I watched this and bawled my eyes out the entire time. I feel as though I was lead so far astray during my time in school. I have a 4.0 and I’m an IB diploma student. If my school weighted my gpa I’d have a 4.9. I was in varsity activities. I thought I was doing everything right. I got rejected from every school I applied to other than my local state school. Every single school. I have no idea who I am or what I love because I focused so hard on being the “perfect” student rather than finding myself. Schools do absolutely nothing to prepare you correctly for college applications. I wish I would’ve seen this sooner.
I would go to community college and transfer into university after 2 years. You probably have better chances that way. I was able to transfer into a UC with a 3.3 gpa in community college. Also, the first 2 years are general ed anyway, so it's a good way to save money.
@@444fawn This was a very pleasant surprise. I am actually doing pretty well at my state school. I found some pretty incredible people and I'm studying something I love, film. I guess the universe is strange because I ended up where I needed to be. Plus that public in-state tuition is really a game changer lol.
I needed this. Thank you. I spend a lot of time, as well, wanting to be "the perfect student;" hell, I'm still mad I never had a 4.0+ and my hs didn't even offer IB. I spent so much time on being "perfect" and "studious" that that was my only passion. College's, yes, want hard workers but they also want passionate people :)
SAT: 1290 (6:02) ACT: 26 (6:18) GPA: 4.3 (6:34) - got into UCLA because of his good essays about his life and passions - also because of location, less people in a certain place = higher chance of acceptance, more people = lower chance of acceptance
I’ve noticed throughout all your deep videos when you talk about your childhood that even though you’ve had so many struggles you’re one of the most positive and optimistic people I’ve ever seen. you’re not cynical or bitter. you’ve gone through things but you’ve been so mature about it. obviously I don’t know how you feel off the camera but when you talk about it you don’t say it in a way to make people pity you or to throw shade or anything. Moral of the story you’re such an ungrownup grownup
*sooo what i've learnt is that the whole school system is a lil' bit fcked* 🙄 they tell us doing one thing will get you in but what they really let you in for (or don't) is something completely different, *i'm getting SERIOUS mixed signals* 🤯
I'm honestly still in shock I just got my acceptance letter from UCLA a few hours ago and everything you said made perfect sense! My SAT scores were very low (around 1140) although I had a very high g.p.a. I wasn't in lots of extra-curriculars either, except for a few. However, I was in this one educational program for low-income students since freshman year in which I took college classes with them every summer. But besides that I honestly didn't think I'd get in. I think what did it for me were my UC Supplemental Questions. I wrote purely to describe the conditions in which I lived in and how I was able to maneuver between the obstacles thrown my way . I showed my persistence to keep trying and how I always worked my very best despite how sometimes I'd fail. Therefore, I really do think my personal essays were what essentially helped me get into this school. Goodluck to everyone trying to apply to this school! I believe in you all :) TIP: if you happen to get an email from them asking if you'd like to elaborate further on your UC Supplemental Questions, you should definitely do them! I received that email and was given the chance to elaborate more, which I did, and here I am starting my first term this Fall :)
@Kailyn Barrera You shouldn't let your family income get in the way of you going to a school you want to go :( TRUST ME I STILL DON'T EVEN UNDERSTAND HOW I GOT IN. I'm not crazy athletic either and I wouldn't consider myself smart but I do know that I give everything my best shot. I'm sure there was something they saw in us that made them accept us. I really do hope you end up going there it really is a great school! Good luck on your decision :)
@@stephanieosorio7224 So sorry! I just saw this comment until now. I was in a program called Upward Bound since my freshman year of highschool. I first heard of the program through my older brother and I had to turn in several documents and write an essay about myself to apply. Shortly afterwards they interviewed me and then I was admitted into the program. This program helped me out tremendously! I took college classes with them throughout the year and even had the opportunity to dorm over at USC with them over the summer to take more college classes. We did lots of community service as well! They also came in handy when applying to colleges. They were there helping me apply for fasfa, the uc application, the common app, and for scholarships. It's one of the best decisions I could have made as an under-priviledged high school student. If they offer that at your school, or any similar program I 100% recommend it!
Ugh same I don’t even have a tragic story for my essay that happened in the last year lmao I have one as a child but hey I guess they don’t want that :,,)
As someone who comes from a very low-income, disadvantaged background who also got into Harvard ‘22, I 100% agree with your key points. I want to preface this by emphasizing that to all of my peers growing up in similar circumstances: It IS possible. Here’s my story, followed by my personal thoughts. I graduated High School two days ago with a 3.238 GPA and a 33 on my ACT (9 on the writing portion). Extremely low GPA for Harvard, average ACT. I also had decently impressive softs. I attended a tiny public high school in rural Wisconsin (400-500 students total from K-12), from which only two other students have been accepted into an Ivy League school. I have lived with my dad for the last 8 years. He’s 76 (retired) and has a drinking problem. No money to his name. I had always worked hard and was going into junior year with a 9 class schedule in a 7 period day with a 4.0. To make a long story short, I ended up in a very toxic relationship. My dad’s health took a dive, my grandpa lost his leg and soon after passed away, and I forgot one assignment in my locker before class. I was told I wouldn’t be able to turn it in by the teacher and I had my first mental breakdown ever. I talked to my guidance counselor and lost it. It was the start of my undwinding. I started missing school very frequently. I failed half of my classes first semester. I took a semester off and failed all of my second semester classes. I got into therapy and started the healing process. My boyfriend broke up with me. I was an absolute mess. Yet I attribute my growth as a person to this time. I had spent my entire life ignoring what was happening in my personal life and instead spent it doing well in school. But now that school wasn’t a sanctuary for me, and that I had my personal life bleeding into my school life, I finally understood what it meant to be sad. As strange as it sounds, I love crying. I hadn’t cried in years upon years before any of this. Moving on to senior year, I returned and took a moderately difficult course schedule, while still taking it easy on myself. My GPA was at about 2.4 (tanked from 4.0) and I had a 30 on my ACT at the time. I applied to Yale; this was absolute first-choice school. I love everything about it. I got rejected. Of course it was a reach school, seeing as how I had below-average stats. I applied and was accepted into a semi-local school that I’m still in love with. I retook my ACT and scored a 33 and decided to apply to two other schools: Amherst and Harvard. I genuinely enjoyed what I knew about Amherst, while my Harvard application was a joke. To be clear, I applied to Harvard 6 days after the deadline. Fully expecting rejections, I forgot about both applications until decisions came back. I was rejected at Amherst, which held a ~15% acceptance rate. Very selective, but nowhere near Harvard. Wednesday came - Ivy Day. Having only applied to Harvard, and with no expectations whatsoever, I opened my results very casually. I started bawling in Domino’s. Somehow, after every failure I felt I went through, I got into one of the most selective schools with a non-serious application. Long-story short, I have decided not to attend Harvard. Here are my thoughts. I come from a very unrepresented area with an incredibly unique, shocking background and childhood. I wrote about my life and everything I’ve went through. Part of it was commentary about how school breeds us to be better students, yet being human is far more valuable. I had an average ACT given the school. My essays were incredibly strong. My letters of recommendation were probably decent (I didn’t get to read them). There are so many other intricacies to my story and my application that make it impossible to pinpoint why I got accepted. To reiterate, the odds are against people like myself, but these selective schools do see more than what’s on paper. It takes very personal, meaningful essays and something to make us stand out. To anyone out there who feels like they’re a failure or that they fell off track: You are not alone. You may not arrive in the fashion you expected, but if you stay true to yourself and never give up, I believe anything IS possible. If anybody wants a sounding board for essays or needs someone to talk to, I would be more than happy to be of service. It’s easiest to get ahold of me on Twitter @ Try_AgainSweaty or Snapchat @ logophobia
Ibrahim Jabri Thanks for the question! I am the type of person who would rather do something my own way, whether it be more difficult than the traditional way. While Harvard is an amazing school, I applied as a joke. Once I was accepted, I started to actually learn more about the school and its environment (among other things). I did not vibe with practically any aspect of the school. It wasn’t particularly a difficult choice for me, but there was a certain level of peer pressure that came when others found out that I got into Harvard. While I would have had unparalleled experiences at Harvard, I also wouldn’t have been staying true to myself. There are so many reasons to decide on a school, and I did not let prestige or name sway my decision. Hopefully that made sense.
What i learned: 1. Conan has too much aestheticc for this world 2. Conan has an intense story from his senior year that he cant tell us 3. My parents need money ASAP 4. I need to suddenly become really good at something???? 5. I need an extremely tragic backstory NOW 6. My entire life is a lie???? So a normal youtube video
well pretty much everything Conan owns is mainly primary colors so i could imagine it couldn't be too difficult. But my goal in life is to be as aesthetic as Conan but I'm not doing too well.
UCLA's been my dream school since freshman year and I got in last month. It still feels unreal. Also, I kept getting this video in my recommended because I was watching a lot of UCLA videos, so I finally decided to click. It led me to discover Conan and his music and now I'm obsessed
Legacies (parents, grandparents, not siblings) give you actual points at ivies, whereas other private institutions don't give points if you have legacy. At the end of the day, legacy matters for potential donations/alumni support that the school may benefit from, so legacy at a private university that is not an ivy can still impact your application if you mention it in a way that sounds advantageous to them but not completely overt.
I’m already going to NYU in the fall lol, but I’m still watching this bc Conan. Literally everything you said is so true though. People think that colleges might favor minority students in admissions for diversity, but the one factor that really isn’t diverse about these top colleges is socioeconomic status. The majority of these students are very well off and having money has given them the resources and advantages to get into top schools.
This is most false where I live at. These collages (where I am) are strict on GPA and ACT scores. Like one school you have to have a 3.8 GPA to get in. They don't care about you being special and your AP/Honor classes. But many factors goes into this.
Katie Davis I think Conan was talking about super selective schools where most applicants are very high achieving academically so there is not much differentiation between them in this aspect and the students who are admitted are super special and unique because they show that they’re a lot more than good grades or test scores. I think schools that have super strict gpa test score requirements are usually state schools and they do so because there are just so many applications to sort through and the most efficient way to admit students is solely based on merit.
I'm 15 and my dream college has been UCLA since Conan got in. I told my mom. But she just laughed at me. I really don't feel like I'm good enough. But I have a few years to get my act together....
jaCk SkeLiNgtOn Same boat except I want to go to USC. My first semester of freshman year was terrible, I got 3 C’s but I did take an AP class so that kinda makes up for it? Anyway I’m going to get my act together and go for straight A’s. I’ve done it before and I can do it again
@@akakskakkspepepepepeoeoeoe9496 I believe in you guys, no matter what happens or what people tell you, go straight for it. The worst that can happen is that you get into another great school instead of your top choice.
Okay first of all, what your mother did, was awful. Don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll get into an amazing school. Just have faith in yourself, I believe in you
Only sophomore year up counts guys dont worry. Just try your best, showcase the best parts of yourselves in your essays, and they’ll see you’re special. My best friend and I were dying because we took the SAT four times and couldn’t surpass a 1320 and i got into UCLA and she got into USC. Numbers are not the only thing they care about!
I love how your videos are so intimate and personable - as if I’m really sitting with you in that cosy corner of your home and we’re just catching up or you’re giving me some life advise 😭🙏💕 it’s so chill
Conan, I am 25 years old and i'm a graduate student currently working on obtaining my Master's Degree in California at CSU Bakersfield. I just want to say as an older viewer, that you are SO inspiring and that I love your videos a ton. Whether I relate to certain topics or not, I always have a good time watching you. You are such a ray of sunshine and we are so blessed to have you. I hope you read this because honestly, you inspire me a ton and I love both you and your music. I hope that life presents to you with the finest of things and that you soon get that album of your dreams and that you also get that relationship you've been longing for. As a forever alone club member here, at the age of 25, I know how it feels to never have had a relationship and I want that for us both. Love you tons kiddo. Stay positive. We've got this. I hope we both get good things coming our way soon. Keep inspiring those high school students with advice and keep being awesome ❤️❤️
I once did this program at UCLA and we met with an admission counselor and they said if you don’t have the opportunity to goin a club that you really want to tell them in your application. They want to know you want to be involved and that you will.
@@mandy5676 It would probably be in like one of those boxes that they ask for more information on like the club page. It has been awhile since I've applied to any schools, tho so the application might have changed just a little.
unpopular (?) opinion: personally, i am a hs student at a private school from what i would consider a middle class family. i come from immigrant parents and therefore have absolutely no legacy or connection whatsoever to any university/college. going to a private school means the students all have just as much if not more than you, and tbh it’s kind of terrifying. it goes from okay you’re pretty smart to okay everyone is a genius here. trying to stand out is especially difficult because everyone excels in their various fields so much. my academics are pretty good but like you said, it’s about more than academics. i have no legacy which is an important factor for many places. idk how i’m going to make it into an ivy/stanford/etc. but i do know that coming from my family, i am damn well expected to by my parents. tl;dr: fuck my life. i’m screwed.
There's always connections. Ask around your councelor might know people. Your principal might. Go to multicultural weekend and see if you can meet the admissions person or group and give them a business card. Just ask anyone and everyone if they know people + be active within the community. Like if you were to help out someone with elections they probably will help you out with college hookups
But you have already something that makes you stand out: your parents are immigrants. That's your story! Their lives must have affected you, maybe inspired you? My parents are immigrants as well and as a result we were very poor. So that's what I wrote about in one of my college essays- or rather, the affects of being poor, and how that inspired me to be more than that. It's not all bout excelling in fields, it's like Coney Boi said- it's about passion. Maybe you don't think you don't have any, but you do, because everyone has one! Don't stress too much, you'll be fine :)
actually, you might get an edge by other kids BECAUSE your parents are immigrants. Colleges like 1st generation college students because that means that you'd be able to start your legacy there. Remember, colleges are businesses, they want your money. Also, if you have a consistent passion for an extracurricular (or a few) and they see that you've stuck with that? they're gonna see you sticking with college even if it's hard. Also, if you're not financially well off, you can apply for grants to help you pay it off and look for scholarships. You won't have to pay off government grants if you get them.
I’ve always envied people who are talented in a specific field. For me, I am passionate about music, languages and culture but I’m not the brightest in it. I don’t have a natural vocation to do anything.
I feel totally the same. I do like sports, music, i also plays instruments and all but i don’t think it differentiate me from others. And i know a lot of other kids who are super more talented than me. I also don’t have like shocking, emotional, hard childhood or background story to tell. So technically, in terms of impressing the college i want to go to, all i have are just my grades. Fortunately, i’m good at having good grades, however, it doesn’t seem to be the main factor to get me into college at all. I’m so stressed out, like i can’t make up a background story or either move to Alaska a month before applying to college in order to spread the college’s impact in places like Alaska 😭😭 i know it might be too early to worry about these (i’m grade 11 though) but i want to be prepared.
Idk how but this video gave me the biggest motivation boost I've had in years. Throughout the years I started to ignore all my hobbies and passions in order to try to keep up my grades, which has left me with mediocre grades and no sense of purpose. I thought this video was going to make me sad since I thought I forgot what my passion was, but to my surprise it actually really motivated me to start writing again and to follow my dream of making my own comic book/series! Thank Conan for making such amazing content that never fails to inspire people, keep being your beautiful self!
Conan, this talk was so helpful. As I’m ending my Junior year, my college related stress is higher more than ever and it’s so easy to get consumed by the numbers. I really appreciate it 💕
Me too, ughhgh! I'm currently going through my entire college list trying to narrow it down...and so far I've removed only two schools. Still have a lot more to go. x_x Good luck, Lakin.
man i love how everyones sharing their stories, its so amazing the feeling this comment section is giving :' )) also thanks for the vid conan this was super helpful and enlightening!!
omg i just realised i watched this video 2 years ago and back then he was just a youtuber to me and now like HES LIKE THE MOST PLAYED ARTIST ON MY SPOTIFY and i literally didnt know this was him until like oday????
i'm a 15 yr old high school student from a not so developed city in India. UCLA is my dream school since I ever got to know it. TBH I didn't understand a word about the SAT and other things you talked about but I still have hope left in me and Imma do whatever it takes to get accepted. thanks for the tips. lots of love
Not to mention, where you go to college isn't as important as the connections you make. Of course, the chances of meeting big shots in an Ivy league are higher than in a public university, but it's still possible to meet them in a community college of you religiously seek out the opportunities that allow you to make these connections. Like they say, don't give up.
its crazy how different the system is in the us than australia. here we do at least 5 subjects in high school, which are graded half internally, and half through a state-wide test (for the most part) and the guaranteed way to get into university is to do well in those five subjects, regardless of what they are. then we get ranked throughout the state and get an ATAR. then we submit our ATAR to the University Admission Centre and they send out our info to the universities that we want to go to. basically each course has an atar cutoff - if you get above that cutoff, you’re in. that’s it. some courses have non-atar applications, but its mostly arts
also it's pretty easy to do a bridging course if you fail your ATARs, just takes a bit more time but you still get in. My heart goes out to all those trying to work the US system
H, omg yes the amount of times I've had to debate people - other students and teachers - on how arts and humanities are actually valuable to society is ridiculous. My school is currently trying to boost STEM subjects and gives fuck all to the arts
I think that the preference for STEM over the arts really depends on your school, which sucks. Most people think that you have to do STEM to succeed, when in fact you really just have to do well in what you choose. My school tried to dispel the myth that some subjects scale better than others, because really, if you do well in that subject then you’ll do well. Doing Ext 2 maths won’t make your ATAR better, doing WELL in Ext 2 will make you do better. I did Art, Drama, SAC, General Maths and Adv English - subjects that people would generally disregard as either bludges or low-scaling, and got a 97.45 ATAR. You just have to do well in the subjects that you choose, and the best way to do well, is to do subjects you enjoy.
H i'm in the same position in yr 12 - at the end of the day just stick with what you enjoy doing, there's no point living a life where you don't. The dilemma with schools trying to 1-up each other is really awful though, the head of staff where I go are constantly pressuring people to drop to general if they don't make the school look good. That then messes with scaling to the bell-curve when there aren't enough people in a subject and it's a whole big mess :/
I don't live in American but yesterday I got a Letter that I was accepted first try in my dream University, which is the best Art school of my country. This happens to 2 people each year so I was very shocked and happy but I agree with everything you said. I got in because I tried a diffrent approach in the Projekt we had to send in and diffrenciating as well as showibg your passion for a particular school are the most improtand Things in my opinion
I’m a shy, small girl who has a huge dream. I want to study in Harvard. And from where I stand, most of my friends want to study in Harvard too. I desperately want to study architecture, and I have for three years now, but I have nothing to account for this passion of mine. I have no experience with architecture and minimal exposure to design. I want to get into my dream school. And that’s probably the only thing sustaining me throughout my life. It the one thing that keeps me going, and stops me from hating school entirely. I’m not someone who shines in one particularly thing. The only thing I have that is remotely close is writing, but even then, I have no desire to become a writer or a journalist. But other from that, I’m a lost cause. My grades are pretty good, and I get consistent As and A+s, but I doubt I will ever get into Harvard with what I have now. Honestly, I’m hopeless, the one dream I’ve had for so long is probably not going to happen, and everything I’ve worked towards is gone. If only my teachers told me all the work I’ve put in would be useless. If only I would have realized my mistake sooner. If only I had focused all my energy into one thing, and one thing only. I’ve regretted many things, many things indeed, but this one runs deep. Harvard has been my support system and now I’m not sure if I even stand a chance to get into my dream school. I’ve wasted years trying to reach it, and before I can even reach it, it vanishes without a trace, leaving me utterly lost. I don’t know what to do now. Please help me
I know Harvard is the dream, but have you looked into Cornell or CalPoly? They are the #1 and #2 Arch. programs in the nation, respectively. My friend had minimal design background and applied to both on a whim and is now living her best life at Cornell! Something to look into.
hey its me I know this might be late now but I can try to help. Do you excel in math? Maybe try joining some math related clubs. Also take all the math related SAT subject tests to show your passion and specialities. Then you could write about this stuff in your essays. Good luck! (Don't stress yourself out too much. It's just a school and you can live a completely happy and fulfilling life even if you don't get in.)
so last year i watched your video about your 'UCLA acceptance' it was the same year as i graduated from high school, and i really sad because last year wasn't my year of acceptance for the college, it was pretty rough year to know and to face at the first, seeing you making video about college life giving me vibes, and i didn't give up from that 1 year of gap year, and now i got into my dream school as an Architecture student, in one of popular campus in my city/ country, it was really difficult to get into, getting there is a lot of preparation to do, but i thank God i finally did it, knowing you always making video about life, schools, passions, makes me always knowing my self more that everyone is always have to know what's they're shine with, it was the passion that comes within, and thanks for the videos and the vibes tho, it's really build me into a better person as i could be, and yes it's pretty unique of every people's acceptance, everyone has story.
This year i got rejected from all the schools i applied to even the "safe schools" rejected me. In the netherlands the high school system is divided in 3 levels and with my diploma i cant get into university. So i wanted to do a 1 year course so i could get in university but my school decided for me that i cant go there even tho i have the highest grades in my grade so im forced to take a gap year bc my school doesnt want me to be ambitious. Just love my school making decisions for me 😅
aw sorry, but i know your position, i've ever been on that situation before, but i never gave up on that, knowing that it has to be a serious preparation so i prepared myself with a year courses to get into college test, talking with my friend who got into same situation as me, sharing thoughts, experience and fixing mistakes, and thank God bc i didn't gave up, so i finally got into my dream school this year, the key is never give up on your self, the situation might seems not giving you an opportunity, but when preparation meets the opportunity, then it's your time that's deserves you. good luck!!~
I certainly can vouch for this whole video. Grades and activities don't matter as much as who you ARE. Your drive and your purpose are what schools are looking for, even more than being academically flawless. Universities not only want to see that you work hard, but also why you work hard. I applied to almost all the UC's not thinking that I would get into a single one because for the majority of my life, I had terrible grades, and almost didn't graduate from high school because I failed PE and English, of all things. After three years of finding myself in a community college, I brought my GPA to about 3.17 (which is still below average for UC's) and fell back in love with learning after finding my calling, and major. In my essay, I acknowledged that my grades weren't pristine or shining examples of the perfect student. I even embraced the fact that school had never been my main interest until recently, and explained why my priorities had changed and what made me want to keep going despite my struggle with academia. And even though I applied with a below-average GPA and a track record of failing Math 101 three times before finally passing with a C, I got into all of my top choices, and will be attending UCLA in fall. My point is that the person you are and the person that you strive to be, at the schools you apply to and after, are what matter. Of course, there are many other factors that are out of our control, but you can always still give it your best. Good grades are important and all, but they are definitely not EVERYTHING. At least from my experience, I can say that the most important thing is doing your best in general, and showing what you're doing to grow as a person. Whether it's in school or your social life or your hobbies, just show your drive to be the best possible you, and what it means to be the best you. -- :) -- I hope everyone had a good application season, and congrats to anyone who just graduated or is about to! Sorry for the long and rambly post. I hope it helped anyone who may have felt discouraged about their grades.
I’m a transfer with not the best gpa or transcripts and not a shit ton of extra curriculars bc I had to work 30-50 hours a week as a waitress to support myself which is also something I wrote about in my essay. My essays were written about vulnerable parts of me that showed my resilience and my desire to be better and I got in. UCLA was my top school and I’ve been in love since high school. I poured everything into my essays and I really think that’s why I was able to get in.
I am 13 and I have been really wanting to go to UCLA, it’s my top dream choice, and I am really trying to my best, thank you Conan for the amazing tips 💓
As someone who goes to a prep school, I completely agree with you! I know quite a few people who are really smart and totally deserve to get into the colleges they apply to, but there's even more who really don't put a lot of effort in but will go to these amazing schools because their parents are rich. However, there's also a lot of kids who got in on scholarships and use financial aid, and our applications are based on merit. Even so, it's so important to point out the disparity between classes here in America, especially in regards to education, and I'm glad you have. Everyone deserves a fair chance, no matter their income level.
conan, after watching this video, i feel more eased from the thought of being a senior in a few months and thinking about all the responsibilities i have to deal with. i remember watching your videos exactly a year ago, seeing you freak out over the college applications. but now that you're in your dream school, it makes me wonder what my potential is. you've gone so far conan, i feel like a proud mother (': (even though you're older haha)
It's currently hitting me how stressful this senior year will be but im so happy to have stumbled into your video, thank you for being so positive and genuine, sure helped me relief at least a little stress
Your videos relax me so much, you have such a cool and chill vibe in your videos, maybe its just your editing, your personality , your calm voice or your apartment or just everything about your videos makes me feel so happy and in peace with myself. Thank u so much
you have made me feel SO MUCH BETTER. I’ve always known it was rigged but to hear exactly how was interesting. I’m applying at the end of the summer to UCLA so I’m nerve-wracked but this helped, thank you sm! 💕🌿
I’m already in uni and have no interest in this since I live in the UK but still gonna watch cause Conan is an actual sunshine feels like I’m just talking to a pal so proud of u boo
pretty true, i had pretty bad sat scores, and my score for act was higher, but not by much, but i did have that passion in learning, and in politics. so my main focus was focusing in working the angle of all the political work i've done in my community. and yeah, it's crazy how little people get in at a time-- at my school, only three people got in. i really want to help raise that number, so if anyone has any questions, please ask! i'm glad to help
I want to start my life from high school again. When I was in high school, I had no passion for anything and it lasted untill graduration from the university. I was so stupit, regret it a lot. Anyways, you always inspire me so much!! You are such an amazing person
agree 100% on everything in this video. Also, for those that want to pursue a career in the music field, don’t focus on just getting in the best music school, find what’s more comfortable and where you see yourself growing more as a person in a unique way. Musically(or for any app), show that you are truly passionate about what you want to do. Some of these schools look for true interest rather than just excellent work/grades.
*ngl i'm kinda l i v i n g for these dance-like-no-one's-watching intros* they make me happy 😊🌈
Coco Mallory sameee.
i want a whole video of just that 💖
same hes so adorable
Coco Mallory yesssss
Coco Mallory agree 100%
I watched this and bawled my eyes out the entire time. I feel as though I was lead so far astray during my time in school. I have a 4.0 and I’m an IB diploma student. If my school weighted my gpa I’d have a 4.9. I was in varsity activities. I thought I was doing everything right.
I got rejected from every school I applied to other than my local state school. Every single school. I have no idea who I am or what I love because I focused so hard on being the “perfect” student rather than finding myself.
Schools do absolutely nothing to prepare you correctly for college applications. I wish I would’ve seen this sooner.
hi, you wrote this one year ago, i hope youre doing well now and have found yourself
I would go to community college and transfer into university after 2 years. You probably have better chances that way. I was able to transfer into a UC with a 3.3 gpa in community college. Also, the first 2 years are general ed anyway, so it's a good way to save money.
@@444fawn This was a very pleasant surprise. I am actually doing pretty well at my state school. I found some pretty incredible people and I'm studying something I love, film. I guess the universe is strange because I ended up where I needed to be. Plus that public in-state tuition is really a game changer lol.
I needed this. Thank you. I spend a lot of time, as well, wanting to be "the perfect student;" hell, I'm still mad I never had a 4.0+ and my hs didn't even offer IB. I spent so much time on being "perfect" and "studious" that that was my only passion. College's, yes, want hard workers but they also want passionate people :)
he also dropped out and is doing fine and is happy!
SAT: 1290 (6:02)
ACT: 26 (6:18)
GPA: 4.3 (6:34)
- got into UCLA because of his good essays about his life and passions
- also because of location, less people in a certain place = higher chance of acceptance, more people = lower chance of acceptance
you're the best
its 1 month until we find out!!1!!!1
thank you
eee does that mean if less students are applying for ucla in your area, that means you have a better chance
Yora Chijindu Yup that’s exactly what it means.
I’ve noticed throughout all your deep videos when you talk about your childhood that even though you’ve had so many struggles you’re one of the most positive and optimistic people I’ve ever seen. you’re not cynical or bitter. you’ve gone through things but you’ve been so mature about it. obviously I don’t know how you feel off the camera but when you talk about it you don’t say it in a way to make people pity you or to throw shade or anything. Moral of the story you’re such an ungrownup grownup
*sooo what i've learnt is that the whole school system is a lil' bit fcked* 🙄
they tell us doing one thing will get you in but what they really let you in for (or don't) is something completely different, *i'm getting SERIOUS mixed signals* 🤯
it’s like dating
Actually bruh
I'm honestly still in shock I just got my acceptance letter from UCLA a few hours ago and everything you said made perfect sense! My SAT scores were very low (around 1140) although I had a very high g.p.a.
I wasn't in lots of extra-curriculars either, except for a few. However, I was in this one educational program for low-income students since freshman year in which I took college classes with them every summer. But besides that I honestly didn't think I'd get in. I think what did it for me were my UC Supplemental Questions. I wrote purely to describe the conditions in which I lived in and how I was able to maneuver between the obstacles thrown my way . I showed my persistence to keep trying and how I always worked my very best despite how sometimes I'd fail. Therefore, I really do think my personal essays were what essentially helped me get into this school. Goodluck to everyone trying to apply to this school! I believe in you all :)
TIP: if you happen to get an email from them asking if you'd like to elaborate further on your UC Supplemental Questions, you should definitely do them! I received that email and was given the chance to elaborate more, which I did, and here I am starting my first term this Fall :)
@Kailyn Barrera You shouldn't let your family income get in the way of you going to a school you want to go :( TRUST ME I STILL DON'T EVEN UNDERSTAND HOW I GOT IN. I'm not crazy athletic either and I wouldn't consider myself smart but I do know that I give everything my best shot. I'm sure there was something they saw in us that made them accept us. I really do hope you end up going there it really is a great school! Good luck on your decision :)
If you don’t mind me asking, what was the name of the program for low income students/ how did you get in?
Kailyn Barrera if you don’t mind, can you tell me your major in UCLA?
Kailyn Barrera wait 4.1 weighted is bad? mine is only like 4.18 on the uc gpa scale
@@stephanieosorio7224 So sorry! I just saw this comment until now. I was in a program called Upward Bound since my freshman year of highschool. I first heard of the program through my older brother and I had to turn in several documents and write an essay about myself to apply. Shortly afterwards they interviewed me and then I was admitted into the program. This program helped me out tremendously! I took college classes with them throughout the year and even had the opportunity to dorm over at USC with them over the summer to take more college classes. We did lots of community service as well! They also came in handy when applying to colleges. They were there helping me apply for fasfa, the uc application, the common app, and for scholarships. It's one of the best decisions I could have made as an under-priviledged high school student. If they offer that at your school, or any similar program I 100% recommend it!
i’m a middle class, public school student with mediocre grades that is an expert at nothing but being generally anxious and sporadically angry.
i've never related to something so much wow
Ugh same I don’t even have a tragic story for my essay that happened in the last year lmao I have one as a child but hey I guess they don’t want that :,,)
Avery C.S as long as you have something to pull them in, i think they’ll listen. or, you can try to build up something you’re already interested in.
oh wow, same.
Then, transfer to UCLA from a community college
Based on that intro, your neighbors have heard more of your EP than we have
Conan. How the hell are you so aesthetic?
I am sorry I can't think of a cool username i
ikr
literally, Cone in PJ's is aesthetic aha
I always see you at school, but I’m too shy to say hi 😭
Go talk to him!! I'm sure he'd love to meet you
omg ur so luckyyyy
samee :-((
carolina :0
hope you did it cause now hes acually a celebrity
As someone who comes from a very low-income, disadvantaged background who also got into Harvard ‘22, I 100% agree with your key points. I want to preface this by emphasizing that to all of my peers growing up in similar circumstances: It IS possible. Here’s my story, followed by my personal thoughts.
I graduated High School two days ago with a 3.238 GPA and a 33 on my ACT (9 on the writing portion). Extremely low GPA for Harvard, average ACT. I also had decently impressive softs. I attended a tiny public high school in rural Wisconsin (400-500 students total from K-12), from which only two other students have been accepted into an Ivy League school. I have lived with my dad for the last 8 years. He’s 76 (retired) and has a drinking problem. No money to his name. I had always worked hard and was going into junior year with a 9 class schedule in a 7 period day with a 4.0.
To make a long story short, I ended up in a very toxic relationship. My dad’s health took a dive, my grandpa lost his leg and soon after passed away, and I forgot one assignment in my locker before class. I was told I wouldn’t be able to turn it in by the teacher and I had my first mental breakdown ever. I talked to my guidance counselor and lost it. It was the start of my undwinding. I started missing school very frequently. I failed half of my classes first semester. I took a semester off and failed all of my second semester classes. I got into therapy and started the healing process. My boyfriend broke up with me. I was an absolute mess.
Yet I attribute my growth as a person to this time. I had spent my entire life ignoring what was happening in my personal life and instead spent it doing well in school. But now that school wasn’t a sanctuary for me, and that I had my personal life bleeding into my school life, I finally understood what it meant to be sad. As strange as it sounds, I love crying. I hadn’t cried in years upon years before any of this.
Moving on to senior year, I returned and took a moderately difficult course schedule, while still taking it easy on myself. My GPA was at about 2.4 (tanked from 4.0) and I had a 30 on my ACT at the time. I applied to Yale; this was absolute first-choice school. I love everything about it. I got rejected. Of course it was a reach school, seeing as how I had below-average stats. I applied and was accepted into a semi-local school that I’m still in love with. I retook my ACT and scored a 33 and decided to apply to two other schools: Amherst and Harvard. I genuinely enjoyed what I knew about Amherst, while my Harvard application was a joke. To be clear, I applied to Harvard 6 days after the deadline. Fully expecting rejections, I forgot about both applications until decisions came back. I was rejected at Amherst, which held a ~15% acceptance rate. Very selective, but nowhere near Harvard.
Wednesday came - Ivy Day. Having only applied to Harvard, and with no expectations whatsoever, I opened my results very casually. I started bawling in Domino’s. Somehow, after every failure I felt I went through, I got into one of the most selective schools with a non-serious application. Long-story short, I have decided not to attend Harvard.
Here are my thoughts. I come from a very unrepresented area with an incredibly unique, shocking background and childhood. I wrote about my life and everything I’ve went through. Part of it was commentary about how school breeds us to be better students, yet being human is far more valuable. I had an average ACT given the school. My essays were incredibly strong. My letters of recommendation were probably decent (I didn’t get to read them). There are so many other intricacies to my story and my application that make it impossible to pinpoint why I got accepted.
To reiterate, the odds are against people like myself, but these selective schools do see more than what’s on paper. It takes very personal, meaningful essays and something to make us stand out. To anyone out there who feels like they’re a failure or that they fell off track: You are not alone. You may not arrive in the fashion you expected, but if you stay true to yourself and never give up, I believe anything IS possible.
If anybody wants a sounding board for essays or needs someone to talk to, I would be more than happy to be of service. It’s easiest to get ahold of me on Twitter @ Try_AgainSweaty or Snapchat @ logophobia
Hunter Holten why aren't you attending Harvard though? It is launchpad go opportunities most humans can never imagine
Hunter Holten hi! Is it okay if I contact you about my essay?
you should make a video reading your essays
Ibrahim Jabri Thanks for the question! I am the type of person who would rather do something my own way, whether it be more difficult than the traditional way. While Harvard is an amazing school, I applied as a joke. Once I was accepted, I started to actually learn more about the school and its environment (among other things). I did not vibe with practically any aspect of the school.
It wasn’t particularly a difficult choice for me, but there was a certain level of peer pressure that came when others found out that I got into Harvard. While I would have had unparalleled experiences at Harvard, I also wouldn’t have been staying true to myself. There are so many reasons to decide on a school, and I did not let prestige or name sway my decision. Hopefully that made sense.
Daniella π Yes, of course! You can reach me at my Twitter or my Snapchat which I have listed in my original post.
Who’s watching this after he became a well known artist
Not me
Viona Shah he isn’t well known, I’ve been his fan since 2018 so I don’t think he is very well known
Not me-
I am!
He has to be now heather was everywhere
What i learned:
1. Conan has too much aestheticc for this world
2. Conan has an intense story from his senior year that he cant tell us
3. My parents need money ASAP
4. I need to suddenly become really good at something????
5. I need an extremely tragic backstory NOW
6. My entire life is a lie????
So a normal youtube video
I can agree with all those points 100%
"My parents need money ASAP" 😭
i love how he just casually paints his nails as he answers our questions
Teavana it's not like it's hard
carlos holaq yeah but the e n e r g y is just 👌🏻
ur pjs match ur mug and ur backpack r u kidding me how is it possible to be this aesthetic
well pretty much everything Conan owns is mainly primary colors so i could imagine it couldn't be too difficult. But my goal in life is to be as aesthetic as Conan but I'm not doing too well.
grace raymond u right Conan lives in primary colors
and he's beautiful in them
UCLA's been my dream school since freshman year and I got in last month. It still feels unreal.
Also, I kept getting this video in my recommended because I was watching a lot of UCLA videos, so I finally decided to click. It led me to discover Conan and his music and now I'm obsessed
Annie Liu congratulations!! im a sophomore currently and i’ve been wanting to go the ucla since like,, 7th grade lol
@@alisonsincebaugh3697 thank you!! best of luck, maybe I'll see you there in a few years :)
Annie Liu i hope i see you there:)
also legacys!!! if your parents went to the school, its very likely they will accept you too!!!
Nina Elise what if a sibling attended? does that help?
Nina Elise I didn't know this and now I wish I had better parents
Carisia Gallegos sibling attending counts
Legacies (parents, grandparents, not siblings) give you actual points at ivies, whereas other private institutions don't give points if you have legacy. At the end of the day, legacy matters for potential donations/alumni support that the school may benefit from, so legacy at a private university that is not an ivy can still impact your application if you mention it in a way that sounds advantageous to them but not completely overt.
also first gens!!! so don’t worry if you don’t have parent legacies, colleges love when people are the first in their families to go to college
your intros give me life and make me wanna put more effort into being a morning person
I always get so excited when cone posts
“cone”😂
Megan Wazowski isn't that his nickname?
Kamora Borealis yes it is
paola a. same
I here for it!! His name is Cone now!
UCLA really predicted Conan would go places and that’s why they took him LOL
I’m already going to NYU in the fall lol, but I’m still watching this bc Conan. Literally everything you said is so true though. People think that colleges might favor minority students in admissions for diversity, but the one factor that really isn’t diverse about these top colleges is socioeconomic status. The majority of these students are very well off and having money has given them the resources and advantages to get into top schools.
amandamaryanna hi! Just a small question; was it hard to get into NYU? How did you do it? Thanks in advance!
Daniella π I actually made a whole video about it! th-cam.com/video/zrY5y6it9vo/w-d-xo.html
This is most false where I live at. These collages (where I am) are strict on GPA and ACT scores. Like one school you have to have a 3.8 GPA to get in. They don't care about you being special and your AP/Honor classes. But many factors goes into this.
Katie Davis I think Conan was talking about super selective schools where most applicants are very high achieving academically so there is not much differentiation between them in this aspect and the students who are admitted are super special and unique because they show that they’re a lot more than good grades or test scores. I think schools that have super strict gpa test score requirements are usually state schools and they do so because there are just so many applications to sort through and the most efficient way to admit students is solely based on merit.
kaelyn :) I made a video about it haha th-cam.com/video/zrY5y6it9vo/w-d-xo.html
I'm 15 and my dream college has been UCLA since Conan got in. I told my mom. But she just laughed at me. I really don't feel like I'm good enough. But I have a few years to get my act together....
jaCk SkeLiNgtOn Same boat except I want to go to USC. My first semester of freshman year was terrible, I got 3 C’s but I did take an AP class so that kinda makes up for it? Anyway I’m going to get my act together and go for straight A’s. I’ve done it before and I can do it again
@@akakskakkspepepepepeoeoeoe9496 I believe in you guys, no matter what happens or what people tell you, go straight for it. The worst that can happen is that you get into another great school instead of your top choice.
Okay first of all, what your mother did, was awful. Don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll get into an amazing school. Just have faith in yourself, I believe in you
Akakskakks Pepepepepeoeoeoe / yeah 3 Cs is bad (but yesss go for all A’s) and SAT and being involved in school is good too!
Only sophomore year up counts guys dont worry. Just try your best, showcase the best parts of yourselves in your essays, and they’ll see you’re special. My best friend and I were dying because we took the SAT four times and couldn’t surpass a 1320 and i got into UCLA and she got into USC. Numbers are not the only thing they care about!
I love how your videos are so intimate and personable - as if I’m really sitting with you in that cosy corner of your home and we’re just catching up or you’re giving me some life advise 😭🙏💕 it’s so chill
I’ll miss this Conan (TH-cam) era forever but I’m so happy for the success he’s gained 💞
he's just so rare? idk how to explain it
oooh yikes we are all rare
oooh yikes he's a unicorn
Conan, I am 25 years old and i'm a graduate student currently working on obtaining my Master's Degree in California at CSU Bakersfield. I just want to say as an older viewer, that you are SO inspiring and that I love your videos a ton. Whether I relate to certain topics or not, I always have a good time watching you. You are such a ray of sunshine and we are so blessed to have you. I hope you read this because honestly, you inspire me a ton and I love both you and your music. I hope that life presents to you with the finest of things and that you soon get that album of your dreams and that you also get that relationship you've been longing for. As a forever alone club member here, at the age of 25, I know how it feels to never have had a relationship and I want that for us both. Love you tons kiddo. Stay positive. We've got this. I hope we both get good things coming our way soon. Keep inspiring those high school students with advice and keep being awesome ❤️❤️
Omg I’m from Bakersfield lol!!!
conan never fails to inspire me
̗̀annie ̖́ - sammme
I once did this program at UCLA and we met with an admission counselor and they said if you don’t have the opportunity to goin a club that you really want to tell them in your application. They want to know you want to be involved and that you will.
Where would we say that? Do we put it in the application or in an essay?
@@mandy5676 It would probably be in like one of those boxes that they ask for more information on like the club page. It has been awhile since I've applied to any schools, tho so the application might have changed just a little.
you : it's sunday
me, an intellectual : its C O N A N D AY
Maura McCarthy funny
Maura McCarthy true
a simple comment that represents me to the core !!
best comment 11/10
4.3 is a good GPA... I only have a 3.6 ( and i'm a junior) But thank you for this video it was super helpful.
Anja Silviek unweighted, weighted, or core?
Anja Silviek 4.3?? bro it only goes to 4 how is that possible
SavannahSteel It's because he did things for extra credit, like, i dunno, taking extra classes or doing extra homework or something
Same, but I'm a freshman.
I have a 3.36 (since my school doesn't weight GPA) and I am big sad :')
Imagine living next to Conan and getting to listen to him singing FOR FREE
HowaboutRe d ....we already listen for free on TH-cam .. but I see what you're saying
^ tru, but i guess it would be cool to hear him sing a song live, or sing a song he might not post on YT
hearing him in person would be like listening to the angels harmonizing in heaven 👼
damn conan really just spilt some scalding hot tea in his essay and got in.
Don’t even wants to go to ucla but highly interested in whatever Conan talks about ❤️
LILAS love your videos gurl ! Guys go check them out
unpopular (?) opinion: personally, i am a hs student at a private school from what i would consider a middle class family. i come from immigrant parents and therefore have absolutely no legacy or connection whatsoever to any university/college. going to a private school means the students all have just as much if not more than you, and tbh it’s kind of terrifying. it goes from okay you’re pretty smart to okay everyone is a genius here. trying to stand out is especially difficult because everyone excels in their various fields so much. my academics are pretty good but like you said, it’s about more than academics. i have no legacy which is an important factor for many places. idk how i’m going to make it into an ivy/stanford/etc. but i do know that coming from my family, i am damn well expected to by my parents.
tl;dr: fuck my life. i’m screwed.
it just occurred to me that this isn’t an opinion but whatever lol i can’t tell if i’m over-stressed or just over it all.
There's always connections. Ask around your councelor might know people. Your principal might. Go to multicultural weekend and see if you can meet the admissions person or group and give them a business card. Just ask anyone and everyone if they know people + be active within the community. Like if you were to help out someone with elections they probably will help you out with college hookups
But you have already something that makes you stand out: your parents are immigrants. That's your story! Their lives must have affected you, maybe inspired you? My parents are immigrants as well and as a result we were very poor. So that's what I wrote about in one of my college essays- or rather, the affects of being poor, and how that inspired me to be more than that. It's not all bout excelling in fields, it's like Coney Boi said- it's about passion. Maybe you don't think you don't have any, but you do, because everyone has one! Don't stress too much, you'll be fine :)
actually, you might get an edge by other kids BECAUSE your parents are immigrants. Colleges like 1st generation college students because that means that you'd be able to start your legacy there. Remember, colleges are businesses, they want your money. Also, if you have a consistent passion for an extracurricular (or a few) and they see that you've stuck with that? they're gonna see you sticking with college even if it's hard. Also, if you're not financially well off, you can apply for grants to help you pay it off and look for scholarships. You won't have to pay off government grants if you get them.
I’ve always envied people who are talented in a specific field. For me, I am passionate about music, languages and culture but I’m not the brightest in it. I don’t have a natural vocation to do anything.
I feel totally the same. I do like sports, music, i also plays instruments and all but i don’t think it differentiate me from others. And i know a lot of other kids who are super more talented than me. I also don’t have like shocking, emotional, hard childhood or background story to tell. So technically, in terms of impressing the college i want to go to, all i have are just my grades. Fortunately, i’m good at having good grades, however, it doesn’t seem to be the main factor to get me into college at all.
I’m so stressed out, like i can’t make up a background story or either move to Alaska a month before applying to college in order to spread the college’s impact in places like Alaska 😭😭 i know it might be too early to worry about these (i’m grade 11 though) but i want to be prepared.
*Lori Laughlin has entered the chat.*
Kaylee Jones LMAOOO 😂😂
Hahaha 😂
Lori left it immediately a year ago
I’m dead af she went there 😂😂😂😂
the first 54 seconds is me after 3 CapriSun pouches 😭😭
Those Capri Suns are addicting
Idk how but this video gave me the biggest motivation boost I've had in years. Throughout the years I started to ignore all my hobbies and passions in order to try to keep up my grades, which has left me with mediocre grades and no sense of purpose. I thought this video was going to make me sad since I thought I forgot what my passion was, but to my surprise it actually really motivated me to start writing again and to follow my dream of making my own comic book/series! Thank Conan for making such amazing content that never fails to inspire people, keep being your beautiful self!
Paramore has the best morning music 10/10
Satchel L true
not even an exaggeration
OMG CONAN YOU JUST FILLED THE GAP IN MY PAST AND PRESENT PARAMORE LIIFFEE 😩😍 ily even more now which was almost impossible
Just the notification for this vidro just made my morning 😭💛
Taco Queen sameee
Taco Queen me too 😢😢
*those stars are EVERYTHING*
You should have a podcast...I would listen to it everyday
Imagine having absolutely no fear in sounding bad when singing and hitting those notes perfectly, he can relate
Conan, this talk was so helpful. As I’m ending my Junior year, my college related stress is higher more than ever and it’s so easy to get consumed by the numbers. I really appreciate it 💕
Me too, ughhgh! I'm currently going through my entire college list trying to narrow it down...and so far I've removed only two schools. Still have a lot more to go. x_x Good luck, Lakin.
Same. Now that I'm gonna be a senior, I gotta think about college and what I'm gonna do for the rest of my life.
man i love how everyones sharing their stories, its so amazing the feeling this comment section is giving :' ))
also thanks for the vid conan this was super helpful and enlightening!!
Conan is goals in every single way!💛
this is so aesthetically pleasing
Ok all I gotta do now is get something reaaaly crazy to happen to me
same lmao
We must all unlock our tragic anime backstory
omg i just realised i watched this video 2 years ago and back then he was just a youtuber to me and now like HES LIKE THE MOST PLAYED ARTIST ON MY SPOTIFY and i literally didnt know this was him until like oday????
Conan reminds me of a friend, that's probably why it's so cozy to listen and chill to his videos
i miss this kind of conan, i rewatching all your videos to bring back the old memories when i watched your videos:’)
i'm a 15 yr old high school student from a not so developed city in India. UCLA is my dream school since I ever got to know it. TBH I didn't understand a word about the SAT and other things you talked about but I still have hope left in me and Imma do whatever it takes to get accepted. thanks for the tips.
lots of love
OMG this is so relatable and I hope you do get accepted!
Not to mention, where you go to college isn't as important as the connections you make. Of course, the chances of meeting big shots in an Ivy league are higher than in a public university, but it's still possible to meet them in a community college of you religiously seek out the opportunities that allow you to make these connections. Like they say, don't give up.
its crazy how different the system is in the us than australia. here we do at least 5 subjects in high school, which are graded half internally, and half through a state-wide test (for the most part) and the guaranteed way to get into university is to do well in those five subjects, regardless of what they are. then we get ranked throughout the state and get an ATAR. then we submit our ATAR to the University Admission Centre and they send out our info to the universities that we want to go to.
basically each course has an atar cutoff - if you get above that cutoff, you’re in. that’s it.
some courses have non-atar applications, but its mostly arts
also it's pretty easy to do a bridging course if you fail your ATARs, just takes a bit more time but you still get in. My heart goes out to all those trying to work the US system
our whole country is just a shit show people really shouldnt be suprised our education is fucked up too
H, omg yes the amount of times I've had to debate people - other students and teachers - on how arts and humanities are actually valuable to society is ridiculous. My school is currently trying to boost STEM subjects and gives fuck all to the arts
I think that the preference for STEM over the arts really depends on your school, which sucks. Most people think that you have to do STEM to succeed, when in fact you really just have to do well in what you choose. My school tried to dispel the myth that some subjects scale better than others, because really, if you do well in that subject then you’ll do well. Doing Ext 2 maths won’t make your ATAR better, doing WELL in Ext 2 will make you do better.
I did Art, Drama, SAC, General Maths and Adv English - subjects that people would generally disregard as either bludges or low-scaling, and got a 97.45 ATAR. You just have to do well in the subjects that you choose, and the best way to do well, is to do subjects you enjoy.
H i'm in the same position in yr 12 - at the end of the day just stick with what you enjoy doing, there's no point living a life where you don't. The dilemma with schools trying to 1-up each other is really awful though, the head of staff where I go are constantly pressuring people to drop to general if they don't make the school look good. That then messes with scaling to the bell-curve when there aren't enough people in a subject and it's a whole big mess :/
so glad i found Conans channel, i get so many positive vibes off his videos. Living for it.
I don't live in American but yesterday I got a Letter that I was accepted first try in my dream University, which is the best Art school of my country. This happens to 2 people each year so I was very shocked and happy but I agree with everything you said. I got in because I tried a diffrent approach in the Projekt we had to send in and diffrenciating as well as showibg your passion for a particular school are the most improtand Things in my opinion
CONAN AND PARAMORE BY TWO FAVOURITE THINGS
Sometimes I wonder what it’s like for someone who has no idea Conan was a youtuber and just casually sees this instead of heather or overdrive
I'm going to UCLA!!!! also rewatching this now, I still love the moments of dark humor in these videos. so vulnerable. so genius.
Julia Yellen OMG ME TOO!!!
I’m a shy, small girl who has a huge dream. I want to study in Harvard. And from where I stand, most of my friends want to study in Harvard too. I desperately want to study architecture, and I have for three years now, but I have nothing to account for this passion of mine. I have no experience with architecture and minimal exposure to design. I want to get into my dream school. And that’s probably the only thing sustaining me throughout my life. It the one thing that keeps me going, and stops me from hating school entirely.
I’m not someone who shines in one particularly thing. The only thing I have that is remotely close is writing, but even then, I have no desire to become a writer or a journalist. But other from that, I’m a lost cause. My grades are pretty good, and I get consistent As and A+s, but I doubt I will ever get into Harvard with what I have now.
Honestly, I’m hopeless, the one dream I’ve had for so long is probably not going to happen, and everything I’ve worked towards is gone. If only my teachers told me all the work I’ve put in would be useless. If only I would have realized my mistake sooner. If only I had focused all my energy into one thing, and one thing only.
I’ve regretted many things, many things indeed, but this one runs deep. Harvard has been my support system and now I’m not sure if I even stand a chance to get into my dream school. I’ve wasted years trying to reach it, and before I can even reach it, it vanishes without a trace, leaving me utterly lost. I don’t know what to do now. Please help me
Random Randoms i believe in you 💜
I know Harvard is the dream, but have you looked into Cornell or CalPoly? They are the #1 and #2 Arch. programs in the nation, respectively. My friend had minimal design background and applied to both on a whim and is now living her best life at Cornell! Something to look into.
hey its me I know this might be late now but I can try to help. Do you excel in math? Maybe try joining some math related clubs. Also take all the math related SAT subject tests to show your passion and specialities. Then you could write about this stuff in your essays. Good luck! (Don't stress yourself out too much. It's just a school and you can live a completely happy and fulfilling life even if you don't get in.)
so last year i watched your video about your 'UCLA acceptance' it was the same year as i graduated from high school, and i really sad because last year wasn't my year of acceptance for the college, it was pretty rough year to know and to face at the first, seeing you making video about college life giving me vibes, and i didn't give up from that 1 year of gap year, and now i got into my dream school as an Architecture student, in one of popular campus in my city/ country, it was really difficult to get into, getting there is a lot of preparation to do, but i thank God i finally did it, knowing you always making video about life, schools, passions, makes me always knowing my self more that everyone is always have to know what's they're shine with, it was the passion that comes within, and thanks for the videos and the vibes tho, it's really build me into a better person as i could be, and yes it's pretty unique of every people's acceptance, everyone has story.
This year i got rejected from all the schools i applied to even the "safe schools" rejected me. In the netherlands the high school system is divided in 3 levels and with my diploma i cant get into university. So i wanted to do a 1 year course so i could get in university but my school decided for me that i cant go there even tho i have the highest grades in my grade so im forced to take a gap year bc my school doesnt want me to be ambitious. Just love my school making decisions for me 😅
aw im sorry :( hopefully it'll all work out. school really ruins more than it helps.
Naaiende zooi.
Nova G what if you go to other school to make that year instead of waiting for your school?
aw sorry, but i know your position, i've ever been on that situation before, but i never gave up on that, knowing that it has to be a serious preparation so i prepared myself with a year courses to get into college test, talking with my friend who got into same situation as me, sharing thoughts, experience and fixing mistakes, and thank God bc i didn't gave up, so i finally got into my dream school this year, the key is never give up on your self, the situation might seems not giving you an opportunity, but when preparation meets the opportunity, then it's your time that's deserves you. good luck!!~
Can we just call this new series Conan’s Kitchen corner
i second this
scream that paramore you beautiful boy
his GPA: 4.3
conan gray: i had a 3.2 gpa
unweighted vs weighted gpa’s are different
Thanks Conan this is going in a “motivation for college playlist” that I’m going to watch every time I want to procrastinate
I just now discovered this having no idea he went to college&&& the giggles is making me feel SO SEEN I lOVE CONAN
I literally just searched conan gray and You just uploaded a video 39 second Ago!!! 💞💞💞
I certainly can vouch for this whole video. Grades and activities don't matter as much as who you ARE. Your drive and your purpose are what schools are looking for, even more than being academically flawless. Universities not only want to see that you work hard, but also why you work hard.
I applied to almost all the UC's not thinking that I would get into a single one because for the majority of my life, I had terrible grades, and almost didn't graduate from high school because I failed PE and English, of all things. After three years of finding myself in a community college, I brought my GPA to about 3.17 (which is still below average for UC's) and fell back in love with learning after finding my calling, and major.
In my essay, I acknowledged that my grades weren't pristine or shining examples of the perfect student. I even embraced the fact that school had never been my main interest until recently, and explained why my priorities had changed and what made me want to keep going despite my struggle with academia. And even though I applied with a below-average GPA and a track record of failing Math 101 three times before finally passing with a C, I got into all of my top choices, and will be attending UCLA in fall.
My point is that the person you are and the person that you strive to be, at the schools you apply to and after, are what matter. Of course, there are many other factors that are out of our control, but you can always still give it your best. Good grades are important and all, but they are definitely not EVERYTHING. At least from my experience, I can say that the most important thing is doing your best in general, and showing what you're doing to grow as a person. Whether it's in school or your social life or your hobbies, just show your drive to be the best possible you, and what it means to be the best you.
-- :) --
I hope everyone had a good application season, and congrats to anyone who just graduated or is about to! Sorry for the long and rambly post. I hope it helped anyone who may have felt discouraged about their grades.
I want to hear his essay so baddd
Wish he does vids like this and reads his college essay
I’m a transfer with not the best gpa or transcripts and not a shit ton of extra curriculars bc I had to work 30-50 hours a week as a waitress to support myself which is also something I wrote about in my essay. My essays were written about vulnerable parts of me that showed my resilience and my desire to be better and I got in. UCLA was my top school and I’ve been in love since high school. I poured everything into my essays and I really think that’s why I was able to get in.
Conan 3.2 was so off from 4.3 😂😂
It was weighted due to ap classes
I'm already in college studying mechanics, Conan is like a spontaneous contagious inspirational ball of sunshine
wow almost 3 years. i hella miss these videos
best youtuber to ever live. creative. passionate. kind. amazing.
I am 13 and I have been really wanting to go to UCLA, it’s my top dream choice, and I am really trying to my best, thank you Conan for the amazing tips 💓
Same, but im 15. Ive been wanting to go to UCLA for around 3 years now:) you can do it!
Haley thank you beautiful, you can also do it, 💓💓
you calm me to much I’ve been stressing i’m just gonna listen to ur voice and advice for the rest of my life
wow what a skinny legend
As someone who goes to a prep school, I completely agree with you! I know quite a few people who are really smart and totally deserve to get into the colleges they apply to, but there's even more who really don't put a lot of effort in but will go to these amazing schools because their parents are rich. However, there's also a lot of kids who got in on scholarships and use financial aid, and our applications are based on merit. Even so, it's so important to point out the disparity between classes here in America, especially in regards to education, and I'm glad you have. Everyone deserves a fair chance, no matter their income level.
“with a grain of salt...don’t even know what that means.”
me with all my words lol
conan, after watching this video, i feel more eased from the thought of being a senior in a few months and
thinking about all the responsibilities i have to deal with. i remember watching your videos exactly a year ago, seeing you freak out over the college applications. but now that you're in your dream school, it makes me wonder what my potential is. you've gone so far conan, i feel like a proud mother (': (even though you're older haha)
also cute nails ! :D
hi cone I love you and your fancy chair 😍💙
It's currently hitting me how stressful this senior year will be but im so happy to have stumbled into your video, thank you for being so positive and genuine, sure helped me relief at least a little stress
You're voice is so beautiful!! (I repeated the intro like 10x) I almost cried😭😍❤️
12:38 is actually inaccurate because of yield protection (rare, but does happen!)
That intro was everything I ever wanted in life
All I need right now is Conan teaching me how to get somewhere in life, this is good.
or... you can just pretend to be on a rowing team and pay 500k!! 😤🥵😵
Photoshop your face onto somebody else’s
😂😂
Your videos relax me so much, you have such a cool and chill vibe in your videos, maybe its just your editing, your personality , your calm voice or your apartment or just everything about your videos makes me feel so happy and in peace with myself. Thank u so much
and i thought my dad was bs-ing everytime he said that when i apply i need to focus on 'My sTOrY' .........
you have made me feel SO MUCH BETTER. I’ve always known it was rigged but to hear exactly how was interesting. I’m applying at the end of the summer to UCLA so I’m nerve-wracked but this helped, thank you sm! 💕🌿
my ucla bighead boi
I'm 15 and i live in another country so our school system is completely different. And yet i'm still watching. I just love hearing you talk .
can't wait to get rejected when i apply to ucla when I'm 18!!!! so exciting right
Phhffff samee
Did you guys get in yet?😅
I’m already in uni and have no interest in this since I live in the UK but still gonna watch cause Conan is an actual sunshine feels like I’m just talking to a pal so proud of u boo
ucla my dream school! howwwww you genius
pretty true, i had pretty bad sat scores, and my score for act was higher, but not by much, but i did have that passion in learning, and in politics. so my main focus was focusing in working the angle of all the political work i've done in my community. and yeah, it's crazy how little people get in at a time-- at my school, only three people got in. i really want to help raise that number, so if anyone has any questions, please ask! i'm glad to help
I want to start my life from high school again. When I was in high school, I had no passion for anything and it lasted untill graduration from the university. I was so stupit, regret it a lot.
Anyways, you always inspire me so much!! You are such an amazing person
agree 100% on everything in this video. Also, for those that want to pursue a career in the music field, don’t focus on just getting in the best music school, find what’s more comfortable and where you see yourself growing more as a person in a unique way. Musically(or for any app), show that you are truly passionate about what you want to do. Some of these schools look for true interest rather than just excellent work/grades.