<p>After many months of thinking and searching, I've finally found my dream school. I feel like I want to cry, because applications are due basically in two months, and I just want to get in already! These three months of schoolwork are going to be so difficult. I want to get into the school so badly that I'm ready to sacrifice my social life entirely to ACE my first semester classes so I can get in ED.</p>
<p>woo!</p>
<p>Glad you are motivated… but honestly, the concept of a “dream school” is kind of crazy. There are thousands of colleges in the US, and quite a few that would be a good fit for any given student. Getting too attached to one school often leads to one of the following:</p>
<ul>
<li>A letdown if you aren’t admitted.<br></li>
<li>Not putting enough focus on match and safety schools that are more likely to admit you, which is a double whammy of pain if you realize in the spring that the colleges that DID admit you aren’t really the best fit for you.</li>
<li>Paying more for college than you should – if you apply ED you have no chance to compare financial aid offers across other schools. You have no idea if you could have gone someplace equally good (for you) for less money.</li>
<li>Students sometimes gloss over the bad parts of their “dream school”, then are disappointed when they get there. EVERY college has some issues/disadvantages. Be sure you are clear headed and thorough if you feel you must apply in the ED pool.</li>
</ul>
<p>Also, if you are applying ED, they are generally reviewing that application before your first semester senior year grades are available. So ED is based on what you have today… unless they string you along with a deferral into the RD pool.</p>
<p>Get a dream life. You have much more control of it. </p>
<p>Dream schools are let downs. There are many schools that can be a potential path to your dream life.</p>
<p>If you apply ED they won’t even see your first semester grades.</p>
<p>Like the others have said, keep an open mind. Still, I’m really excited for you–best of luck!</p>
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<p>Or cannot afford it.</p>
<p>Or attend and find that it is not the paradise that you were dreaming about.</p>
<p>Maybe some of you are misinterpreting her definition of dream school. Maybe, in this case, dream =/= super reach.</p>
<p>What intparent said. Every single word of it. Except maybe the kind of in, “[T]he concept of a ‘dream school’ is kind of crazy.” I think falling in love–whether it’s with a person or with a college–is inviting heartbreak. And I think mucking up your college search that way is totally crazy.</p>
<p>In addition, be very careful about something you’ve said in your original post:
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<p>Most places I know, senior year is more like nine months long. And you still have to do the work–at least most of it–after you get into college. Just search College Confidential back to May and June (and May and June the year before that, and the year before that, and the year before that), and you’ll find dozens of threads started by really good students who slacked off and found that they were in danger of having their college admission offers withdrawn. (And some of those students eventually did have their college acceptances withdrawn.)</p>
<p>Don’t be one of those short-sighted students.</p>
<p>Wow guys, way to shove a dagger into their heart. Geeze.</p>
<p>Etuck24, what we say in response to her post will have no bearing on whether the OP gets into her dream school (assuming it is a she…). But encouraging clear thinking and action on her part will position her much more strongly to have a good result in the spring if she doesn’t get in. And just want to make sure she clearly understands the financial implications of ED application. Don’t think for one second that the colleges treat this as anything but a business transaction. Starry eyed applicants who don’t understand that often look around when the process is all over and wonder, “What happened?” when it doesn’t work out as they expected. We see those kids out here on CC every spring. There are so many ways that application to a “dream school” can fail to turn into attendance at the dream school. It only makes sense to be prepared. And people do dumb things for their “dream school”, particularly when it comes to taking on too much debt.</p>
<p>Hopefully your enthusiasm does not prevent you from putting earnest effort into other college applications. Brown is a tough school to get into.</p>
<p>Also, try not to live too much in the future. If you do get into Brown (and I’m hoping you do), they will look at your senior year’s grades and may well rescind your acceptance if you start slacking.</p>
<p>Good luck.</p>
<p>I’m curious to know what school is your dream school?</p>
<p>From other posts it appears to be Brown. OP has a 3.8 UW GPA and a 2090 SAT. So test scores are low… but Brown is quite unpredictable (I think) in their acceptances. Brown accepted 10.8% of their applicants last year. Making this not only a “dream” school, but a reach school (Brown is a reach for everyone given the low acceptance rate and that unpredictable acceptance policy…). Only saying this because occasionally someone’s dream school will be a match or even a safety. Not usually, though. So… all the comments above about not getting too attached and keeping her eye on the ball of ALL colleges on her list is pretty important.</p>
<p>The DREAM should be your career and your adult life…not the short time that you’re in college…which will be over before you know it.</p>
<p>Be sure to apply to other schools that you’d also like to attend and have a better chance at acceptance. Pinning your hopes tooo much to a high reach school could be setting yourself up for a depression if you’re not admitted.</p>
<p>Yeah dream schools don’t have to be reaches I’d consider my top school a low match/match. Not sure if I want to apply to ED, though.</p>
<p>My dream-school was a huge let-down, and I transferred out after my freshman year.</p>
<p>I can see how you all want her to focus on her schoolwork and be aware of what early decision really means, but right now it just seems like you’re all just trying to sway her from Brown all while telling her how crappy the term ‘dream school’ is. Let her learn through experience, not by people she hardly knows and has probably never talked to before. I think she posted this thread because she was excited; not because she wanted to be kicked down and basically told that her idea of a dream school is wrong. Lighten up, people.</p>
<p>Brown *is *totally awesome. My son loved it too when he applied 
The key is to see how many of the characteristics you love about Brown can be found in other schools so you have a good set of matches and safeties that you also love, or at least like well enough that you can learn to love. 1 in 10 - those are poor odds, so you have to balance your idealism with some realism.</p>
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<p>lsky17, people are genuinely trying to help. From the quote above, it sounds as thought the OP thinks now that she has found her dream school, it’s a simple matter of working hard the first semester of senior year and she will for sure get in. Problem is, she does not have killer stats and is an overrepresented minority from NYC. intparent and other posters here have offered good advice. If I were the OP I would be asking for suggestions on schools with a similar feel to Brown that are more realistic. A month ago she was convinced Johns Hopkins was “the” place for her. I totally understand wanting to focus the decision-making process but it won’t do her any good if she puts all her eggs in a very unstable basket and doesn’t have options on April 1.</p>
<p>I think it is a mistake for anyone to put all their hopes and dreams into one college. The college application process is unpredictable and not completely based on academic merit (hooks such as legacy parents, URM, athletes etc. come into play). </p>
<p>The only people who I have seen hurt by the college process are those who were completely focused on one school and they don’t get in. There are tons of great schools out there and there is certainly more than one school where every person can find happiness and success. Make sure you seek out other schools you can see yourself attending. </p>
<p>It is critical to remember that a college admissions decision is NOT a referendum on you as a person or your ability to succeed going forward – there simply aren’t’ enough spots in the top schools for all of the qualified candidates.</p>