Thanks for all the replies. I really appreciate it.
Just one last note. A lot of you say that this is the best I could get into or suiting for my scores. But considering my GPA is at/above avg and my SAT is 200 points above their 75% threshold… I will be above the class by quite a bit, right?
Going forward, you should explore the fact that you made an impulsive decision. Are you often prone to impulsivity? This is what I see as the larger issue, and it will bite you again if you don’t address it.
I just read somewhere that only 3% of all college students in the U.S. go to colleges that accept less than 50% of applicants. You will be fine at Syracuse. Not everyone can be exactly in the 50th percentile of scores at their school. And if you listen to Malcolm Gladwell, you SHOULD go to a college where you are at the top of the class. He says that’s the key to success in life.
Well, you could always ask to defer, join CityYear (see if they work in Buffalo or Syracuse or Upstate??? Otherwise they definitely have positions in NYC), and decide next year after applying ED to Hamilton or Colgate or wherever you see yourself.
You have been given some excellent advise already regarding Syracuse. I think you need to go back and read the 1st two paragraphs of your original post re “dinky cheap local university”. I don’t know what school you are referring to, but I bet lots of smart kids even get good and challenging educations there.
I agree never make educational decisions based on relationships, but in your case it expanded your horizons from dinky to well known research university. Imagine if you use the resources of Syracuse how much farther your options and thoughts will expand, good luck.
Starting out at a school thinking you are smarter than your peers is not a good idea. There will be plenty of smart, motivated kids at Syracuse. Some of the CDS stats are more than a year old. Your classes stats may differ. And many of the students will have stats higher than yours. But who cares. But no one talks about that when they are in school. Let that go.
Have you visited Syracuse? Have you spoken with professors in your department? I was just at admitted student day with my S on Monday and I was incredibly impressed with the academic opportunities. Where do you get the impression that you are above the fray? You are not. You are not going to be a big fish there, and it is no small pond. Professors have PhDs and are doing award winning research-they are not community college adjuncts. Your comments are as uninformed as your college application process unfortunately. Almost any large school with a big sports scene is going to be labeled a “party school,” but it is common knowledge that there is just as much partying at schools ranging from Hamilton to Harvard.
What attracted you to SU to begin with? There are dozens of colleges near Hamilton, many of which seem to fit your preferences. Why didn’t you apply to Hamilton, Colgate, Union, etc.? There are tons of small private schools in central NY.
I agree you’ll be one among many. You will NOT be a “big fish” there. If the party scene is your main worry, ask for a Substance-free/wellness dorm. They’re quieter and typically nicer than the average freshman dorms (because the colleges knows they won’t be trashed in a fit of drunkeness) and it doesn’t mean you can’t party, just that you can’t bring the party back to your room - which in my opinion is the best of both worlds, as you can party wherever, then return to your place 
http://lc.syr.edu/future-students/which-one/communities/life.html
GPA is overwhelmingly considered a better predictor or academic success than standardized tests so be careful in your judgment. Also, 200 points on the 2400 point score isn’t that much. I went to a State U top party school before the days of honor colleges at least in the current format. I rarely encountered the students you feared and while I didn’t also enjoy survey courses, I made great friends in my major who were all hard chargers. Honors colleges have even solved some of the problems with survey courses.
When I evaluate talent as a professional, while there is clearly an intellectual standard that must be met, I look for the person who is disciplined, self-motivated, and have a desire to learn. They are the people who succeed, not the ones who scored best on a test. Go be that person.
As a HS student, you are most concerned with “prestige”…but really this is a chance for you to shine.
The SAT scores are:
est Scores – 25th / 75th Percentile
SAT Critical Reading: 520 / 620
SAT Math: 550 / 660
SAT Writing: 530 / 630
So you are a little above 75%…just about where you want to be. Not the smartest kid there, but you will have an advantage in getting research opportunities and having a good GPA for whatever you want to do next.
Plus basketball!
Remember that some of the most important inventions and discoveries in history have come from mistakes.
Perhaps the reasoning that brought you to choosing SU was a mistake, but that doesn’t mean the result will be a negative. Take the mistake and turn it into an amazing success.
Is this the only school you applied to? Did you get your financial aid package? Are you from NY?
How much can your parents pay per year? What’s your net cost at Syracuse (tuition + room + board + fees) - (grants + scholarships)? If it’s more than your family can pay you can tell the college that after further discussion your family has decided it’s unaffordable. Can your parents afford Syracuse without taking parent loans? If not, you would be better served taking a gap year and applying to a new list of colleges based on what’s affordable for your family.
You can only borrow ~$5500/year on your own. If you’re depending on grants, it’s important to note that the best aid goes to freshmen; transfers generally get very little. Run each college’s Net Price Calculator to get an estimate of what they’ll cost. Are you a NYS resident? If so, did you apply to any SUNYs? Do you have any other acceptances?
There will be a number of students with a 4.0 UW GPA. These students studied hard for all four years of high school while you studied hard for two. This idea that the OP is too smart for this school makes me smile.
@merc81, I can’t find their Common Data Set. Average UW GPA is 3.46 according to this source:
http://www.collegedata.com/cs/data/college/college_pg01_tmpl.jhtml?schoolId=130
I’m glad you will “just pray your predictions are right and there are more brilliant students.” But, you also need to adjust your attitude towards Syracuse and towards yourself. You have received a lot of encouragement on this thread. And, they are right, you are NOT going to be head and shoulders above all the other students. You can do well there, but your attitude of being better than everyone else is yucky. You “threw down” a 2130? So what. You are kind of acting like you have a 2300+ and a 3.95 and you’re selling yourself short. I’m glad you want to pursue a high level of knowledge. Sounds like you are growing up! 
Adjust your attitude. Be grateful. Be positive. Find the great in Syracuse!
You’ve gotten many good responses, I thought it might be good to summarize your options.
First, it seems you didn’t apply to any other schools, so don’t currently have any other options. Is that correct?
Assuming that’s the case, here are your options, as I see them:
One other thing: You say you applied to Syracuse for early admission. It looks like Syracuse has beinding early decision (ED). Is that what you did? If so, that’s a binding agreement, and you’re not supposed to back out of it. Sometimes people do, e.g., if the finances are not sufficient (you have looked into finances, right?). But I’m not sure what would happen if you backed out of it for other reasons. Maybe others can advise on this.