[acjohnson55]

Though sometimes I wonder if YC would have accepted me if I had advertised my Ivy League stamps of approval (acceptance letters)...

Be glad you didn't. I don't think it would have sent a positive sign. Frankly, no one wants to hear about the things you didn't do, and things like acceptance letters and SAT scores don't matter going forward.

Life is going to be filled with tough calls. Sometimes, you may have 5 promising but exclusive options to choose from. You can't make the most of the path you've taken while wasting mental energy on the ones you didn't. Take it from someone who wasted a lot of mental energy on such things before learning not to.

You said elsewhere you go to NYU -- what's stopping you from maximizing your social and intellectual opportunities?

[morgante]

> Be glad you didn't. I don't think it would have sent a positive sign. Frankly, no one wants to hear about the things you didn't do, and things like acceptance letters and SAT scores don't matter going forward.

I know (it's why I don't usually go around talking about how I could have gone to Harvard). Though it does sadden me that the VC and tech ecosystem is almost as prestige-focused as Wall Street.

> You said elsewhere you go to NYU -- what's stopping you from maximizing your social and intellectual opportunities?

Mostly that I don't have much commonality with those around me. Everyone seems to be focused on getting the "right" internship and studying, while I'd like to have meaningful conversations about intellectually intriguing topics. Plus, my general lack of social skills and nerdiness at a school which is decidedly not nerdy.

[acjohnson55]

Mostly that I don't have much commonality with those around me. Everyone seems to be focused on getting the "right" internship and studying, while I'd like to have meaningful conversations about intellectually intriguing topics. Plus, my general lack of social skills and nerdiness at a school which is decidedly not nerdy.

What you describe socially/environmentally sounds a lot like the typical Ivy League experience. Gossip, politics, inner circles within inner circles, who-you-know, etc.

Fortunately, social skills are something you can improve, if you set your mind to it. That's one reason I'm really glad I did my college experience in the order I did. I don't think I could have truly taken advantage of my grad school experience if not for going to undergrad someplace where everyone wasn't constantly jockeying to get ahead.

I'm sure you have more commonality with people than you think. Being adept socially is all about finding those commonalities. Usually, that means being able to step out of your own head to empathize with what other people's social needs are. The most social people I know have a way of making other people feel like the most interesting person in the world.

It sounds like you've got a lot going for you, and if you're a sophomore now, you've got a lot of time to figure everything out. Best of luck. Drop me a line if you want to grab a coffee or something. I went to NYU for my second grad school experience :)