looking back on it, this was kind of ridiculous
now that i'm a senior who's committed to a school (got my dorm assignment today yay!), i can fully reflect on what my admissions process looked like.
i totally obsessed over this sub, and i spent way too much time freaking out over little things that were completely out of my control like strangers' results, rumors about what in your (already submitted) essay would get you rejected, random unbased comments, etc.
what i wish i did more, over anything else, was trust myself. in my essays, i wish i wrote more about myself and not what i thought the school would want to hear. i wish i looked at schools first if they'd fit me personally, and not if they were 'prestigious enough' for my family and judgy classmates.
i scoffed at people who said "everything will work out in the end" because i was convinced that it wouldn't, that my life was over because i didn't get into a t20 ed, but guess what? everything worked out in the end.
please, if you received a discouraging decision, and you're so invested in the college process that you stalk this sub like i did, there is probably nothing you could have done. you can't attend every college, so getting accepted everywhere is useless anyway.
i remember a friend and i both panicking after we were both waitlisted from uw seattle, thinking that we were screwed because we hadn't been accepted to a 'safety' school that neither of us even had as a top choice. but we are both doing great now.
i ended up initially choosing a t100 over the t50 and t30 schools i was admitted to because it fit what i wanted (california, great for my major, student groups + res life that interested me). when i was admitted to a more 'prestigious' school off the waitlist, i didn't want to switch because i was content with my original commitment.
but, i toured my original school, and realized that i hated the size. if it weren't for that sole reason, i never would've switched. please do not choose your school off of rankings that only the deranged have memorized! choose where you physically want to spend the next four years of your life! i would have felt very constrained and bored at the small school i initially committed to, and am much more excited about college at my new school because of the large student body and campus.
i have many friends who chose t100s over their original t20 commitments after touring the school or going to admitted students days, personal fit is really the most important thing to find.
tldr; don't obsess over minute details and sketchy advice from internet strangers, rankings aren't everything, prioritize yourself in this process, and one bad decision doesn't mean you'll get rejected everywhere.
my friend is now happily committed to washu and i am happily committed to ucla :)