My College Process [with Reactions] (Accepted to 20+ Universities)

Edited footage documenting my whole college process, including decision reactions, up to my final decision on where to go next year. Being in chronological order, my exploreUSC trip to California is toward the end. I hope this helps rising high schoolers in navigating their path toward college and their future.
Music:
Quinn XCII - Another Day in Paradise (Prod. ayokay)
/ patgardner

[@grahamrice3905]

I'm less impressed by his acceptances, but more impressed with how clean he keeps his inbox. Only 6 unread!?!?! I have 1500 lol.

[@TheMasterFro]

Graham Rice He probably uses a personal email and an official email. It's a smart move to do and makes organizing things so much easier.

[@francheskabarrientos8999]

I have almost 10,000 lmao

[@VGzFrost]

Impressed by your grades and sats but you wasted alot of money by applying to very easy to get into large schools. Shoulda just gone for ivy leagues.

[@dardanm3544]

Ever since I switched to gmail couple of years ago I pretty much never get spam. I just deleted all and then unsubscribed to any new email I got and reported spam for the first week.

[@huey1153]

Feel good about yourself because I have 9,950 😂😂🤦‍♂️

[@ianm4935]

One of the most well-planned, realistic videos I've watched in a long while

[@PatGardner]

Haha thanks Ian - glad it turned out well!

[@TedSummers]

I was always told that "luck is when chance meets preparation". I also witnessed this 1st hand with my son this year. What I learned is this, It involves a lot of hard work and a little bit of luck. Just remember we create our own luck with a lot of preparation.

[@artsyandy]

1530 was a disappointment? 😪😪😪😪

[@PatGardner]

"Reach for the stars so if you fall you land on a cloud" - Kanye West

[@artsyandy]

TheAcroPat help me do that please thank u

[@alankn6508]

andy v wait out of 1600 or out of 2400

[@artsyandy]

Alan K. N. Arrow i assumed 1600

[@alankn6508]

andy v that's like really good

[@standupguyjoe]

holy crap it costs a lot to apply to that many schools

[@Stoichem]

well considering he got a full scholarship, I don't think 2000 dollars seems much

[@madisonspence7856]

he most likely had many of his fees waived!!

[@neilrulz24]

yah, that's more than a grand easily. unless the colleges waived his application fee, he must have spent a lot of coin

[@xkmto]

Doesn’t matter when the parents pay for it 🤞🏽

[@henrycoversguitar]

@@madisonspence7856 why

[@talonfelisa]

These comments are really something. So many people are naive enough to think that perfect grades, scores, and a million extra curriculars ate gonna get you into every college. This is the same mindset of people that say "If they got into Harvard, how come they did t get into UT?" Its because they are DIFFERENT SCHOOLS. Of course, the top schools are looking for excellent grades, but they're also looking for people with good essays and interests they are passionate about. They would rather hear about one interest or club that you excell in more than anyone else than being in 50 clubs that you don't genuinely love. Students need to recognize this. (This is more of a comment on the comment section than the video. I loved the video. Such high quality.)

[@gabby9388]

Talon Stanley literally, i’m not surprised at all that he was denied and waitlisted at some of those top schools... i swear people really don’t understand the process, and the people who think that and who are commenting are probably like 12-14 years old

[@michellelao98]

Guys the reason he choose pitt is because 1. It's already a well-ranked school 2. If you look at the video closely, he got a full tuition scholarship! Congrats! I'm a pitt student as well!

[@cameronclark3927]

Michelle I didn’t know Pitt was tht good

[@kayla101010100]

@@cameronclark3927 Pitt is a very good school, especially for sciences and the health field!!! It has major connections because of UPMC.

[@khouse1554]

Well ranked but it’s not even top 50...

[@naughti_penguin2340]

@@khouse1554 I'd rather get a full ride to pitt than be $150,000+ in debt to harvard.

[@khouse1554]

runmyfade yea but with Harvard you can get a $100k+ salary right after graduation and pay off that debt within 2 years.

[@theboybluu5838]

I wish i saw this my freshman year. Didnt give a shit bout school

[@LightYagami-mv7ro]

YaBoyBluu exactly

[@light8174]

I don’t know why I keep watching these type of videos when I know I’m going to just feel like crap.

[@michellea.m1298]

lovelylight same, i dont even compare to any of the students in the videos I’ve watched

[@charliepietz1852]

How do you rank 1 in your class and get a perfect ACT score yet get declined by Duke??

[@iCorlitotv]

Bowdownfx Productions lol

[@iCorlitotv]

He looks too much like Grayson Allen that's why

[@Alex-ij1km]

haha lmao

[@biore1163]

they don't only look at that.

[@brendanbergmann6290]

The Valedictorian last year at my high school got wait listed by Columbia.

[@JackieNayda]

This video really discourages me I'm an upcoming senior and this video make me feel like I won't make it into college because of how good you were

[@mellingmichael777]

Just use it to work a little harder ... and things will be fine, good luck!

[@vincentchung7664]

Why?

[@jailanrayvon434]

I was feeling the same thing 4.7 gpa perfect on ACT and still got rejections but I always stay grinding, never going to stop

[@jtjones603]

You have diversity on your side... major +

[@DEE240PIXELS]

So, did you make it?

[@vigneshrajmohan]

You got robbed, you achieved so much, mit is missing out, but regardless, you seem to be a very talented kid who will achieve big things regardless of what college you go to. Plus Pitt is a great school, good luck dude!

[@chaddonschaddons7084]

He definitely got robbed. I got 100 points less in the sat and only had one ap class and got more scholarship from case western and a few others that he showed. He's white and I'm hispanic. It's a shame that the ethnicity and nationality question is even on the application. Those questions of skin color and gender are so racist and sexist. All people should be on equal par and tested examined entirely on merit.

[@TheCHEDDARCHEESENIPS]

Signatelli y'all need to chill lmao!

[@timqiao8293]

Lol, dude just looks at master meme's own video, he is insecure as fk .He literally describes every piece of valuable material in his home。

[@pharaohbhang1172]

@Master meme You are incredibly uneducated and misinformed if you don't know that Pitt is one the best universities in the country. Far better than USC. But I guess everyone doesn't make decisions based on names they recognize.

[@jielong7174]

Because Patrick is a White Male!

[@valerievong677]

loved this video so much! it's so new, so different compared to other youtube videos directed towards college applications and reactions. great job, patrick.

[@maddiedris26]

I can't understand how he has a 4.7 GPA, a perfect ACT score, and so many extra curriculars, but still didn't get into some of the top schools he applied to?? It seems like at this point schools like MIT, UChicago, Duke and Vanderbilt are just choosing randomly because they have so many qualified applicants.

[@DavidsGameplayMC]

They do have to choose a bit randomly. There are literally kids that don't get accepted who have the exact same credentials as kids that do get in, and this is because there just isn't enough space for all of the top students in the country to go that particular school.

[@AllxChannel]

elizabeth still 50% of application is essay

[@priyanshuswar644]

??? You have not seen his essays. Or his supplements. there are over 30 thousand schools in the US. Each school has a valedictorian. Think a little.

[@krishanpatel1835]

It's not affirmative action, it's rich parents "donating" money to universities so their spoiled children get accepted despite being less qualified.

[@JulietteVeronica1201]

Some of those top schools are looking for particular people, not only just high achieving ones. Some of the things a person is missing are something that person has no control over.

[@angelakoontz8435]

Ahhh! Congrats on absolutely everything!! I just submitted my Pitt application for their University Preview courses for my senior year and I cannot wait to apply in August!!!

[@alexuhhh1953]

How did it go?!

[@sophiawillis9963]

I WAS SO SURPRISED WITH PITT!! its one of my top schools so its so cool to see someone else go in these acceptance videos!!

[@tatianaaranzazu2887]

You slayed that intro. I’ve never seen a college process like this, it was amazing. And dang you’re smart, I hope a bright future awaits for you

[@handroscroggs4121]

Oh wow congrats on this vid! Can't wait to see what the future holds for you! Best of luck and follow your dreams! 😀

[@PatGardner]

Thanks Alejandro!

[@kirani111]

You're incredible and so hard working! Enjoy every bit of your successes, you deserve it!- Fellow 2017 senior

[@orueom7720]

You know, im fascinated with how broad the US education curriculum is. You are very much encouraged to involve yourself in a wide range of activities(both curricular and extra curricular) over here in the UK you must be tunnel-visioned, by your age when applying to colleges or universities over here (like i am) you must have a specific career path mapped out or no college will even consider reading your college essay. Great video, It's great to see such a focused person. Godd luck in your future!

[@californiankarina]

Ese Omoru in the US it's better to be non well rounded and do what your interests and hobbies are so colleges can see what kind of person you are. They also like commitment. So if you do a different sport each year just to look good... universities don't really want to see that. What they want is for you do have done a sport for 4 or more years and be involved in things that you enjoy for awhile. That's what I think ahah but I'm only 15(sophomore) and don't know much about colleges

[@BeejDoop]

Most versatile list ever , Schools like Clemson and Alabama alll the way to USC and Duke.

[@isabella0095]

I just watched his video 4 times in a row.. it’s giving me so much motivation!

[@jacquelinemorales6585]

This video made me cry because of the passion he shows. Amazing video thank you

[@kristin6046]

I go to Pitt and am graduating this December! You made an awesome decision! I was accepted to some Ivies, higher ranking schools etc. but I have never regretted my decision for a second. You are going to have an amazing 4 years! H2P!!!!!!

[@shomitghosh9767]

The shots from the airplane were so clean, nice! Congratulations :)

[@Rebeccarealest]

The beginning of this video was well thought out and planned. 👏🏾👏🏾I truly believe he deserved wayyyy more acceptances but his hard work did definitely pay off so it’s all good. Good job 👏🏾👏🏾

[@andrewnprice]

Can't believe I missed this video. So glad that you documented this whole process. I think any school would be lucky to have you. Best of luck at Pitt. I am sure you will do great as long as you keep that same focus on your studies. I am sure you will make an amazing enginerd :).

[@andrewkim1557]

Me: "I got a 1530 on my SAT! YAYYYY" Pat: "I got a 1530 on my SAT! I'm such a disappointment:("

[@elitepro-fortnite7717]

andrew kim Me:”I got a 1530 on my SAT! Wait in my dreams

[@stephane1623]

Congratulations! You made an excellent choice :D and I'm sure you are enjoying the fruit of your hard work.

[@nicholasbegan7671]

Congratulations. This video is so inspiring. I am just starting the process now of looking at schools (Sophomore, Class of '19). You have so much to be proud of. Good luck at Pitt.

[@davidpughmusic]

Hey man, great video. I’ve been looking for inspiration and you have truly put that in me. Thank you

[@TeamFashionAndLove]

Great video. Shows that hard work can get you great places but may still encounter disappointments. Everything works put in the end.

[@Diygirl194]

This is a really awesome video!!! Congrats on everything

[@Camronnader1998]

This video is amazing. Great work man

[@TurtleHeartsYouu]

This video was put together really well! And congrats on Pitt!

[@johnjackson1681]

Congrats on all your success man! You earned it

[@AlfredoATA]

I think the craziest part of senior year was finding out one of my best friends is genius. I had always known he was smart and had pretty good grades but one day he shows up to school with an MIT shirt on. He somehow got into fucking MIT. I never knew he was a fucking genius. Really caught me by surprise

[@malfunction2390]

omid dorrani And you seem like a douche.

[@machiavellianintrospection4986]

omid dorran LOL

[@MrRooibos123]

@@omiddorrani9283 Speaking of which, the sentance structure is wrong. It should be "completely retarded" not "retarded completely." Work on your grammar before you criticise others.

[@rolofiend]

@@omiddorrani9283 I agree.

[@maddieivey3882]

let's go mountaineers, hopefully you get that rival reference, but this video was so well thought out, congrats on all your acceptances!!

[@thegreencircle1405]

I wish I could go back and start over with high school. I coasted through high school with little effort and did okay but definitely could have been a 4.0 student. I only hope that I can get into a top school for post grad. Congrats on getting into so many colleges!

[@animeator5580]

I feel ya. I had personal problems in middle school and thus i didn't put all the effort i could have into school or even personal and remarkable activities

[@clairehickey1141]

Congrats on Pitt!! I'm a current sophomore and I can already tell you that you have made an outstanding choice! You will definetly have lots of opportunity over the next four years. Can't wait to see you on campus! :)

[@lexiyelverton2082]

Wow! That was a really awesome and structured video!

[@talley8]

This is such an awesome vid! Congrats on Pittsburgh!!

[@PatGardner]

Gracias!

[@missrosa2u]

Really well done/ planned out a video, congratulations on hard work paying off! I also ended up committing to the school staring me in the face- Northeastern University which I live across the river from haha :)

[@christinapotenza9951]

Congratulations! As a pitt student I can promise you will love your time here! H2P!

[@CruuushaL]

Congrats, you are going to be working in a cubicle being bossed around for the rest of your life. Man college is great!

[@johnkurkjian9370]

October 2018 and it’s still one of the best college videos ever

[@herfish6584]

you must've worked really hard, it's inspirational and admirable

[@joysomolski8907]

Wow! Congrats! You have the craziest stats I've ever seen (in a good way). Watching this kinda leaves me with doubt when comparing my stats to yours

[@kaitlint8426]

YES!!! I had a similar situation this year as well :) hardly any financial aid at UC Berkeley vs a huge scholarship at Northeastern. Needless to say, I will be heading up to Boston next year. Hard work does all the talking, regardless of the institution you attend. Best of luck!

[@user-ow2td3cc6s]

Dang, you got a huge scholarship at Northeastern?! That's an amazing school that I want to go to

[@seokhyunryu1908]

Congrats! I was extremely impressed by your outstanding achievements and it also reminded me of applying to colleges last year. Best of luck at Pitt :D

[@MsAlison]

this mans is so stacked, haha, goals. this is rly aesthetic and interesting tho haha, thanks!

[@Blacktop_Battle]

Congrats man. Hard work pays off.

[@AndrewTsui]

Thank You for this video! Middle Schooler here prepping ahead!

[@willborowski2979]

Being a College Freshman, I really wish I saw this video 5 years ago so I could plan my high school career much better than I did. Now I'm a community college student with a ton of regrets and not a lot ahead of me. Oh well, gotta live on. Congrats on your acceptances, Pat. You're gonna go far kid...

[@misslillovebug]

This is incredible! Congrats

[@rachelchung4989]

This is the best college decisions video I've seen

[@Gazeta2nd]

Ayyyyy, you're from Germantown. I actually lived in Memphis for a year attending school there. Not gonna lie, your video is one of the reasons that I'm newly motivated to apply to colleges again.

[@DrAdnan]

Great video man! I’m sure you’ll do big things even if you didn’t get every college (that you should’ve gotten into imo).

[@markarend326]

Having steered 3 daughters through this process, here's my take: The gpa, test scores, extra curriculum's, etc.. really are not critical in getting an acceptance from a highly selective school. They do not differentiate the applicant in any way. In other words they are almost meaningless - all they do is get you a seat at the application table. The reality is that Pat G is not special. There are about 100,000 + applicants just like him. Remember you are usually fighting against 40,000 applicants for one of 1,700 spots in a class. The numbers really are bad. Factors such as geography and family background are much more critical once you are in the application process. One of my D's is at an Ivy. There were 458 applicants from our State. They took 12, so there is huge degree of randomness involved. I don't believe my D was so much better than the other applicants, but just that she was a fit for what the school needed in the class. So what to do? Excel in your field (any field) outside of your HS. Any kid can by a valedictorian, but have you published a few novels? Earned the better part of an undergrad degree as a high-schooler? Contributed to a published academic study? Founded a think-tank? Patent holder? Ran an international aid organization? Think along these lines. There are applicants out there doing these things..Good luck.

[@LeechUFC]

Mark Arend you’re absolutely right. My marks are half decent but applying to the best business school in Canada I knew I needed to show how unique I am. I included the fact that I was the captain of a gaming team and co-founder of a local charity organization instead of putting my school related leadership opportunities and I got early admission to the best business school in Canada

[@Mitzi73]

Great video! Best of luck on your future.

[@loganjames7736]

Dude you are honestly a god. How did you juggle all of those extracurriculars, grades, and application?? Awesome video.

[@tanyaks56]

Hi don’t know if you’ll see this but I wanted to share that I got rejected from my #1 choice USC yesterday and I watched this video and by the end my entire perspective on this whole process changed. I got accepted to Pitt and Northeastern and realized I was so ungrateful for them while I was caught up in my usc craze. This video snapped me out of that and I’m so so so thankful for it so thank you so much for sharing your journey. Good luck to everyone on their college journey. I promise in time you will realize that you end up where you are meant to be.

[@noxmtg7017]

Hey, Congrats on getting accepted! The whole college proccess made me rethink a lot of things as well.

[@tanyaks56]

Nox MTG thank you!! And yes it turned out to be very insightful.

[@idaramma3210]

For those of y'all asking why he went to Pitt...take a look at 2:40

[@tbanks_]

How do you turn down Harvard :(

[@hear105]

A full scholarship to Pittsburgh is probably overall better

[@erincullinan1740]

Terence Banks he can always go back for a masters or PhD. He made a smart choice as Harvard is way to expensive

[@rockz7772]

Congrats bro Houston high is my district high school (even tho I don't go there) haha the band is great. Good luck at Pitt and thanks for the inspirational video.

[@aidanshaughnessy2929]

Every time I watch these I get so nervous for them! 😂

[@dylanohara8799]

perfect song choice bro, quin is a killer

[@McMuffin9000]

Damn bro, forgot I was even still subbed to you. Crazy to think I played Minecraft with you, what, 3 or 4 years ago on Bartown? (think that's what it was called) Congrats man, and goodluck! (my old ign was McMuffin9000 if you even remember lol)

[@Alex-ij1km]

lol me too

[@stephaniem3912]

LOVE THIS VIDEO! Subscribed ☑️

[@iamcaitlynnhansen1850]

GO TO NOTRE DAME!!! my parents went there and it’s the most beautiful campus ever! YOU HAVE TO GO ITS AMAZING

[@muniraalimire9689]

WOW, five seconds in and I'm like dang, this guy did it well.

[@jonaslasater4784]

This kinda proves that grades are not the only thing that matters. No disrespect towards you man. Amazing video

[@dedgar6161]

I’m going to Pitt this Fall!!!!! Dam I gotta get my grades up so I can get that full ride too H2P!!!

[@error_error_1239]

Oh shoot man that’s so cool I’m surprised that you still decided to go to pitt I just got accepted like 3 days ago and I’m ready to commit to pitt!!!

[@digantabaruah9495]

Dude you are legendary

[@bfatahan8786]

Best video out there! Have fun at Pitt my brother.

[@PatGardner]

Thanks man and will do!

[@uguyslikepingu]

This was a great video, I especially liked how you decided not to use music for the majority of it

[@EveryPixelMatters]

Damn, I thought I was going to get to meet you in USC next fall. Would've been cool to meet you, your work ethic must be impeccable, but I trust you've chosen wisely.

[@joego5359]

no matter where you go in life, forbes floor 5 will always be here for you, pat

[@yellow8206]

Looking at this video again, the end surprised me so much. Especially since pitt might be my #1 option too depending on the scholarship. How do you like it there?

[@iankenneally8415]

and a Quinn XCII song too? This is the perfect video

[@JohnSmith-gz4yj]

Hey Pat, I know you’re probably really busy, but I actually stumbled across you’re video, I will attend Houston next year!! How coincidental. Could you give me some tips on must take APs, some good teachers, and some of the harder classes/APs. Thank you so much!

[@DrAdnan]

Wow congrats man!

[@Mark_Cadden]

Hail to Pitt!!!! Solid choice, my sister is in the Honors College there as well, congratulations

[@Mark_Cadden]

She just finished her first full year in Honors program and absolutely loved every moment of her experience. If you have any questions feel free to message me!

[@joeymills2309]

Very excited

[@benjixjack7960]

holy crap you inspire me

[@sadcomplex839]

If you people wonder why he chose pitt, look at 2:39, HE GOT A FULL TUITION SCHOLARSHIP

[@margotpessy2990]

Hey I loved your video! Im from france with an american mom and have a hard time understanding the entire university process.. could you do a video about it? like a calendar or how to enter for scholarships? i also play tennis. 😊

[@tylernickels3200]

Awesome vid! Congrats to you on your acceptances!!! I filmed a video on the schools I applied to as well

[@nolanmcdonald8439]

I can’t even imagine liking school this much

[@kimregalado7469]

Truly Amazing 👌🏻

[@Mjolnirlol]

This really makes me with I did better in HS... Congrats buddy. Well deserved.

[@gabrielas3280]

H2P!!! As a current Pitt student I can assure you you'll love your time here :)

[@l.s.2578]

Wow. You are very smart. I know this might be weird coming from a stranger but I hope to get into A ton of colleges just like you. You are lucky. Life is good

[@jumpyj1433]

Wow,you are taking these admission decisions so well

[@martinjones5847]

Well he does have a lot of options.

[@ckjl7704]

just keep an eye on Carnegie Mellon when you get there, might want to transfer to that school

[@TheGlassbro]

I just graduated from Pitt. You'll love it bud.

[@YM-vn2ts]

Wait why did you not get admitted into MIT and UChicago. You are a top rated candidate. I mean rank 1 in the class? That is insane. I dont understand their decision

[@DeepSeas..]

Yoshi Mario MIT is looking for more than excellent grades and exam scores. Admissions officers there expect you to have made substantial contributions to a field and/or be a prodigy. UChicago receives tens of thousands of applications from students who are excellent in every academic facet. Admissions officers there want the excellent grades and exams scores, but they also want you to be someone exceedingly interesting. UChicago's essays prompts are interesting to say the least.

[@nagol6801]

Yoshi Mario no no lmao he's white and affluent no college wants that. Adversity is what they look for, why do you think poor minorities with a 32 act get in over rich whites with 36s?

[@mercedesm4156]

nagol if schools only want "poor minorities" why are both those schools predominately white? Why do they have such large endowments? People love to put their failures on others instead of looking in the mirror at themselves

[@nagol6801]

Roger Rogers wow you are so incredibly wrong, like an embarrassing amount of wrong. Multiple studies have submitted identical applications to programs like such with one being a white male and another a black male. The black male was admitted over the white 77% of the time. You understand nothing about admissions.

[@YM-vn2ts]

nagol Its true that universities are trying to create diversity on their campus, they do not specifically discriminate anyone in the application process. The rich applicants are the ones that dont get any aid so why would colleges restrict these type of candidates if they are going to get money from them?

[@itsmahersh]

Hey man! Great Video.. I have one question though.. How have you managed to study all the Entrance examinations like(SAT, ACT) etc, Would u mind sharing some tips? I really need them as i am writing them in 2 months. Is there any key to getting amazing marks in these exams?

[@boheels2oldaccount865]

Coolest reveal/decision ever

[@DaringDIY]

That Quinn xcii song >>> THE BEST

[@sachinsanjay7396]

Just watched Juju's video! This is crazy I watched this two years ago!