After some particularly surprising admissions and rejections, I’m now in a place I didn’t think I would be.
I applied to all the Ivy Leagues, Stanford, MIT, Caltech, and some other schools, including several UC’s. Initially, I was admitted early to Vanderbilt, then rejected to several other schools, including all UC’s except Berkeley, to which I was later admitted. I was also admitted to Georgetown (unexpectedly), Brandeis, Georgia Tech, UIUC, and a few others. However, I was rejected at all the “top” schools I had applied to, except Caltech and Dartmouth, where I was waitlisted. I expected to have at least one top school, but now I have to decide where to go.
I’m in state at Berkeley, and as money is a key factor, it seems to be a lead place to go, as I was also accepted to CS there. However, I need to know whether any of the other places I was admitted to would be worth the extra money for CS. Furthermore, at Berkeley, I’ve been admitted to L&S and not EECS. Can I get employed right out of college? What do I do?
How much would each school cost? How much can you afford without loans per year?
Thank you , that’s a great point. Berkeley is 13k for me, but I was named a Dean’s Scholar at Brandeis, so that would be 30k. Everything else is pretty much 47k unless I end up getting some of the scholarships I applied for. I would be able to afford 47k, but my parents would be under considerable strain, and I would definitely have to work.
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- My sincere congratulations on your MANY excellent acceptances.
- As I read your post, you have now been accepted by Vanderbilt, Berkeley, Georgetown (and others) and waitlisted by CalTech and Dartmouth.
- Further, you have the financial resources (including scholarships funded through the generosity of others) to afford several of these options.
- Finally, you are (according to this thread's title) "Disheartened" because your were not admitted to "top" universities (Boo Hoo . . . that is simply preposterous, given the schools that accepted you).
I ask that you spend a minute or two really thinking about this. There are doubtless tens-of-thousands (perhaps hundreds-of-thousands) of youngsters, in the US and overseas, with essentially the same sort distinguished performance records and potential that you obviously have, who would give almost anything to be in your position. Yet, instead of celebrating your enormous good fortune, you are melancholy and depressed. You truly need to assess this situation in a FAR less self-centered manner.
I offer two concrete suggestions:
- Every single day, from now until you die, quietly and privately thank Heaven for your abundant abilities, for your unbelievable successes, and for your rare good fortune.
- Work diligently to convert these splendid opportunities into significant, lifelong contributions to society.
Congratulations on your accepts! Great choices and a terrific one at a wonderful price. You are in the gravy. Given that Vanderbilt, and GTU give great fin aid, had you been accepted to most of the others on your list, the costs would have been comparable. If causing parents financial strain is a priority item to avoid, you got into as good as it gets.
OP. I don’t understand why you are disappointed. If you TRULY are interested in CS as you claim…outside of Stanford and MIT on your list…you have won the lottery at Berkeley. You are instate Californian…you win the double lottery compared to the OOS and internationals who have to pay an arm and a leg for the same education! If you do well/survive at Berkeley in CS…Silicon Valley and the rest of the world is at your beckoning. But…don’t forget CS at the top top tier schools like Stanford, MIT, Carnegie or Berkeley is not easy…it is hard and challenging…so don’t kid yourself!
Congratulations and enjoy Berkeley!
Poor Baby, got into Berkeley, and does not know what to do…