Decisions, Decisions-My Turn

Parents Forum
1

<p>To start, I want to thank all of you parents who have helped my and my numerous threads throughout the college selection/application process...</p>

<p>My final scorecard stands at: </p>

<p>Accepted:
Harvard
Penn (Huntsman)
NYU Gallatin
U Mich
Indiana Bloomington</p>

<p>Waitlisted:
Georgetown
Columbia
Princeton</p>

<p>I did not get any aid from schools except a 5k/year scholarship from NYU (which my parents have decided they hate) so money is a non-issue, since it will come through outside scholarships. </p>

<p>When I was making my applications and my list of schools to apply to, I purposely avoided making any list of preferences, because I knew the chances of getting into each individual school of my top/reach group were small. However, I went through phases of each school being my favorite, and towards the end came to really like princeton and prefer it over the others. So now, I am not quite sure what to do, and it seems I have several decisions to make. </p>

<p>I have already decided to send the thanks, but no thanks card back to Georgetown and Columbia, and narrow my options there. However, I am wondering whether it would be worth it to drag out the admissions process even further (potentially till the end of June) and stay on the Princeton waitlist or if I should just throw in the bucket now and stay with the choices I have, which I realize are wonderful in and of themselves. </p>

<p>Then, obviously I need to choose between Harvard and Penn, a decision made doubly hard because they are so different. I can't go so much on prestige since Wharton is #1 in the business world and Harvard is considered #1 to almost everyone else, and I don't really want to make a decision based on that anyways. However, I'm at a loss because after my interview for H in jan/feb, I never really thought I'd get into Harvard, and I know much less about it than Penn. When I visited Penn, I spent the night with a Huntsman person in my target language, went to class, and met w/ the program director. I don't have any of that knowledge about Harvard. </p>

<p>For me, the downsides I see to Penn are the limits of the program, and the lack of flexibility they allow. I am very strong on the international side, and much weaker on the business. I'm not sure if maybe I would be happier at Harvard, where I could experiment w/ all types of areas instead of being tied into one. But I do love the closeness of the program and the opportunities it provides. </p>

<p>Any suggestions, especially from people familiar with the schools? Stay on the Pton waitlist or not? Choose Harvard or Penn?</p>

<p>Any help is much appreciated....</p>

2

<p>The Huntsman program is one of the most sort after acceptances on earth. Wow!! You must be truly exceptional. Certainly that experience and degree sets you up for your choice of jobs and B schools, so if a career in business is your goal you're golden!! Then again, Harvard is a big ticket too. What do you think you want to do?</p>

3

<p>I wonder if it would help to tell Princeton that you were accepted at Harvard but would actually prefer to go to Princeton if you came off the wait list? Don't they love to have students attend who were accepted at Harvard? Helps their interleague stats.</p>

4

<p>Suze: I want to study international relations with a focus on the middle east. So culture, language, politics classes, that kind of thing (I study/speak 3 lang. in addition to English). I definitely want to be able to continue that.</p>

5

<p>go with H.....the huntsman program as you mentioned will not offer the flexibility. Also, doesn't it take 5 years?</p>

6

<p>Its only 4 years...that's why it's not as flexible.</p>