Well, DD was deferred by Wellesley... Not quite rejected, because they do outright reject in the ED round (unlike some schools - I've been told Georgetown defers everyone!), but not a good sign either. I can't believe the numbers I'm seeing from accepted applicants on the College Confidential thread - 1500+ SATs and crazy resumes with national awards and such. That is WAY out of line with their freshman profile numbers so I'm hoping that the "normal" high-achieving kids have a better chance in the regular decision round. The deferral letter said that about 1 in 5 deferred applicants are admitted RD, and DD will have very strong midterm grades and possibly a state-level 4H award to add to her app by the revision deadline. So she's not giving up yet.
It was a rough night, though. She took it hard and was basically second guessing her entire approach to academic life, because she found out that a former teammate who went to public school is a freshman there this year. The friend got in with lower test scores, no AP classes (our public school offers next to none, a key reason we chose private) and a thinner overall resume but a much better class rank, and DD is feeling like she shot herself in the foot by choosing this high-achieving private school where a 4.1 GPA isn't even top 25% and taking Japanese when the in-person language classes are known as easy As and on and on. And I stepped in it big time by mentioning that I feel her second choice would offer more academic and professional/networking opportunity in her field and suggesting that sometimes disappointments end up working out for the best... Too soon! It was the single most teenage-drama moment I have EVER seen from this kid. Fortunately, it seems to have passed quickly enough. Her school is holding a performing arts showcase tonight and she's doing a scene with a friend, so that's kept her busy today. We'll see how she's doing when I meet them for dinner after the show.