Fearful of my college decision

College Majors Engineering Majors
, , ,
1

I guess this is meant to be a sort of release of my recent anxieties… If anyone sees this, I’d love to hear your opinion/advice.

So long story short, I just graduated high school and will be starting college this fall. Since I was ~8 years old, I dreamed of attending MIT or Stanford for engineering. Now, I attended a Title I school (low-income), so I didn’t have many resources at my disposal. Nevertheless, I found meaningful research/internship experiences on my own and through third parties. I sacrificed opportunities to party, be with friends, and enjoy the conventional high school experience in order to work on high-level software projects, work in labs, and even help publish a research paper.

When I found out I was rejected from both of my dream schools, it destroyed me. Instead, my options were GaTech, Johns Hopkins, UIUC, Purdue, ASU (in-state), Duke, and Princeton. Yes, they are all great schools; but not of the same level as MIT/Stanford for engineering.

I chose Princeton. They offered me the cheapest price (I will graduate with +$30k), and, as everyone says, “Princeton is Princeton!”… Although I can appreciate that this opportunity is coveted by many others, I still cannot seem to shake this feeling of despair over my rejections.

My ultimate goal is to found my own tech company after college, or to receive a graduate degree beforehand. I’m worried that by attending Princeton — a lower ranked engineering school with less emphasis on entrepreneurship — these dreams will not come to fruition.

Maybe these thoughts are irrational; but after trying so desperately to shake them since May, I still cannot stop thinking about them. I wish there were some way for me to get the assurance that Princeton is the best place for me — even better than MIT or Stanford.

2

I see some engineering powerhouses on your accepted list. What type of engineering are you interested in? What guided your decision making process? Finances? Prestige? Maybe if you revisit your decision making process you will feel better about your decision.

1 Like
3

:popcorn: I needed an afternoon snack.

8 Likes
4

There are an awful lot of first time posters lately with provocative “I don’t think this super-elite school is good enough “ posts.

There are real, horrifying problems affecting millions of people’s lives right now. I humbly suggest not taking the bait of posts like this.

24 Likes
5

I think Jeff Bezos did regret attending Princeton, the guy could have started Amazon in his teen instead in his early 30s.

2 Likes
6

Finances played a large role. At any other school besides ASU, I would have had >$100k in loans… Princeton was actually cheaper than ASU, despite receiving the max merit aid from ASU.

I was also attracted to their heavy emphasis on the undergrad experience.

I’m just worried that these factors aren’t as important for what I want…

7

You have your answer! Enjoy your college experience. You can always transfer to ASU if Princeton disappoints, which I’m pretty sure it will not.

3 Likes
8

In the event this post is legitimate, you chose based on price. It’s interesting that with your profile, which must have been excellent, you didn’t get some kind of great scholarship from ASU to make it more affordable.

Being destroyed about not getting into super selective reach schools seems excessive. You’ll get a top education at a great price. Stop thinking about regrets and look forward to college.

5 Likes
9

Yeap, go with the cheapest or most affordable prices. Both of my kids did that and it has worked out well for them.

10

OP, the post comes across as significantly lacking awareness. So one feels less compelled to respond. But let me try.

  1. There are often kids each year that want to get into MIT and only get into Princeton, and kids that want to get into Princeton and only get into MIT.
  2. Success in life depends on capacity to adapt to what life throws at you rather than on just getting into MIT.
  3. Entrepreneurship requires you to be more internally driven than depend on external factors. If you are so dependent on the external environment such that you can’t make do with Princeton, perhaps you are not entrepreneurial to begin with.
7 Likes
11

Considering that many of the most successful tech titans didn’t even finish college, your choice among very elite schools won’t be the reason you aren’t successful after college.

2 Likes
12

There is a bit of irony here. When I was applying to graduate schools, my “dream school” was Cornell. I was rejected by Cornell, felt pretty bad about it, but then was accepted by Stanford. I went to Stanford and loved it, and did very well. Only years (actually decades) later did I realize that Stanford was always a better fit for me. In retrospect it seems likely that at the time the admissions staff at both universities understood this a lot better than I did.

Similarly, admissions staff at all of MIT, Stanford, and Princeton (and other highly ranked schools) are looking for students who are a good fit for them. They understand how to do this pretty well.

Princeton is of course an exceptional university. You will get a very strong education there. From the perspective of opening up opportunities to be an entrepreneur, I would be surprised if it makes any difference at all whether you attend MIT, Stanford, or Princeton. Any of the three would be exceptional.

Princeton also happens to be very good for my past majors, but I never thought to apply there. I have wondered for a while whether I should have. It is a bit smaller and has a bit more of an undergraduate focus than some other top universities. Both of these are in my opinion very positive.

Finances are important. Getting an excellent financial deal from a university as strong as Princeton is really, really, really good. This definitely justifies all of the hard work that you have put in. CONGRATULATIONS! I am a bit jealous.

Also, all of that hard work that you put into your studies in high school will have helped a huge amount in getting you ready to do well at Princeton. It will be academically challenging. It will also be a great opportunity for you.

If you do very well at Princeton, then Stanford will still have multiple excellent master’s degree programs four or five or even ten years from now. It is not going anywhere. If you do end up in a master’s degree program at Stanford, then based on my experience there you will find that the vast majority of other students in the same program got their bachelor’s degree at a university that is lower ranked compared to any of Princeton, MIT, or Stanford. However, they will have done very well wherever they attended.

You are going to a truly great university. Plan to work hard. Keep ahead in your classes. Look for internship or coop opportunities.

1 Like
13

You know you have many options many students would love to have, time to be grateful

6 Likes
14

Princeton is a fantastic school. There are countless high achieving students that would give anything to be in your position. Please find a way to get past your reservations! I bet you look back in a few years and realize how lucky you are to have this opportunity.

3 Likes
15

Congratulations on Princeton and all of the other wonderful schools who accepted you!

To be honest, I think therapy may be helpful. You are not seeing the reality of your situation and seem somewhat fixated on the rejections(which will not at all be your last disappointments or rejections in life). Therapy can help one understand feelings and turn around their trajectory of thinking, leading to more satisfaction in life and better self-worth/outlook.

3 Likes
16

Embrace Princeton at $30,000 for 4 years and head off to a great grad program that is best suited for your interests and priorities at that time. You will look back and realize that Princeton was the perfect place to struggle a little in some very tough courses this first year.

Looking at the research going on in Engineering at Princeton you will have plenty of opportunities.

Thousands of other students made similar sacrifices and did not have the options you did. If you truest can not shake these feelings please seek some counseling services this summer if possible. Your high school counselor will know some resources in your community. And there will be services at Princeton to help you if needed, but you will need to advocate for yourself.

2 Likes