Let me preface this by saying that I know this is ridiculous. I know that life doesn't end if you don't get in to a prestigious university and that you can be successful via multiple avenues. Nevertheless, I still feel so disappointed in my college decision outcomes.
I feel like I worked so hard through high school and did just about everything right. I had a 4.0UW / 4.7W, 1530, IB diploma candidate, national merit finalist, 700+ volunteer hours teaching kids STEM topics, etc. Yet I still couldn't get in to a top 20 school -- just a bunch of waitlists and rejections. Nearly all of my family members, friends, and even teachers expected I would go to a top 20 school and have told me so. My parents place a lot of emphasis on the importance of education and always wanted to see me go to a top school. A significant number of people from my family have gone to ivies / T20s, further fueling this emphasis on education. I know comparison is the thief of joy, but it really sucks seeing people I know with seemingly worse applications get in to better schools than me. I did still get in to UVA out of state and will be attending. I know UVA is not a bad school by any metric and that I will still get a great education, but it's hard to be excited to attend a school that was never one of my first choices. Again, I know this is ridiculous and to some extent a very privileged perspective. I just wish I felt satisfied with the school I was attending. It also really sucks seeing people look visibly disappointed when I tell them what school I'll be attending.
I don't really know where I went wrong. I know my profile/stats are by no means a guaranteed admit for an ivy, but I still was optimistic I'd be able to get in to schools like NYU, Georgetown, etc. I guess it must have been the essays, even though I did spend a lot of time on them and had them proof-read.
As a result of all this, my outlook on life has just been far more negative. I know it's irrational, but I feel far less optimistic and have found it harder to stay motivated lately. I'm hoping this feeling goes away. It also doesn't help that I have a lot of uncertainties and anxieties surrounding my career path and future in general.