<p>I second the poster that said “by October, it will be his first choice!”</p>
<p>That is so true. If he loves the school he chose, he will be so successful. There are great professors at his school. There are challenging classes, helpful tutors, his new best friends, and engaging extra curriculars. He will follow his sports team like it’s a religion. He’ll come home for Thanksgiving and challenge you on something that he previously just blindly believed (probably basing it off a great lecture from his favorite prof). He’ll forget to call home when you say he should, but he’ll surprise you when he comes to you for advice about his annoying roommate or stressful schedule. Chances are he’ll lose/gain weight, make mistakes by partying on a Tuesday (but have a great memory from it) or something, and be caught off guard by creeping deadlines. </p>
<p>Not only will he survive, he’ll thrive. Top students like him are bound for it. There is NOTHING wrong with choosing a safety school as your alma mater. His undergraduate experience will likely be better than those of his peers at schools they <em>think</em> they match because they happened to get into a really tough one this year. I’m so happy I chose my safety in the end because I’m able to focus on so much more than just my courses, GPA, or major. It’s great to use this year to develop as a person rather than as a scholar, and I don’t think I would have gained so much personal insight if I were always swamped with crazy obligations.</p>
<p>Way to go, your son is definitely a GENIUS.</p>