The Washington Post has an inside look at a college admissions counselors' email listserve, where admissions officials can let off some steam and sympathize with their peers.

Recently, according to The Post, "one counselor, in an e-mail with the subject line 'The Greatest Line I never Said,' asked others to share things they had thought about saying to students but managed not to." Luckily for us, WaPo education reporter Valerie Strauss was granted permission to publish some of the responses anonymously.

Here are a few amazing examples of what college counselors wish they could say to students (emphasis ours):

"I was reminded of an interaction with a student … She told me that she was interested in applying to Dartmouth. I looked at her challenging transcript and I was SO tempted to say: 'If an asteroid strikes the earth and kills every teenager but you, you MIGHT make the wait list.'"

"My favorite unsaid line to a student with low scores and low science grades who planned on being a neurosurgeon: 'I can guarantee you’ll never be my neurosurgeon.'"

"One of my extremely intelligent, less motivated/self-medicated students went to a large, prestigious flagship university to pursue a pre-med track and dropped out after his freshman year with a transcript full of failed classes and Ws. He casually said, 'Oh, it's all good. I’ll just pursue pre-med at a community college and go to medical school from there.' With a sympathetic smile on my face, my inner voice responded, 'Really? Medical school where? The University of Burundi?' I think he's currently pursuing the high life in Colorado, and I’m not talking about the ski slopes."

Check out more anonymous college counselor confessions at The Washington Post »