<p>College was never the first thing on my mind until the middle of last semester. It wasn't even anywhere near the first thing on my mind. I thought I'd go to an easy-to-get-into, local university on a debate scholarship and hang out with the people I know from high school who go there. Then I suddenly the wild idea to try to go to an Ivy League.
It's so stressful and exhausting sometimes. I love to learn, but to try to squash in all the classes I need to take when I'm already a sophomore is tough.
Is it worth it? Is there something that I can get out of going to an Ivy League that is sooo much better than just getting an education at a good but not rigorous university? Should I go back to being a relaxed, artsy student who doesn't really care about college that much?
I don't know. maybe I'm just in a bad mood. anyone else feel like this/have ideas?</p>
<p>I’d say just to pursue what you enjoy. Don’t stop doing what you love in order to try and get into an Ivy League school, although I do think that on a per capita basis there is a lot more available. My friends at UMaine always complain about the professors and the slacker attitude there, whereas at Brown everyone is very helpful and RISD is close by, which provides a somewhat artsy atmosphere that UMaine doesn’t have quite as much (although it’s probably there if you want it).</p>
<p>I would do some research into the types of colleges the world offers to you before going and making a decision about which you’d like to attend (given you want to attend). You’re a sophomore, so you don’t have to worry about this stuff yet. However, some light research into types of schools should definitely help inform your decision. </p>
<p>After seeing if there’s something you like, delve further into the process. There’s a lot to consider: region, class size, student:prof ratio, specialties of the school, quality of life, etc. The website collegeboard.org should help a lot, as it lets you search for schools based on qualities similar to the ones above. Here’s the first page of the search: [College</a> MatchMaker - Type of School](<a href=“College Search - BigFuture | College Board”>College Search - BigFuture | College Board) </p>
<p>But, then again, you might not decide if college is for you. Word up to that, not everyone needs or wants it.</p>
<p>Just PM me if you have questions. I’m a freshman at Reed College in Portland, OR :D</p>
<p>Go with your instinct, instead of relying on U.S News and World Report rankings, try to choose the university that would be the right fit for you. Don’t try to change yourself for any university. Do what you do best and hopefully in the end, it’s all going to work out.</p>
<p>Although in another thread, I said that I had no regrets- I do regret ONE thing.</p>
<p>Not trying harder in high school.</p>
<p>Looking back on it, I feel like I had the potential to do pretty much whatever I wanted. The only thing was, I hadn’t set my goals very high. I planned to just stay above a 3.5ish, get an average ACT/SAT score, and go to some state school.</p>
<p>Things actually turned out pretty alright for me, but still, I could have made it a lot better for myself.</p>
<p>Just remember, it’s what you do AFTER high school that counts. </p>
<p>Life begins after high school. It doesn’t end.</p>
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<p>There’s your problem. Aim to try your hardest, do your best, give your 100%. Do not aim to get into 1 of 8 colleges. Plenty of smart, accomplished students go to other schools and succeed in life, going to 1 of these 8 does not guarantee that you will be better off than that kid who went to the in-state school either. You are what we call a prestige-whore.</p>
<p>^Yo man, calm down. Kid’s not a prestige whore…He’s just relying on hearsay and reputation. So, logically, he would hear lots of good things about Ivies and their selectivity.</p>
<ol>
<li>…I’m a girl. haa.</li>
<li>I’m not a prestige-whore. I’ve looked at other schools aside from Ivies. Yeah, prestige matters to me to some degree because I like to make notable accomplishments in life. But I’ve honestly researched my top Ivy choice and I really like the school. I want to go there, and not just because “omg it’s PRINCETON.”
I’m not a competitive or super smart kid, either. I just come from a family where knowledge is valued, and I guess that’s motivating me to become more intellectual.
anyway, thanks for all your thoughts so far. :)</li>
</ol>
<p>Whatever happens, you will have enriched your life by doing your absolute best. The learning is the accomplishment, and you will have greater success in college, wherever you go, by preparing yourself as well as you can.</p>
<p>brokenandhealed: I completely understand where you’re coming from. I’ve felt like that sometimes, and I have tried to ignore it because this is something I’ve wanted for a long time. My dad went to an ivy league, so I’ve been informed about those schools basically all my life. Not pressured, just aware. At college reunions, as a 3rd grader, the place seemed almost magical. I never wanted anything more. It’s not like I just got a crazy idea one day, like you (not that that’s a bad thing) but it has been a goal that’s been in the back of my mind for a really long time.</p>
<p>Then all of the sudden I thought, how is this rewarding to me, is this what I really want? I started to think that it wasn’t worth it. I started to think a lot of things weren’t worth it, studying hard, engaging myself inside and out of the class. But that went completely against the way I had always been and I concluded that in an alternate world where I could just spend time with the people that I love and not worry about the future, going to a top university wouldn’t be what I really wanted. But this isn’t my alternate world. I WILL have to and I will want to grow up, go to college, get a job, save money, etc. And once I came back to reality, I realized that I really do love learning and the things that I do, and I want to continue all of that at a top university where I am surrounded by brilliant, motivated people and top-notch professors. So to end off my rant, education is very important to me and I want the education that ivy league schools offer. So if this is the way you feel, that you truly love that environment, I would go for it. Sure, it’s a long shot but just look into your future, and see if that experience will be important to you 30 years after you graduate. Not the reputation and job offers you’ll earn, but the experience.</p>
<p>Now that I think of it, I didn’t want any part of the life I was looking towards. For a split second, I wanted to forget about getting into any college at all and just see what happened. I think you just reach a height in your stress/desire that you start to go the other way, away from your familiar dreams and aspirations. So just give it time and if it’s what you want in two years then go for it. In the meantime, work hard and do what you love because that will be rewarding no matter what.</p>