rec
--> 4:13 What should be on a letter
8:42 2/3. Pick courses that fit your major
9:26 3/4. Take AP language subjects
10:10 4/5. Only retake SAT/ACT if it's necessary
11:14 5/6. Apply to LOTS of colleges
12:32 6/7. Put time into additional essays
“Your teachers don’t know you”
*Me who goes to a school with 12 other high schoolers (I’m the only senior) taking 1-1 AP physics, chemistry, and calculus:😈
But seriously, this was an incredibly helpful video. Thank you sir :)
Are you in a private or really small public school?
@@drcola143 personally my old high school grouped the same people who had the same academic ability together in the exact same classes. Causing me to hardly see anybody outside of my class
I wish this was the case at my high school, literally everyone in my high school is so competitive with multiple classes of multivariable calc and ap physics C and calc 1 and physics 1 is kind of looked down on :()
@@anything8953 I mean, honestly, for me that was just a natural consequence of the same kids taking the same AP classes.
@@acid1747 hahaha, junior taking multivariable Calc and physics c in classes of 25 with a bunch of juniors and seniors (like 7/18), most of whom are in both checking in. It is so fucking stressful. Literally every test feels like I'm finding out if I deserve to go to a top school. Even though I don't even have an interest inmath or science, I know I can't really afford to get two B-'s, or something. I guess that stress is why I'm here watching this, instead of studying when I currently have a B- and a B+
as a former teacher, just write your own letter of recommendation and just have us sign it. it'll say exactly what you want it to say; teachers save a lot of time and effort. it's a WIN WIN. that's what people do in the business world.
Wait can we do that?
@@b34k8as long as you have the teacher read it over first before they sign it.
Be careful. Colleges might notice the similarity in writing style when they read your essays.
as expected, a teacher never misses an opportunity to pass on something they should be doing to the students or parents. lol
I am an Asian 4th-year medical student in the US (US MD). This guy knows what he's talking about.
These concepts not only apply to college app, but also higher education program apps like med schools, MBA, law schools, etc.
I hope more people watch this video to increase chance of accomplishing their dreams.
Was this something you were aware of, or did you just recently reach this conclusion after looking back at the application process? Northwestern is a great school don't forget and I'm sure you will enjoy your new friends and experience there!
Both really, but during the school year I was either too busy to care, or I didn't value recc letters as highly as I should... Now looking back though, def should've put it on high priority. But yea really happy NU did accept me! Though won't be able to know why since they don't save admissions files haha
1. COFFEE CHATS ARE GOOD. please do not write those off. /formulaic/ coffee chats don’t work - like those that are obviously quid pro quo. the teacher is not gonna give a shit about you if you make it clear you don’t care about them. all of my recommenders for undergraduate and graduate school were from personal relationships with advisors, whether they were professors getting coffee or high school teachers over seeing my extra curricular activities. you have to be smart about the recommenders you choose so yes, def don’t choose a teacher who’s seen you in like one class.
2. ALWAYS WAIVE YOUR RIGHT TO SEE THE LETTERS!!! All schools find the fact that students can see the rec letters as tacky, to use a very rude term. you always waive it because the college wants to see what the instructor says about the student without their oversight.
I’m speaking from the standpoint of someone who did not go to an ivy league (didn’t want to try for the BA but i will for my PhD) so feel free to disregard my points, but i went to a private college for my undergraduate degree and i’m currently getting my masters. i’m also currently teaching at a university. my advisor who got me into my graduate school and am helped me navigate different academic opportunities went to an ivy league for their PhD.
FYI to everyone, you do not need to go to a top school to have a great life and career. I was able to go out of state on nearly a full ride (tuition is like $45k a year and I graduated with only $10k in loans). I'm a CPA and own my own home. You can do it!
That has nothing to do with the topic. My daughter goes to mit to be around super smart people and advance her field of neuroscience. If it was about money she could get an MD easier
im not even close to going to college yet but still this video was very useful straightforward and simple, thanks 4 existing lol
if only i could read my teachers’ rec letters 💀 i’m j hoping for the best at this point
I'm like 90% sure my letter of rec got me into my school. It was written by my French teacher who I had had for 3 years (since there was only one French teacher for the entire school of like over a thousand kids)
im applying to over 20 schools, but i have zero safeties and a 3.5 gpa (unweighted) and 4.09 weighted, if these schools have like a 10-30% chance acceptance rate, and i have 3 other target schools on top of my 18 reach/lottery schools, according to my minimal stats knowledge i will get into at least one right 😟, i do have two (i think) good rec letters and a counselor helping me on essays (but not many extracurriculars)
Good luck
I would still apply to at least 1 safety just to be sure! But good luck yea!
Yeah have at least one safety!
Also, the acceptance rate isn't chance/probability - it's closer to percentiles(?). If you're in the top 10% in a set of test scores, that isn't because you won a lucky draw of 1 in 10, but most likely knew the correct answers. There is a certain point where your application is good enough that it is a chance concept (just depends on what the college is looking for) but, because the 10-30% rate isn't random, the stats rule I think you're speaking of doesn't apply? Correct this if its wrong ,:D
@@Supersymmetrical my counseler listed everything into categories and target ones i think were like 50-80% chacne of me getting in, not overall so I thought this was an Independent event, and i add up 1/2 three times to see how likely i am to get in! and that was over 1 so therefore im going to college! But ive been tryign to figure out if it was independent or dependent events for the past week or so 💀and was very tempted to ask my stats teacher lol. The reaches (20-50) and lottery (
@@Supersymmetrical If I read this right, yes, essentially if a college has a 10% admittance and you applied to 10 colleges, that doesn't up your chances in terms of a better chance of getting into the school, since you're rolling the dice each time you're applying to colleges.
But if you're applying to more colleges, you have more chances to roll the dice, so all in all it does help you in general.
But it's not percentiles, more like chance in my personal opinion.
To think about it this way: since person A may have a 60% chance of getting into a school that has an average of 10% acceptance rate, that's chance.
If you want to think about it as being in the top 10% of applicants, you can as well, it's just different wording, and it's also harder to gague what % you are at. It's much easier to gague your % of getting into colleges by looking at the average acceptances however (and assuming the worst)
I dreamed of going to Stanford or an Ivy League school, and I didn't get into a single one either. I got acceptances from Northwestern and the University of Michigan, and opted for the latter for the in-state tuition. Now I'm in medical school.
For many young Asians, especially Asian males, your chances of getting into a prestigious college are far outside of your control even with excellent grades, SAT/ACT scores, and extracurriculars. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion departments around the country have decided long ago that we're overrepresented, "white-adjacent," and undeserving of institution-funded scholarships/internships/mentorship opportunities. Thus far, the courts have enabled them. Don't stress too much about your school; your ability to consistently work hard and manage your life well will far outshine your pedigree in the long run, no matter where your career takes you. I hope more Asian students and their parents understand this reality.
I'm black and honestly, screw affirmative action--it seems like a positive for students of underrepresented minorities to enter college, but in hindsight, it's demeaning to us because it feels like we were accepted to prestigious schools not because of our talent, but because of our race. For all I care, the top universities should only care about one's personality and academics. Whatever happened to, "[...] They will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character?"
my mother’s physician went to duke for undergrad and wake forest for medical school. both are not ivy league, but here’s the lesson she learned- don’t put yourself in debt in undergrad by going to a private/ivy school. the idea of an ivy league in and of itself perpetuates classist ideals.
Tell your mom's doc to stop coping.
"Class" has always exist, still exists, and will always exist. Cope more about it.
From what I know though, exclusive schools tend to be super cheap if youre below a certain income. Always look into sticker price vs actual price.
people here acting like the ivies arent overrated… It is completely true that they are really good schools, great even. But lets not act like you will learn the secrets of the universe over there. Try searching for schools in your state (they tend to be cheaper for you) that SPECIALIZE and are known for programs in which you want your career to be in. Having only 30K of debt compared to 100K + for the same degree from an accredited school will most likely be a lot less pressure/financial strain when you get out of college. Also one last thing: College is not only important for a degree, but extremely necessary for social growth and handling real world interactions. Go to Ivy leagues but unless you are in the legacies same tax bracket, you will most likely feel a lot of alienation and annoyance by the sheltered world view they have, and they will most likely not be able to empathize with a lot of your struggles. So be prepared for an attitude of young rich entitlement.
... for letters of reccomendation, if they want you to do it a year in advance I'd recommend in that time you go get a job and work damn hard at it. Your supervisors will notice and they'll also likely know you better than a teacher will. They'll be able to write about specific good experiences they've had with you rather than the generic stuff that teacher's will write about.
I don’t know why I’m watching this since I’m fully in a phd program, but please don’t measure yourself based on your school. If you feel like you are learning and go to an accredited school, that’s all that matters. To young people out there some undergrad letter tips I have are 1) have one teacher at least that does know you more intimately. Perhaps they taught you for multiple classes across multiple years. 2) avoid asking your senior teachers. They really don’t know you at all. 3) quality over quantity. You don’t need more than 3 letters, but make sure they count and standout.
Also, once you are in college, keep in touch with professors you do like and follow their work. Letters of recommendation are important for grad school too. Frequent office hours and contribute in lecture or else they won’t know you at all and probably will decline writing a letter.
Y’all got this!
You literally speedran how to write an application and explained it way better than counselors in my school ever could
i‘m currently a senior in HS, but one of the things i did when requesting my letters of rec was to split them up between teachers who i know more personally and teachers who can attest to my academics and work ethic. i would occasionally eat lunch with a teacher (if they weren’t grading) or show up to clubs that they were sponsoring to put myself in positions where i would be remembered. it goes a REALLY long way to show you care, especially if you have the academic achievements to back the information you give to them
i am incredibly impressed by the quality of this video by such a small channel, great stuff!
WOAH A TLDR? AND GETTING RIGHT INTO IT? You've earned my respect in 30 seconds. Thank you
ABSOLUTELY LOVED THIS VIDEO! so insightful and informative, i knew recs were important but couldn't specifically focus on "why and how" they're important which was made very clear through this video. Once again i so appreciate your effort and time :) I'm doing a couple ivies but madly focusing on Stanford and the whole "take supplements seriously made a lotta sense" hehe thanks!
This is incredibly helpful, you’re an amazing speaker respect
I applied as a junior last year and made the mistake of not even submitting a resume to most teachers. I was a promising student on paper, but my personality was barely there because of a bunch of negligence on one of my counselor's behalf. However, I think that the rec letters are what really dug my grave. I'm making sure this year to do a vivid dossier of sorts of not only my activities, but my passions and personalities as well.
You still should ask, the first day of class. Walk up to them, say hey (Mr, Ms, Mrs) I am X, I know we don’t know each other yet, but I am hoping you could write a recommendation letter for me for college. Majority of the time it’s yes, I will keep an eye on you throughout the semester or year. Then, check in on them weekly. If they have a tutoring session, go to one a few times throughout the month, and also help your fellow students. See what clubs they’re a part of, and participate. This allows them to see not only how you are academically, but get a dose of your personality.
I got a 35 in all subjects, but a 29 in math, even though math is definitely and undoubtedly my strongest subject. Quite sad.
this was so helpful, thank you!
I mean, think about it...people don't uproot their entire lives and move across the country or even across the WORLD just because all schools are the same.
They definitely aren't.
But also, one school that is good for one person might not be for another.
It really all depends on the particular student.
Got into northwestern as well for my PhD :)
yesss, go cats
I'll be signing for uni in a few months. These are very helpful, Thankyou!
Teacher so busy like a professor now
joining clubs are really important because you really get to know the advisor/teacher.
More chances to learn from the mistakes, tysm amigo, how’s college going
Yep yep, but lol not quite there yet... just 9-ish more days
@@vincent_yang Good Luck, that College doesn’t know what they’re up against haha
@@yahiaosman8938 they def won't regret accepting me, I can tell u that at least lol
Golden advice, even better write them stories about yourself, you need that personal touch in letters
The guy in the video is so cute omggg. I'm just here staring at him not listening to what he says
Absolute awasome man!
Ask:
How have I changed the school environment and my peers? (clubs, passions, etc.)
Comparison with other peers, uniqueness?
How have you influenced classmates (group work)?
Bring your own examples!
Other tips:
Pick courses that align with your major
Take AP Language Studies
Only retake ACT/SAT if necessary
Apply to more colleges!
Put time into Additional Essays
You don't choose the college's , The college's choose you - Shadouw 2022
Do you have the money for full tuition??? Cause then you choose the college.
@@jonnyfendi2003 LMFAO
idk why im watching this cause theres no way id even get a recommendation letter in the first place
ur watching bc you're cool
in all seriousness you do need 2 letters minimum from what I know of, but I may be wrong
Teachers are somewhat obligated to write you a rec letter if you ask them. It’s not difficult to get a recommendation letter. It’s difficult to get a good one
These sat prep books in the background... They're staring at me...
Dude you're going to be fine. College only has a tenuous connection to the workforce, 2nd and even 3rd tier universities have great faculties. I studied a liberal arts specialization at a top 10 university and it did nothing for me outside of school. Zero. Zip. Zilch. Nada. Honestly, it made me feel arroga
nt and gave me no practical skills, probably the worst combo you can have. Networking and internships and choice of major is vastly more important. Onward and upward.
Me watching this 3 days after my letters of rec were submitted
I wish people would stop measuring success exclusively by salary.
Yes, you can go to any random school and make a lot of money. I don't think anyone disputes that.
But some universities have facilities and opportunities that others don't. That's just the reality of the situation. Additionally, the quality of the staff can vary dramatically from one school to another.
Where you go to school doesn't matter if all you're thinking about is money, sure.
But in terms of experiential learning, networking, and campus culture....what school you go to can definitely make a huge difference.
Frankly, I'm not going to school with hopes of becoming rich afterwards, anyway. Otherwise, I would've just gone to any med school.
Northwestern better than a lot of the ivies 😤
6:23 using this time stamp for later!!
thank u sm I’m applying to music schools
So this was helpful !!
Ok watching these vids hits different after knowing I got early entry into USYD, UTS, Macquarie University and Western Sydney University in Australia WTFFFFFFFFFF I knew I performed well at school but not THAT WELL toskskskswkksskwkwkakkskwiaka
Seriously no one can be trusted these days
Hey, was just hoping to ask a question: how does this video relate to small schools and people who attend them? I live in the middle of Amish country Indiana, and my graduating class has less than 250 people at the moment. For example, is self studying for ap’s really worth it if your school only offers 2 outside of computer science (for some reason we offer all cs ap’s but only physics a and calc ab outside of those)? Most videos like these are always structured towards people in bigger schools, and there hasn’t been a t20 commit in our school since my freshman year (a guy who ended up at Yale) so it’s theoretically possible. It just feels like navigating the college application process blindfolded because 99% of resources can’t apply to smaller schools like mine.
Interesting,
Self-studying for APs is always worth it, getting more AP scores will boost your stats.
As for if it's possible, it defiantly is. I lived in El Paso, which was a smaller city compared with Houston, or San Antonio, essentially I still will be compared with those big cities during the application process.
So you need to do everything you can really, so I would suggest taking more APs nevertheless
Umm- it's not the counselors fault. They don't know you and don't know what you want in the letter!!!
Oh shit, I applied to 13 and I thought that was too many.
Anyone an astronomer? I want to know how you got there
Hey bro ..
I have got 80percent in my 12th boards India
89 in my 10th .
Do I have a chance to get into IVIES ?
Honestly saying ..
Taking about LOR and official stuffs I'm definately sure I m gonna receive full cooperation with with my principal and school teachers cordinator as well .
I have one of the best relationship with my teachers .. by heart cause I have part of my institute for 14 years .
I was headboy of my school (house).
Captain of school cricket team and kabaddi .
I have engaged in public speaking including hosting for independence day and republic day for several times .
I have engaged in science fairs and culture fair as well and won it .
4 times quiz winner .and some little social work also I have done.
The thing is -
Please tell me if I have a chance to get into IVIES.
Neither I have the proper guidance nor my school. I can't afford a councellor as well and we don't have any .
Please help me brother ,about filling process and mistakes to avoid .
I'm not quite as well versed with the benchmarks and standards for the (Indias?) board exams, but I do think if you really wan to try you can give it a shot! There might be some things you can do to improve your activities, but I would say ivys are very competitive indeed. But try your best!
seriously dude - go to a good Indian school
@@JamesJoyce12 tbh I would've considered international if it wasn't for the heafty fees...
International students -anywhere- pay much more than domestic- local folk pay even less than domestic folk too
you won't get into an ivy if you type that way
Well, that would not work if you wanted to be a surgeon :)
I feel like you just screwed up your recs though. You aren’t supposed to see ur recs like at all. My teachers and college consuleors basically told me to waive my rights to see the letter because if you don’t, colleges take it as like you influenced what the recommendation letter said. And i disagree with the point on teachers not knowing you. You should only ask for rec letters from classes you had for 2 semesters and that you actively engage in the class. The teacher isn’t going to know you at all if you are in the back of the class and barely participate and will have nothing to write for your rec letter.
Yea def screwed up on the recs lol that's the point of the video, but i dont think it's the same reason as what you said, so i just wanted to clarify for anyone reading
I didn't ask to see my recs at ALL- I personally did waive my rights, but technically the counselor/teacher is still allowed to show you if they have a draft or something (?) don't quote me on that. You won't be able to see the final result though, like I didn't see the final letter they sent in, even though the teachers did ask for guidelines (and I didn't request any changes or anything for the stuff they told me they wanted to write about which was the point of my video imo). I didn't get to see my counselor recc until I was applying for a scholarship way after my college apps, but I later learned that it was the same recc letter she sent to colleges, and it was made from this form she sent at the beginning of the year that I didn't think too much about bc I didnt know it was for the letter. SO what ended up happening was my counselor and teacher reccs just said the same thing since it was just the same info lol... the best recc letters define diffeernt aspects about you- and only you can technically control that info depending on what you tell the teacher in your coffee conversation about the recc letter.
That being said, I didn't really like my counselor's letter because it was like word by word what I wrote on the form, and despite me co-founding the student council (it was a small school), and becoming president- none of that was ever emphasized in the recommendation letter really- and I actually made an impact that wasn't outlined at all-and if the counselor had written on about it... it would've made my app much stronger since she comes from a position of authority...
Basically, she had a template and copy-pasted everything over from the form... which imo at that time was kinda lazy, but she does have like 200-300 students to write letters for ig...
My point on teachers not knowing you would apply in the case that you have a big class (or in my case, my final two years were online, so it was kinda hard to have the same feeling of connection), but also applies to when there aren't classes in which teachers are shared in those subjects- which also applied to me in that case.
That being said just know that this is completely subjective, so it's just my experience imo
But back to the point of the rec letters from teachers with 2 semesters, if you just go to class it's not really enough for them to rlly know you, unless you work with them in a club or social activity, but there's much more depth that can be explored in a coffee chat -> and if teachers are busy, then the stuff I said in the video applies
(I do think my opinions have changed since the making of the video, but I digress lol)
@@vincent_yang yeah i guess that is true thinking about it. My first rec had the me send the teacher the answers to a whole list of questions she asked. The second teacher wanted me to make a flipgrid video as to why i wanted him to be my recommendation.
@@vincent_yang i think you could have possibly included the fact you cofounded the student council inside the form that the counselor sent you. Since she did just copy it word for word it would’ve worked out
@@vincent_yang my teacher had a list of requirements for asking for a rec letter and i think it is good, and its how you know the teacher does know you. You don’t need to do coffee chats or use up the teacher’s free time.
You should probably consider asking me for a letter of recommendation if:
· I have taught you for more than one semester.
· You had a weak start to the term but worked your way up (writing, participation, effort, attitude).
· You earned consistently high marks on writing assignments (5.5/A), or you ever earned a 6 /A+.
· You showed evidence of completing the readings.
· You participated at least once a day.
· You plan to major in English in college.
You should probably not ask me if:
· You did not participate often in class discussions.
· You turned in work late / I had to remind you to turn in work.
· You were frequently late to class or absent.
· You frequently did not read / scored poorly on reading quizzes.
· You were more successful in another humanities class (even one from sophomore year).
· You plan to major in history, foreign language, art, or music in college (ask a teacher of that subject).
And if you have things u think they needa add or know about you, you can include it into a email. What I’m saying is it should be enough for them to know you if you are proactive jn the class.
Yo bro. Sup? When did you submit your application?
Did you waive your rights at all?
yep waived all rights
You’re hot hehe 🤭 from a guy. Smart people are hot
😘🇯🇵
Broadcast everyone’s brain seriously this is disgusting
tysm
dude you look like you're 16
Be lucky you can afford to go to school
4:14
Hey hi! This is very useful video :) BTW, is your Instagram account deactivated?
Yw! It should be working? Strange...
@@vincent_yang what's the ID?
@@jinheeraa shadouw__
Thank you so much, you’re so underrated.🤍