<p>No way. I chose Univ of Arizona because it was cheap, far from home, and exotic. I was accepted to Tufts but it was 30 minutes away and my dad said if I went there I’d have to live at home and commute. Nowadays, I wouldn’t even have a shot at Tufts with my stats: class rank 40/270, SAT 580v/640m. Took the SAT once. No prep course, no practice, just stone cold. I didn’t even know you were allowed to take it more than once. I didn’t even like Arizona. Left town after getting my degree and have never even been back to Tucson in 35 years. I didn’t know transferring was an option.</p>
<p>No it wouldn’t even make the safety list.</p>
<p>Yes, in a heartbeat!</p>
<p>UCB, would YOU?</p>
<p>I would still chose Cal – IF I got in, which is highly questionable – but I’d do it differently. I’d experiment more in terms of classes: more science (pass/fail, so as not to have to directly compete with the crazy premeds), art history, fine arts, urban studies. If I could do it again, I would worry less and get out of my comfort zone more. </p>
<p>But, as emerald says… coulda woulda shoulda…</p>
<p>Maybe–if they gave me the same NM scholarship. . .probably. I would certainly get in.
Looking back, though, I should have considered U. Tulsa (Oklahoma seemed like a foreign country to me back then) which offered a full ride. I also thought some of the women’s colleges seemed very attractive (in the brochures–I never visited them. They were too far away.) Since it cost money to travel back and forth to OOS schools, and I didn’t have any extra $, I never even considered going OOS.</p>
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<p>Yes, although it is not certain I would get in now. It was a safety back then (although I did not know that until after attending and finding out the point system and thresholds used at the time). Now, my high school stats (with adjustment for recentered SAT scores) would probably make it a match (low or high depending on major). In the not getting in case, I would go to one of the other UCs that I applied to as safeties (based on what I knew in high school). But, given the much greater availability of information (but generally higher selectivity of universities) now, I may have a different application list if I were a high school senior now (I would probably add more less selective UCs and CSUs, and automatic merit scholarship schools, as safeties, since my actual safeties back then probably are not today).</p>
<p>Cost wise, my parents’ income then covered list price for two kids in UCs. Their income, adjusted for inflation today, would probably cover just one at UC at today’s list price; two at UCs or one at private would likely require financial aid. If money were tighter, I would be looking in the big merit scholarship lists.</p>
<p>I don’t regret going to William & Mary but if I had known then what I know now, I would have applied to a couple of Ivies and UNC/Chapel Hill (my dream school at the time.) We just assumed my parents could never afford out of state tuition, but we had no understanding of financial aide so it may have well been possible.</p>