<p>After a lot of consideration, I've pretty much chosen my safety school over several well-known reach schools that I busted my... to get into. In part it was for financial reasons, but personal ones as well. I'm just curious if anyone else around here has made a similar decision and how it turned out. =D</p>
<p>I’m choosing Ohio State or Iowa over NYU…</p>
<p>Yes, for financial reasons. I ended up transferring a school that costs me a few more thousand a year - I decided my happiness was worth it.</p>
<p>I chose NYU over UVa and Cornell - the scholarships made it affordable and I like the city. I would’ve picked UVa if I was from VA though. </p>
<p>I turned down Cornell because I got into CALS (agriculture/lifescience) for bio wasn’t sure about the major and I would’ve had to try and transfer into their CAS. I’m glad, because I ended up majoring in chemistry which CALS doesn’t have. Plus Cornell didn’t give me a scholarship and it’s in the boondocks. But it’s an ivy league school with great science programs, so sometimes I feel stupid for not picking it - CALS is funded by NY State and tuition is discounted for residents. NYU was still cheaper though.</p>
<p>I chose Michigan State over U of Michigan.</p>
<p>I turned down Michigan because I really just didn’t like it. I loved the name and the idea of UMich, but I hated it in reality (much to the chagrin of my, now formerly, Go Blue family). </p>
<p>I don’t regret it in the least.</p>
<p>I got full FA to both schools so cost wasn’t an issue.</p>
<p>It’s rough…I mean, if I get into my reach school I’m going to be so tempted to attend, but financially I don’t think I’ll be able to. I guess it depends on financial aid packages. I have a pretty good chance of getting into NYU but I highly doubt I’ll attend due to the $$$</p>
<p>I would think that you should try and think what is most important to you. If you can afford it later in your life, and truly feel the prestige and happiness would be substantial, go for what you worked for.</p>
<p>My teacher chose U of Florida over Columbia. He says he had an awesome time at UF, but the “what if” always lingers in the back of his mind; if he could go back in time, he says he’d pick Columbia hands down. </p>
<p>I’m most likely picking SMU over two schools that are in the CC’s top universities list. No FA from those two schools at all, but there’s ok aid at SMU. I’m really not sure if I’m going to be happy at SMU though… we’re not exactly personality or goal matches. </p>
<p>Has anyone had any success using their reach school acceptances to appeal for more FA at their safety?</p>
<p>You said you’re doing it for personal reasons too. If you were turning down a reach JUST for financial reasons, it’d be VERY reasonable, but it would kinda suck for you if you didn’t want to attend your safety. Clearly you actually want to go to your safety. So that’s a good sign!</p>
<p>Out of the question for me unless something drastic happens. Just because of the way I approached the application process - I applied to schools I would be able to attend and the reaches happen to be the most appealing (otherwise I wouldn’t have applied due to the low acceptance rates.) </p>
<p>Personal reasons that definitely have an impact on me are location and I’m a businessman, so investment in my human capital will be an easy choice for me, even if it means lotsa debt!</p>
<p>I might be doing this due to $$$. But I really like my safety so its all good.</p>
<p>i might have too, safetys givng me the money i need</p>
<p>Plenty of people from my school end up picking Carolina over Duke for financial reasons. To those OOS, it may seem like a silly choice, but in-state, Carolina’s considered on almost equal footing. Everyone of them loves Carolina, despite it having a totally different vibe than Duke, and has been able to seek out opportunities if they looked for them.</p>
<p>There’s certainly something to be said for being a big fish in a small pond–think of the stipends for summer opportunities they’d be willing to give the top student in X department!</p>
<p>Many many many people will HAVE to select their financial safety over their dream school. Probably more today than in the recent past. It’s not only too tough out there, economically…the future is questionable too. Who KNOWS what the next 4 years will bring (until we get Mitch Daniels, governor of Indiana in the oval office…yeah Mitch!).</p>
<p>Commerical over.</p>
<p>I myself have been an emotional WRECK for my daughter as we await word on her April 1 announcements. We BOTH know that her in state uni is probably her only choice. So, was it worth the stress to apply to other schools? Yes, because she needs to know if she’d get a miracle, and how much (if any) her “match”/dream school might offer in aid. </p>
<p>It’s a tough/sad choice. But, look at it this way - few of us get the car, house, clothes, job we want. We get the best we can, and learn to live with it and love it if possible.</p>
<p>A year ago, my son was thrilled when he got into Washington University in St. Louis (among others). He loved the academics, the campus, the opportunities. He also received a nice scholarship offer. He selected his financial safety, the U. of Alabama. He could not turn down the National Merit package, as well as some of the other honors programs the school offers. BTW, he loves Alabama.</p>
<p>I chose Umiami over USC, Vanderbilt, Wake Forest (although it’s not a huge difference)…I might be transferring…but I don’t really think it has to do with the academic programs but rather social and other opportunities</p>
<p>My D may be choosing Providence College over BC, primarily for financial reasons (close to $100,000) difference over four years. We might be able to squeek it out, but its hard to walk away from that kind of money difference. She’s “grieving” thinking about it, but is also starting to see some of the opportunities she’d have at PC – Honors program, smaller class size, most likely better faculty interactions,. Ability from either school to get into good grad school. Grieving the loss of the “prestige” school, proximity to boston, great athletics,etc., We’ll see where we end up May 1</p>
<p>My oldest son chose UWisconsin-Madison (his safety) over Wash U and U Chicago. Chose it for a combination of finances, student body activism and interest and the amorphous “feel” factor. Graduated May 2009 and loved his experience at Madison - never looked back.</p>
<p>Younger son chose UW-Madison over UMich. He really liked Ann Arbor when we visited there and was offered a scholarship that brought UMich into the “affordable with a stretch” category. He chose Madison for financial and proximity (to MN) reasons, plus he felt the undergrad programs in his areas of interest were at least comparable. He said he wanted to save his money for grad school. Currently a sophomore at Madison, he’s had great opportunities for research, has a summer internship in his field lined up, is doing very well academically and has made great friends. He never mentions UMich, and doesn’t second guess himself - he’s having a great experience at UW-Madison.</p>
<p>I didn’t choose my safety (Penn State) over my reach (Georgetown), but some of my friends and a lot of people from my high school did. A lot did for purely financial reasons, but some found that Penn State had a better social scene, safer area, or even excellent programs (in the case of engineering and science). I considered picking my match over my safety (because I got in before I got into Georgetown), and when I compared the schools I realized that they all had different merits.</p>
<p>And Odd Monkey, one of my friends used two ivy acceptances and financial aid offers to appeal for financial aid and magically received scholarship offerings that were not previously extended to him. I used acceptance to Georgetown as a way of getting more financial aid (less loans) from Boston College.</p>
<p>Didn’t even get in to my reaches, heh.</p>
<p>Transferred to what was my safety this semester. I don’t really ‘regret’ it or anything, I mean whatever… I’m rather apathetic about college at the moment so I could be in a friggin’ Ivy League and I’d feel the same way.</p>
<p>What I do regret, if anything, is not working harder in HS so I could have gotten into my ‘reaches’ (or not picking the right school to begin with).</p>