<p>Let's say you have this scenario:</p>
<p>You are deciding between two (let's keep it at 2 for simplicity) colleges and one is definitely a better academic school than the other (this isn't counting the other school having an Honors program etc). However, you like the worse academic school more and know that you will be happy there.</p>
<p>What would be the better choice? Why?</p>
<p>Pick the one you like better.</p>
<p>The one you are happier at.</p>
<p>Depends how far away are these schools ranked from each other.</p>
<p>Say school 1 is ranked in top hundred ( 60 just for example) and school 2 is in tier 3.
I would go with school 1, where you may be happy there also... and in the long run may have a better benefit, attending school 1 is a better benefit of present and future.</p>
<p>Okay, let's be a bit more specific and say something like Berkeley (or to add to the discussion, UCLA, UCSD, UCD, UCSB, UCI) and Oregon.</p>
<p>Also, What about something like, Alabama/College of Charleston versus USC/Michigan? I'd pay a lot more with the latter, and I may be happier at CofC or 'Bama, but I really don't know yet.</p>
<p>For what it's worth, I transferred from a top 60 school to a 'third tier' state school, and am much happier, and IMO receiving a better education at the 'third tier' state school.</p>
<p>Don't worry about those silly rankings. You'd only be making a mistake like I did.</p>
<p>Go with happiness. If you are content, you will do better academically too.</p>
<p>I agree with lkf725. Don't attend a college at which you won't be happy. Go with the the right fit for you. If you aren't happy, academics and emotional well being will suffer.</p>
<p>"Go with happiness. If you are content, you will do better academically too."</p>
<p>This makes a lot of sense. If you're unhappy, your GPA is likely to slip. That partly defeats the point of being at the better university.</p>
<p>I transferred out of a prestigious university where I was utterly miserable. At the time I left, I still had a 3.5 GPA for the classes at that university. This would probably have plummeted if I had stuck around any longer. In retrospect, this was a good move. Having preserved my GPA means I have options for where to attend now which wouldn't have been available if my GPA had collapsed.</p>
<p>Now, if either university would be a tolerable fit but one is much stronger than the other academically, the stronger university would probably be a better choice.</p>
<p>happiness= success, there's almost no doubt about it.</p>
<p>However, if you chose the academic school based on prestige but didn't like the environment one bit, you'd be depressed, sad and would ultimately not perform as well as you would have in the other college.</p>
<p>It would depend on your career goal.</p>
<p>You'll be in college for 4 years and you'll work for 50. Some schools will help you get certain jobs. For other jobs school is less important.</p>
<p>Business? Go to Berkeley over Oregon hands down</p>
<p>Heading to med school? Oregon might be the better choice as it will be easier to get a high GPA.</p>
<p>my daughter chose to attend a less prestigeous school than another she was accepted to and is very happy with her decision</p>
<p>why would you go to a place where you wont be happy and will be riddled with regret?</p>
<p>SoCalDad wrote: "If you aren't happy, academics and emotional well being will suffer."</p>
<p>I agree with that. However, we need to know more about why OP would like the academically lower rated school more. How many of us have had the experience of thinking we would love a particular (person, city, job, school, activity, class, pair of shoes) and after some time didn't, and how many have thought we would not at all like a particular (person, city, job, school, activity, class, pair of shoes) and ended up liking it very much.</p>
<p>At the age of 17 or 18, or any age really, it is difficult to know what something is like over time vs. first impressions.</p>
<p>I agree with diontechristmas - my son went to a top tier private school and ended up transferring to a lower ranked state school. Go where you think you will fit in the best...ranking isn't everything.</p>
<p>Academic matches don't always mean a better fit. For example, some people loathe sports.</p>
<p>If you go to places like UNC-Chapel Hill, Duke, UVa, Kentucky, Indiana, etc., you'd better at least be able to tolerate basketball. Basketball is almost all you'll hear about a good part of the school year.</p>
<p>Similarly, you'd best be able to tolerate football if you plan to attend UF, Alabama, Southern Cal, etc.</p>
<p>Duh?????? Choose the one you like better.</p>
<p>From the example you gave probably would say one of the UC's over Oregon. Due to career path etc... and Oregon and California can be similar in ways.</p>
<p>Basically if you really think you would be miserable at the more prestige school eventhough you may have a better quality of education etc... then you probably wouldn't want to go there. Though due to the school prestige, and you think you may can get over not wanting to be in that location... how bad can it be at least giving the school a chance? I mean no way would I wan't to select a tier 3 school over top 100.</p>
<p>I would be careful. The more prestigious school may have ways to cushion you + give you automatic hooks to your future, but definitely don't go if you'll HATE it. It's a more difficult decision if you're sort of OK with both though. Because as someone pointed out, it is tough to know at this age what you'll like.</p>