<p>In some ways, I do have many regrets about my admissions process. Don't get me wrong, I know I applied to many excellent schools, etc, but I'm left wondering if I actually picked ANY of them!</p>
<p>This website, my parents, US News Weekly, friends, teachers, etc, all pressure us into choosing certain schools, especially ones that are extremely competitive and nearly impossible to get into. Why? Does anyone know for a fact they'll be HAPPY at these schools? Or do the big names just sound appealing?</p>
<p>If I had time now, I would add 5 or so more schools to my list that do not have the commercial allure of certain other colleges. Reed, for instance, is an awesome school and completely underrated. Oberlin, as well. And I was too scared to apply to any major reaches because I didn't want to get rejected. I don't know...</p>
<p>JUNIORS, please, please don't let anyone pressure you into going for the ivies, stanford, or mit unless you know A LOT about them and feel that you will be happy there. every ivy has a different style, a different thing it's famous for... if you're in love with one, fine, but don't apply to them all just for the hell of it. look into schools that are NOT as famous but have as much if not MORE to offer than massive universities. Check out liberal arts colleges! And for the love of god, please, please don't let anyone else tell you where to go. </p>
<p>that's what I plan on doing when I get all my acceptances.</p>
<p>I applied to only small schools with a good balance in math/art/science since that is what i liked. Princeton, MIT, and Rice were my picks and I'm completely happy they were the only ones i applied to (that were reaches). Don't get me wrong, all top schools are excellent, but they are all completely different in style so pick one you'll be glad to get into and enroll in.</p>
<p>yeah, I'm not against applying to big reach schools, as long as it's not for the sake of choosing a pretty name, if that makes sense.</p>
<p>two people can apply to princeton, but one might do it because it's princeton and the other because they have an excellent program in ______ and applicant B loved the campus when he visited and etc etc.. if that makes sense?</p>
<p>Heh. My son gets badgered constantly about applying to the big tech/engineering schools, because he loves particle physics. OTOH, he also loves psychology, poetry, and now photography, and would never want to give up in depth liberal arts to study at MIT or Caltech. He wants to go to Stanford, but only because he's been there and steeped in the environment and already knows he loves it. The only other big school he's looking at is U. Chicago. He has no interest in the Ivies at <em>all</em>.</p>