<p>Is anyone out there got admitted and not going?</p>
<p>It’s defintely a possibility. Even though Stanford is amazing, USC got to me early, and after having my heart set on USC for 2 months it’ll be hard for Stanford to change my mind. Plus, if I don’t accept, that means someone on the waiting list that REALLY wants a spot can have it. :)</p>
<p>You’re kidding right… USC over Stanford sounds crazy to me but I guess everyone has their preference. S got into CalTech, Carnegie Mellon, Cornell, and Berkeley also but Stanford is BY FAR his top choice.</p>
<p>Tripletime, USC is not only a fine school, but it also offers generous merit scholarships, whereas Stanford’s financial aid is entirely need-based. So for families who aren’t eligible for need-based aid but also aren’t very wealthy, USC can make a lot of sense.</p>
<p>Not unless it is USC Film</p>
<p>USC’s Film School is tremendous, but lots of other departments there are up and coming. Plus, I heard they just got a gigantic gift from some alum to basically rebuild their humanities program from scratch. Anyway: my point is that these decisions are very personal and often influenced by students’ individual circumstances. </p>
<p>Anyone who’s read my prior posts knows I think Stanford is in a class by itself, but sometimes circumstances will lead students to opt for a different choice, and we should respect that.</p>
<p>@ zenkoan… Sorry, not trying to be rude. I agree that if you don’t qualify for need based aid, it can be difficult to attend a school not offering merit scholarships. We had to consider that also. S was offered a full ride at Auburn and although not its not USC, its hard to pass up. However, the opportunity for a Stanford education does not come around often. I’m pretty sure we will have an EFC of about $20K a year but we will gladly pay it. I’m sure every family is not in our financial situation and has to make that decision on their own though. Didn’t mean to sound offensive and apologize if I did.</p>
<p>@ just20706… Good luck at USC. I’m sure that you will do great! :)</p>
<p>Guys: it’s pretty well established that if an applilcant is accepted to top tier school “A” and solid school “B”, he/she will excel equally well in life after attending either (i.e. at a certain level, it is the person, not the alma mater that determines the individual’s destiny).</p>
<p>“The opportunity for a Stanford education does not come around often”. </p>
<p>Ah, now this is amusing. So it is true [!]that there are those who find the allure of a University’s name–and that name alone plumbed by statistics on admission-- to be indicative of the quality of education natural to the institution; that Mr. S [for example] should attend Stanford over Cal Tech, or USC, because his education will be superior! Very amusing. Laughter, comrades, rings in all life’s hard lessons a’bornin’.
Perhaps Mr. H truly believes that what passes for intellectual growth in Harvard Yard is of finer mettle than that of MIT, or Williams.
Perhaps Mr. Y truly believes that what passes for a life of the mind among the Ely is of fabric finer than that of Cornell, or Wesleyan.
Perhaps Mr. P truly believes that the fires of thought burn brighter by Fine Hall than at Johns Hopkins or Carnegie-Mellon.
But then Mr.'s HYPS perhaps have no understanding of how the quality of education to be found at their favored “name” compares to that be found at these other institutions.</p>
<p>my son got in today, but is thinking he will go to UCB engineering instead</p>
<p>@guitarcrazy
Was it the cost?</p>
<p>I’m rather curious actually, because I posted a thread like this
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/1111323-stanford-vs-berkeley-regents.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/1111323-stanford-vs-berkeley-regents.html</a></p>
<p>Though i think i’m going to Stanford next year.</p>
<p>he is regent’s also–cost is a consideration, but also he thinks his particular engineering is probably better at UCB</p>
<p>I think it would really come down to the other stuff from each school. Their Engineering department is pretty much tied at everything. (Berkeley has slightly stronger graduate engineering I believe)</p>
<p>but congratz to him non-the-less.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Selecting UCB over Stanford is not unique. It has been done … by just about a small handful of people every year. It is always nice to be in an extremely small group.</p>
<p>It’s a possibility. I really love Penn, Rice, Pomona, and Swarthmore and so many others!! I’m torn! I have no idea. I will definitely be deciding up to April 30th…</p>
<p>Good question. D had just decided upon University of Arizona with a great NMF scholarship and excellent program in her major. She had no expectation that she would actually get into Stanford AND Yale. LOTS of discussions need to be held around our household in the next few days!! Guess it is a nice problem to have!</p>
<p>MidestPop: same “problem” here with DD. Stanford, Yale, Princeton, etc…</p>
<p>Nobody expected all of them to say yes. They are all so different! How is a kid to choose, rather than guess?</p>
<p>As far as why I’m considering USC over Stanford, it’s not the money. If I chose stanford my family would be paying about $15k, no loans, which is great! As far as USC, I was given a Dean’s Scholarship (1/4 Tuition) but I still haven’t heard about need-based aid yet. My parents can afford up to about $20k a year so if USC gives me a reasonable deal then it’s pretty much my choice. I’m extremely fortunate that while all of my friends and teachers look at me like I’m crazy when I say that I’m considering USC over Stanford, my mom REALLY wants me to go where I’m happy, and doesn’t care about who is ranked higher, who has better opportunites, etc…</p>
<p>Honestly, why I’m considering USC over Stanford is because Stanford students seem a lot more intellectually driven than I would like. From what I’ve seen, USC has more of the average college student body with intellectuals as well as valley girls and frat boys, which is a bit more appealing to me. Also, I want the school I attend to be really spirited, and I see that more with Trojan Football than at Stanford. But they’re both SO amazing, so this is going to be a long and hard month to decide…</p>
<p>If you do choose USC people on the wait list will be very happy…</p>
<p>There are many good reasons for choosing a school over Stanford. Money is one of them. So is the academic fit. There are just as many reasons (if not more) for choosing Stanford over any one of the top colleges.</p>