Just rejected from cornell, wanna share some of my thoughts here.
I'm an international student from UMD, I applied to 41 schools in my high school, 27 accepted, some of them offered me scholarship but I chose UMD rather than UIUC, UW-Madison,, UW, UCI, UCD, UCSB, OSU and Rutgers. I was rejected by all top30 schools.
I was born in a small rural area of China. I never thought I could walk so far, sitting in the lecture hall in the states. I appreciate what my father has done for me, I came from a single-parent family, not rich as people thought. I skipped two grades in my education career but I lost myself in high school. I kept switching schools and systems which caused me can't focus on study. I wish I could do more, that's why I decided to transfer. However, things didn't work out in my first semester. I got a B in linear algebra and missed an assignment in a class which caused my gpa to drop to 3.78. I thought I was cooked and I even wanted to give it up. But I believe that I have to finish this process, I can't break this again like I did in high school.
After some issues happened on my relationship with some of my friends in high school, I started to do everything on my own. Eating, shopping, studying, traveling and attending class all by myself. I felt lonely sometimes, I wish I could have some like-minded friends but I can't find it. Maybe it's little bit unlucky, people who I met mostly are had bad character, or some other Chinese students in UMD, I felt like I can't really fit in if I don't drink or whatever other things so that's why I quit it and focus everything on myself even if it's suffering sometimes. I am not saying drinking is a bad thing but it truly caused some problems in my friendship so I quit drinking and smoking after my high school.
I am not a Christian and I have never read the bible but I pray sometimes myself. I never thought I could get an offer from Michigan until it really happened. I applied to 3 schools, the other two, Northwestern and Cornell are both rejected me which I think it's fair.
Honestly, I was not working hard in my freshman year. But I even planed everything for the next following years in UMD, what programs that I am going to pariticipate and the minor program that I wanna take. I could do great things in maryland too. But when Michigan was coming, I know it's my chance and I deserve it after all of these. That’s the place where I should be and I know I have that ability to make something new there. I see it as a beginning but not the end of my journey. I want to pursue the joyfulness of studying again and the change of policy of the CS major declaration helps me a lot.
Oh yeah btw some people might judge on ur decisions or offers you received, but remember it's you, you define who you are and how this decision/offer means to you. don't let others steal your thoughts.
If you're still struggling, plz trust the process. Even to myself, I am confused sometimes about something I couldn't understand. Try to limit things to one thing at a time, and believe in something, god, yourself, family, football players or anything that can keep you continuing to pursue what you want.