<p>I know it's cliche to use the term "dream school", but i have definitely found mine - and been accepted. I also got into their competitive honors college and received a nice merit scholarship. </p>
<p>However as of right now, it's looking like I won't be able to attend. The costs are just too much to justify, even with a scholarship. Instead, I'll most likely be attending my in state safety.</p>
<p>I'm completely crushed. I worked really hard in high school to be able to attend my dream school, but it just wasn't enough. I'm not looking forward to college now, but I'm trying to turn my attitude around.</p>
<p>To those who have been in this situation before, what did do you? Why did you forgo your top school? How did you feel after all was said and done, and do you have any regrets? </p>
<p>I passed up my second and third choices for my fourth choice. It was cost-related as well. I’m at a large, relatively prestigious state school, and my top three were private, well-known universities on the same relative academic level. I was waitlisted at my “dream school” and I pulled myself off the waiting list when I enrolled at what would become my university because I just didn’t want to deal with the confusion and the heartbreak if I were to come off the list. </p>
<p>That was almost two years ago. While my “dream school” will always be, in my mind, my “dream school” and I sometimes wonder what if, I don’t regret my decision for a second. I am SO happy at my school, and the opportunities I’ve gotten here thus far would absolutely not have been available to me at any of my top three. I cannot imagine myself doing my undergrad years anywhere else. It sounds corny and cliche, but I truly believe that you end up where you’re supposed to and things happen for a reason. Plus – and people say this all the time and you might think they’re just saying it as a consolation, but it’s true – it really doesn’t matter what you do for undergrad. I’m getting a better education than a friend of mine who is at a top-tier ivy, and we both agree on this.</p>
<p>You are not foregoing your first choice – it effectively rejected you by not giving you enough financial aid and scholarships.</p>
<p>Your situation is similar to many others who are not or will not be admitted their first choice. But students who chose their safeties well will be perfectly happy to attend them.</p>
<p>Yeah, I agree with ucba. You don’t have a choice, so there is no need to think about it.
People suck at estimating future happiness anyway, so don’t worry about it.</p>
<p>Thirding ucba’s sentiment. That’s the way I tried to think of it; Not only did I give up my first choice, I ended up picking what had been my dead last, which became first because of scholarships. Assuming your non-dream school isn’t one that you outright hate, you -will- be able to find, or create, a niche for yourself. Stay openminded.
Professionals, and college professors, that I know also agree that where you go for grad school matters more.</p>
<p>I’m technically at my “last choice” but I couldn’t be happier! At first, I kept wondering what life would have been like at BU, but they gave me NOTHING in aid whatsoever. I chose the cheapest school despite it being an out of state school; but because I had family here, I get in-state privileges. The first semester was the toughest part of the whole thing because I was trying to adjust to school, get good grades, meet new friends, and still try to accept the fact that I couldn’t study at my dream city school. But something happened this semester…I just started to fall in love with my school. I even filled out a transfer app, but I regret even doing that now. I don’t ever want to leave this school! Give it some time and just think about the amount of money you save! Trust me, you don’t want to be one of those people who go over 200K in debt at NYU!!!</p>