<p>I went to visit my college for the first time (couldn't afford to visit before decisions), and ended up falling in love with a different area/college entirely and feeling not-so-impressed with my own college (although I loved the area it was in).</p>
<p>I checked out the other place online, and they're still accepting applications. At this point, though, I'm thinking it's best if I just do nothing.</p>
<p>Has anyone else had this happen? What did you do?</p>
<p>I just went through the application process this year and enrolled at Rice University in May. My situation is similar to yours in that, at the moment, I like another university better, which is Emory University in Atlanta. I was also accepted at Emory, but I turned them down because Rice offered a larger scholarship.</p>
<p>However, having second thoughts is normal. I know I’m just having a case of “buyer’s remorse.” I realize what I gave up at Emory, but I don’t fully realize what I have at Rice, and I think that is somewhat similar in you case too.</p>
<p>In my situation, I am going to stick with Rice. Even though I’m attached to Emory emotionally, I think Rice would be a better school for me overall. I think changing my mind will create a bigger mess than it is worth.</p>
<p>However, since the other college you are looking at is still accepting applications, I would send one in, as long as it isn’t binding if you do get in. In the meanwhile, you can compare and research both colleges side-by-side and determine which one is the best fit for you. Then, once you get a decision back from your other college, then you can decide whether this situation is a case of buyer’s remorse (which is normal, and which is my case) or if it is something more. If it is something more, I would consider enrolling at the other institution.</p>
<p>If you don’t mind me asking, what two colleges are you talking about? I’m sure people can give more insight into your situation if you mention the two colleges.</p>
<p>Slik Nik - There is no way that anyone should turn down Rice for Emory - congratulations! You’re headed where you should be.</p>
<p>Lux, if the school with such appeal is still accepting applications in July, that’s not a good sign. The more desirable colleges have long since wrapped up their processes and identified their entering classes.</p>
<p>^^^^Noone can say that one great school is so much better than another. Rice and Emory are peers.</p>
<p>chalk me up for buyers remorse, but in a way I haven’t really gotten the product yet so I can’t fully judge. And I keep remembering that the only thing I liked about Duke better than Tufts was the name.</p>
<p>How can you truly regret a college choice until you’ve actually been there? </p>
<p>Slik Nik: I understand that you liked Emory more, but had to choose Rice for financial reasons. First off, I’d like to congratulate you because they’re both wonderful schools. Many people would kill for the chance to even choose between those two universities. But anyways, I find it hard to seriously regret the decision you made when you haven’t even set foot on Rice’s campus as a student.</p>
<p>Skateboarder–You’ll love Tufts. It’s a great all around place to be, one of the funnest schools, AND you’ll get a terriffic education. But, yeah, it’s always hard to choose between great options.</p>
<p>OP The only thing I would say is that based on the stuff I’ve read on this board (though I was unaware of this until reading here) I think if you’ve already deposited at one college it’s not very ethical to apply somewhere else for the fall. Maybe you could transfer if you find you don’t love the school you have already agreed to attend? You might find that you love it, though. Happens all the time.</p>
<p>My S attended Orientation two weeks ago and came home feeling he had made a mistake, even though that college was his number one choice. He called another college that had accepted him and asked if he could attend in the fall. He got his scholarships reinstated, got a dorm room and signed up for Orientation. He seems very relieved and happy with his decision. He is a very logical and mature person and I trusted that if “it just didn’t feel right” to him, it probably wasn’t right.</p>
<p>Great story, stillnadine.</p>
<p>Every once in a while I’ll stop and think about it, but really I think it’s just the pull of the prestige of the Ivy League or whatever. I know I’m happy with my decision, though.</p>
<p>I don’t have any regret whatsoever, although sometimes I do wonder what alternate sequence of events would have occurred if I’d chosen Columbia.</p>
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<p>Yes, it’s definitely possible to change your mind (although you should always make sure that you’re not doing so from buyer’s remorse).</p>
<p>A friend of mine initially decided to go to Rice, and made his deposit there. In June, he called up Pomona and they let him take a spot in the Class of 2013, and even improved his financial aid offer.</p>
<p>@bdl108: You are right that I cannot regret my decision since I have not yet experienced life at Rice. I do not regret my decision yet, and I feel it was definitely the most logical decision to make since Emory would be $15k more a year (even with the scholarship they offered) and Duke (which I sometimes have second thoughts about) would have been roughly $28-30K more a year. In fact, Rice was only about $6-8k more a year than my state school, and that was an offer I could not turn down. My parents said they could take out a loan and pay for either Duke or Emory, but I feel it was not worth the extra debt. Plus, I got no need-based financial aid because of this year’s economy and because we are middle class. The middle class always gets screwed over with financial aid. In my opinion, all colleges should charge less tuition for everyone, and I am glad that Rice makes that a priority (Rice is already $8k cheaper a year than peer schools).</p>
<p>Anyway, although I do not regret my decision, I am occasionally having second thoughts about the decision. I’m pretty content with going to Rice (maybe 90 percent), but not 100 percent because of the opportunity to have gone to Duke or Emory, which were two of my other dream schools. Like lolcats4, I keep thinking “What if I chose Emory or Duke, would my life path be totally different?” Again, it is basically buyer’s remorse, and I’m sure these feelings will go away once I arrive at Rice in the fall.</p>
<p>
I too was wondering why students who haven’t even entered freshman year are posting on this thread. I suspect the OP might get more helpful responses in the “College Life” forum.</p>
<p>To answer the question, while I certainly wouldn’t say I “regret” my college choice, I slowly became exceedingly fond of my flagship public, which I scarcely considered in high school. Sometimes I wonder how different my path would’ve been if I had considered it more carefully…but luckily for me I had the option of applying there for graduate school. ;)</p>