The problem is, it’s so ridiculously competitive. I did fairly well in school, and certainly got in the top 1% of grades, as well as attending the NYSF. However, I look at the kind of people who won the Thiel fellowship and kind of wither. They’re way out of my league.
As mjcurzi said, don’t overestimate the competition. The very best Thiel fellowship winners will be given the spotlight and shown as examples, but you don’t have to be as good as the best winner. You don’t have to be as good as the average. You only have to be as good as the 20th-best (or however many end up being given). And only have to be as good as they actually are, not as good as a positively-framed blurb would paint them.
As mjcurzi said, don’t overestimate the competition. The very best Thiel fellowship winners will be given the spotlight and shown as examples, but you don’t have to be as good as the best winner. You don’t have to be as good as the average. You only have to be as good as the 20th-best (or however many end up being given). And only have to be as good as they actually are, not as good as a positively-framed blurb would paint them.