<p>We all know about buyer's remorse, the angst that occurs after a major purchase. Buy a new can, and suddenly you start to see what appear to be better deals on the same car, better cars for the same price, and so on. I've noticed that pulling the trigger on the final college choice can trigger the same kind of feelings. This is particularly true when the decisions are quite different - for example, choosing between a free ride at a good (but not renowned) school vs. a much more costly four years at a big brand name, ultra-selective school. Whichever way the decision goes, the second-guessing can start immediately. Are you suffering from decision remorse?</p>
<p>I can say unequivocally that my son has never been more clear about a decision in his life. To make certain, Ol’ Mum has triangulated his decision by checking in with his GC and College Counselor to see if based on their knowledge of him that he has chosen correctly. I believe he has and we’ve received 100% confirmation all around. What his CC did say was that sometimes wait lists create this illusion that the next best thing is around the corner, so students make their deposit with some amount of hopefulness that the new place will come through and then not investigate and commit as thoughtfully as they might. Fortunately for my son, his wait lists were not his top choices anyway, so he was able to let go of some hope down the road. It allowed him to focus on where he was accepted and choose from the best of the best. No buyer’s remorse here, TG.</p>
<p>Mine spent all night crying after we sent in the deposit.</p>
<p>@TV4caster</p>
<p>Wow, that’s rough. Hopefully your student was just releasing all the tension from 1 1/2 years of “build up.” As in, “Finally! It’s over!” Our D had several really great choices and as it turned out her top 2 couldn’t have been more polar opposite. One rural school known for it’s warmth(friendliness), and the other, an Urban school known for academic tradition and cultural opportunites. Both schools are very diverse and offered her great off-campus opportunites. In the end she chose the urban school as she is a “country mouse,” and wanted to grow more independant and cosmopolitan. </p>
<p>Yet she and we can’t help but wonder which is the better fit. I guess we’ll know in about 1 1/2 years from now . . .</p>
<p>I think buyer’s remorse happens in almost every situation, and I’m sure I’ll be feeling bad about my difficult courseload at UChicago in the next few years, but for now, I couldn’t be happier. The people I’ve met are amazing and share my same weird passions (way better than the people I have to put up with in HS), and I really just can’t wait to begin my odyssey. Very thankfully, I have parents who made saving for college their #1 priority (at the expense of my never getting fancy toys and video games growing up) but it’s paying off now. I’m choosing Chicago over Northwestern, Vanderbilt, Emory, USC Marshall (w/ 1/4 merit scholarship), Georgetown, and Berkeley, and I’m not looking back.</p>
<p>I’ve never felt more sure about a decision in my life. I’ve loved the school for over a year, I got accepted to the school, they not only gave me an awesome merit award but an awesome finaid package too. I can’t think of a single thing wrong with my choice, in my own opinion. I’ve talked to the teachers, possibly got a research opportunity already and found a cool roommate. I couldn’t have asked for any better.</p>
<p>I think I am on the other extreme end of the spectrum of college decisions.</p>
<p>I applaud those who had a dream school, got in, and ended their saga without second guesses. I think the final decision is often uncertain, though, because almost every school vs. school comparison will have some factors that favor each choice. One is always closer (or farther), has better dorms, is better for a particular major, has better sports teams, has a nicer campus, etc. Rarely does one choice top ever category, so when the decision is made it’s natural to start thinking of the good features one is giving up in the other school.</p>
<p>My son is about to graduate from high school. </p>
<p>He knows where he’s going to start his higher education and he is excited to get started. He wants to start in summer A but he won’t be out of high school yet. He was disappointed to learn that if does start in the summer he will have to wait until the B session to do it and there aren’t as many classes being offered so he is disappointed, well, he was, for about 20 minutes, then he moved on to other things. </p>
<p>So to answer your question about remorse we/he don’t have any. Stick to the plan. We know things won’t be perfect no matter where he goes but so far he hasn’t even blinked about whatever other school he had to not go to to go to the one he will go to. It is a total non-issue in our house. He pretty much (95%) knows where he is going after the first two years are done and he is completely settled on that decision as well. He fits the student profile of that school like a glove. </p>
<p>Once he gets well into his 4-year degree and once he selects a major which can only be done once he decides what he wants to vocationally with his life, then we/he will start evaluating graduate schools. One step at a time. We are, like all parents/sons, somewhat worried about the job market and careers for certain majors but what can you do? You got to pick something. There will always be uncertainty in some decisions.</p>
<p>No second thoughts here- just glad to be moving ahead & leaving HS years behind. Had to give up some great scholarship $ at other schools, but I believe I’ve made the right choice.</p>
<p>I feel like I don’t count for this because I didn’t really have a choice. I got waitlisted at my dream school (Notre Dame) and in the meantime my parents made me put my deposit down at a school I hate (it’s a small commuter college near my house) because it is the cheapest. I was sobbing as I filled out the forms and a lot afterward. I’m just hoping to get off the waitlist, because I can’t stop the my plan b and I don’t have a choice!</p>
<p>I had a bit of buyer’s remorse about doing Early Decision. Not that I would want to be attending any other school, but it would’ve felt nice this spring to get a bunch of acceptances, see where I could’ve gotten into, do more visit trips, and share the excitement of the march/april season with my peers. Though, I chose ED because I knew I would regret it so much if I was rejected RD from my ED school, knowing that there was something more I could have done to boost my chances.</p>
<p>I wanted to go to Hamilton College BADLY, but I instead am going to my state flagship on a full tuition scholarship. The main incentive was that I’ll be able to graduate with little to no debt from my state flagship. On the downside, you only get one chance to go to college and now I wish I had just gone to Hamilton and paid for it later. I think I’ll get over it, but for now I’m very remorseful.</p>
<p>Son chose Brown. No remorse. Turned down USC Trustee, Cornell, Georgetown, NotreDame, SLU Med Scholar with Merit, and Case with Merit. Very happy with choices and decision</p>
<p>My D turned down some other amazing opportunities but she wanted theater. She turned down a different theater with money. Her comment, if she went to any other school she said she would wonder…if I had been at NYU/tisch, what would I be doing right now? With that attitude, no regrets</p>
<p>I had to choose between the better program or the better school. The chance that I’ll change my major and the lower price made me choose the better overall choice, and I’m still second guessing myself to the point where I’m keeping a transfer as a possibility in the back of my mind if I don’t end up liking it there.</p>
<p>I’m second guessing right now Can someone help? It’s mostly about financial aid from UC Irvine and riverside both are similar but I live closer to riverside so my parents prefer I go there. They also say that I’ll need help with personal expenses and that they can help if I go to riverside. I already sir’d for UCI but I heard I can change before may 1 I would like to go to UCI but I’m scared they’ll be right and I won’t seethem often bc they’ll be working and I wont have a car. We’ve been having some financial trouble so that’s why their worried about money</p>
<p>Californiangal: will you be living at home or in the dorms? Are you OK with being away from your parents?</p>
<p>It seems that if the financial aid is the same, you could go where you want. Why would your parents give you more money if you go to UCR?</p>
<p>I turned down one of the best music schools in the nation, early admittance into medical school, 3 honors programs, and a full ride. No turning back. I knew that when I got into Brown that it was where I needed to be. Visiting helped immensely, I knew I already loved the campus and it became my dream school. The decision was made overnight for me, I knew that it was where I had to go.</p>
<p>When I was deciding, I sat down to think of a reason why I should not attend School A, School B, etc., and chose the one where I legitimately could not come up with a substantial drawback. However, I’m still wondering “what if, what if, what if” even though I’ve already committed-- and panic over my faltering grades and the very real possibility of getting rescinded isn’t helping.</p>
<p>Passed up a full scholarship at U of Arizona to attend MIT with no financial aid. Hopefully it’ll work out in the long run.</p>