i need some reassurance

<p>i just sent in my app to Penn, after much thought, instead of Columbia. When I told my teachers at school who asked, they all gave me some pretty pitiful looks. It even went so far as a teacher telling me "what happened, did you do bad on your SAT?"
needless to say, I have been having second thoughts about my decision. I was 100% confident that i wanted to go to Penn because it had a community feeling when i visited, and felt like a better fit for me. maybe its just me having a bad day, but i was wondering if anyone else has had to deal with this, or even the "a state school?" reaction.</p>

<p>You're letting other people get to you. Do what you think is right for you! Live your own life! Don't let other people live it for you...don't let other people have a negative influence on you...don't let other people deter you from a sound course of action.</p>

<p>Picking a school is an overwhelming decision, and if, up until now, you were satisfied with Penn, and you just started having second-thoughts, then it's because of a reason other than Penn. It's because teachers and students have started dishing out the "doormat of the Ivy League" stigma about Penn again. It's a great school that only some could get into. (I hope I'm one of them, by the way.)</p>

<p>Like I say, roll with it and don't look back.</p>

<p>I doubt it's because your teachers confused UPenn with PSU. I highly doubt that.</p>

<p>Secondly, I think Columbia has a better feel than UPenn. That fence enclosing the campus didn't jive with me. It was a paradox. Given Columbia's history of activism, you see that stupid fence, and you feel like what is this.</p>

<p>Your teacher is a dolt, plain and simple. Anyone who gets into UPenn should consider it an honor.</p>

<p>You shouldn't be applying to schools based on how prestigious they seem to others, especially those who are uneducated in this area.
I can't believe there are people out there regretting applying to Penn...I'll gladly take your spot if I get rejected and you get in!</p>

<p>pennhopeful, prestige was not a factor in my decision at all. if it were, i would be like all of my friends right now applying to stanford, yale etc. I thought long and hard about where i wanted to go the most, and penn and columbia were the two for me. (followed by several backups of course!)</p>

<p>just to clarify</p>

<p>Penn's a far better school than Columbia - you made the right choice.</p>

<p>Besides, it's where YOU'LL go to school, not them. Making decisions based on the prestige/name association is a bad idea, since you'll always be let down. If you get in ED, great. Pick out your housing and never look back. If you don't get in ED, apply to Columbia RD as well and take some time to decide between the two. Years (months even) from now, you'll realize that the whole impression/prestige thing really doesn't matter at all.</p>

<p>Your teachers sound like a band of insolent fools, I laugh at their ignorance.</p>

<p>Sorry man, you made a big mistake. You shoulda ED'd to Columbia, they have a lot of successful grads: <a href="http://columbiaschoolbroadcas.com/%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://columbiaschoolbroadcas.com/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>You had the right vibe - Columbia is just not the same undergrad experience as Penn. Penn is a perfectly balanced combination - a vibrant campus life surrounded by a lively urban setting. It's rare to find both. NYC is an 800lb. gorilla that overwhelms the Columbia campus (what little campus there is). You can go to Columbia for grad school where undergrad social life is not a factor.</p>

<p>The Harvard, Princeton,Yale set is not in the cards for me. I could apply and people wouldn`t think I am totally insane... but Penn is my big reach, my big dream.</p>

<p>Maybe I am the only one but even if I had a perfect 2400 on my SATs I would still be applying to Penn early.</p>

<p>you and me both buddy^^</p>

<p>Columbia's better at certain things, but I believe that Penn is overall better. As is its campus.</p>

<p>That said, I'm applying to Columbia if I don't get in ED.</p>

<p>is Columbia a lil tougher to get in...their admit rate is lower than that of Penn...
However,I agree with dumbblonde and czar...Penn is my dream school!
Cheers to all Penn aspirants!!!</p>

<p>and it wont be long before (hopefully) we start posting our "acceptances" on the new thread-"Offcial ED decisions 2008"!!!!
that will be wonderful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!</p>

<p>^sorry for the spelling error.</p>