Cheering Up is Hard to Do

So JP took the GMAT yesterday and did quite well; however, "quite well" is not "extremely well" and "extremely well" is what he was hoping to do. He should certainly still be able to get into business schools in the Top 20 and isn't out of the running for any in the Top 10, but "not out of the running" is not the same thing as "above their average accepted". Other over achievers will understand- it doesn't matter that it's still a good score, its not the score he thought he could get. So even though I want to smack him over the head with my securities book, I understand his disappointment, however undeserved. There's also the depressing thought of taking the test again- his score isn't quite high enough where that would truly be unnecessary, but its not low enough where he's certain he can do significantly better. A lot of standardized testing is luck of question drawn that day. The other thing is that he will still get into UT, a great school, and probably the best thing for all three of us (by then)- he just wants to know he got accepted to Harvard/Stanford. Superficial? Perhaps, but short of knocking him out with the above mentioned securities casebook, I don't think I can change his mind. There's also something to the fact that I got into those schools and then chose mine (the fact that I now semi-regret the choice doesn't matter). He wants to do the same; to say "I got into X, but chose Y", even if its only to himself. So basically, I have a lot of cheering up and ego boosting to do.

This is bad timing because I am feeling completely overwhelmed with my finals (that start in less than 48 hours). At least as a 2L I don't have to do all that well. I spent all of last night just hanging out with him, eating dinner, talking, etc. and only thought about how little I knew about admin a few times. Last year I would have been in the library- he would have talked to me on the phone and I wouldn't have been able to see how deeply upset he was or be able to help. I'm glad that I was home and able to be there for him the way he's been there for me, even if the first half-hour was spent with him glaring at his score sheet on the table and me really wanting to open it, but waiting for him to say something. The tight-rope walking dialogue of "you did great" combined with "I know you're disappointed" would not have worked out as well over the phone.