<p>If I do, then it means I applied to too many matches and not enough reaches</p>
<p>I'm not hooked on any college, and I can only go to one after all.</p>
<p>And most importantly, the matches I applied to are just good enough not to offer financial aid, while just not good enough to justify paying the full $50k/year</p>
<p>Even if I get into my toughest match, I'd probably end up going to my safety state school honors program for the $20k/year I'd save. </p>
<p>Point is: I should have applied to 1 safety, maybe 1 match, and the rest should have been reaches</p>
<p>Seems that given what you've posted, you should have only applied to your safety. What's the point of applying to more schools if you know you wouldn't be able to afford them?</p>
<p>northstarmom, there is a difference between shelling out an extra $20k for a mediocre private school and shelling out that same amount for a dream reach school.</p>
<p>example: my dad drew the line at BU. i dont qualify for financial aid, so if i didn't get in anywhere better than BU, i would have been headed for umass. it's not that we wouldnt have been able to afford BU, but that we felt that it wasnt worth the extra $20k+ to attend a school that isn't much better..</p>
<p>on the other hand, if i am accepted to a school like georgetown or hopkins, i will definitely be headed there. i believe the OP's problem is that he did not APPLY to many schools that are my gtown hopkins equivalents.</p>
<p>When I was applying, I was caught up in the whole pervading concept that your college list should MOSTLY consist of matches (academic matches) - safeties are to be safe, and don't "reach" too far. Don't get me wrong; my family can definitely afford it. But without the "CC peer pressure?" it just doesn't seem worth it.</p>
<p>I'm not so regretful about applying to my matches, just that it probably prevented me from applying to as many reaches.</p>
<p>As dumb as it sounds, my family and I tailored our list according to what was expected of everyone: a middle-heavy spectrum.</p>
<p>And now I realized that a more sane strategy would have been "go big or go home" because anything in between really isn't worth the costs.</p>
<p>D applied to 2 safeties, 3 matches, and the rest slight reaches/reaches. The safeties and matches are financial safeties as well, some are state schools(a lot cheaper). Her reaches are mostly private schools with $50K price tag(as well as selectivity). So far, the safeties and matches gave her money and scholarships. Plus, she probably will be going to one of her matches. So I understand the go big and go home strategy.</p>
<p>From the OP's other posts, I see that Swarthmore is one of the schools that the OP has been accepted to. Swarthmore is one of the country's best and most select colleges. Hard for me to imagine it really was a match school.</p>
<p>"And now I realized that a more sane strategy would have been "go big or go home" because anything in between really isn't worth the costs."</p>
<p>This makes no sense to me. Swarthmore is a fabulous school that provides a wonderful atmosphere and education for brilliant students who want to be in an intellectual atmosphere. I don't think there's any honors college of a public institution that offers a comparable atmosphere.</p>
<p>If the OP applied to Swarthmore because the OP wanted to be in a very intellectual atmosphere, then I don't know what other top colleges beside perhaps U of Chicago would have met the OP's needs. Places like HPYS don't offer the intellectual atmosphere at an undergrad level that Swarthmore does. I'm saying this as a Harvard undergrad alum who also spent a year at Stanford in grad school.</p>
<p>I'm in the income bracket that's just high enough to not qualify for financial aid at any colleges except the super generous ones like Harvard. If Swarthmore had matched what my sons had wanted from their education, I gladly would have made the necessarily financial sacrifices to pay for their education there if they'd had the good fortune to have been accepted.</p>
<p>I think that the OP should reconsider how the OP is looking at his/her college options.</p>
<p>ee33ee: we used the same philosophy as you, yet our matches have turned into reaches due to the ridiculous increase in the # of people applying; don't worry so much about making a decision until next month....It may or may not be that difficult.....</p>
<p>and Schreyers is certainly an amazing match!!</p>
<p>This is how hard it is to get into Swarthmore as a transfer:
"This fall, along with 372 freshman, Swarthmore welcomed 16 transfer students-a marked increase from numbers accepted in the past. The influx of transfer students at Swarthmore this year is part of the Admission Office's new efforts to accept more such students every year. According to Jim Bock, the number of transfer students accepted "[has] been small, [has] been tiny, [has] been 2 or 3 students a year. We'd like to bring in more students to build a sense of community among that population."" Admissions</a> opens more doors to prospective transfer students The Daily Gazette</p>
<p>For freshman admissions, Swarthmore accepted only 19% of applicants last year. Given the trends in admission nationwide, probably a smaller percentage will be accepted this year.</p>
<p>I posted a more elaborate explanation of my sentiments a few weeks ago, but basically I don't know what I want. On some days I feel a fairy-tale excitement for being around intellectuals, and other days I feel nothing but apprehension about all the competition/work involved. And save the most extreme of circumstances, I'm a pretty adaptable person; even if I were completely sure I wanted Swarthmore's intellectual atmosphere, it wouldn't be worth the extra money when I know I can have a great time at schreyers too. As of now, I'd choose penn state over swarthmore. My parents have been pretty supportive of my decision to go anywhere I want, but they've pretty successfully pounded the ramifications of $20k/year into my head haha.</p>
<p>Furthermore, I'm a strong believer that the educational quality at a top 50 school is relatively the same: what you make of it.</p>
<p>Am I being immature in coming to the conclusion that I simply don't trust myself to make a firm decision, and thus rely on financial incentives so heavily that I'm willing to sacrifice the all-important (but to me superficial or even false) "feel" or "atmosphere" or "selectivity"? Maybe, but I am too young and ignorant to spend $20k/year with conviction, based solely on the fact that I felt more at home on a single visit to Swarthmore than at Penn State.</p>
<p>Due to my insecurities/adaptability/whatever, I look at colleges mostly as a status/money trade-off. I realized I would only be willing to shell out the $20k/year if it'll clearly pay off financially in the future; and I think this could only be had at some super-reaches that I didn't apply to.</p>
<p>But hey this could all be hot air; maybe I got into swarthmore only through luck and I had no chance of anywhere else except for a miracle. Again, it's the uncertainty that jars me.</p>
<p>But good point, it may just be my shallow view of college decisions that's making me feel regretful.</p>
<p>
[quote]
On some days I feel a fairy-tale excitement for being around intellectuals, and other days I feel nothing but apprehension about all the competition/work involved. And save the most extreme of circumstances, I'm a pretty adaptable person; even if I were completely sure I wanted Swarthmore's intellectual atmosphere, it wouldn't be worth the extra money when I know I can have a great time at schreyers too.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>You are not alone on this point. I know a lot of kids are worrying about the "competition/work". Maybe after working hard 4 years in high school they don't want to kill themselves anymore.</p>
<p>"But hey this could all be hot air; maybe I got into swarthmore only through luck and I had no chance of anywhere else except for a miracle. Again, it's the uncertainty that jars me."</p>
<p>People don't get into top colleges through luck.</p>
<p>If you really don't want to go to Swarthmore, that's OK. However, if you are just having the typical cold feet and aren't sure, the best thing to do would be to spend at least an overnight there, visit classes, talk to students -- yet again if you've done it before.</p>
<p>Take your time to make the best decision for you. This means not distorting what Swarthmore is. It really is an excellent college. It takes very few students, and even fewer transfers. If they accepted you, you have the ability to handle the work, and the atmosphere is more than likely a good fit for you. That doesn't mean that you need to go there, but you should carefully think through your options. Don't chose to stay where you are out of fear, but do so only if it really is a place where you're happy, and you don't want the other options.</p>
<p>One last thing: Virtually everyone I know who got into a top college wonders if they got in out of luck, and if they'll fit in. Your feelings don't mean that you wouldn't be happy at a place like Swarthmore. More reason to check it out again in person and to take your time making up your mind.</p>
<p>It is harder in our very large and competitive NE high school for kids to get into Swarthmore than Harvard. I am still p-ssed that they rejected me way back in the dark ages, and they rejected a 4.8/2200 outstanding young lady I know just two years ago. NOT a match for anyone.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>I am not downplaying Swarthmore; it would be more accurate to say that I'm overplaying Penn State.</p></li>
<li><p>I know that Swarthmore is probably the hardest college academically</p></li>
<li><p>I know that I'll be happier at most of the schools I applied to (INCLUDING swarthmore) than I would be at penn state. I know that I'll start out with educational advantages at these other schools too. These are without a doubt. That's why I applied to those harder schools. What I'm saying is that the social/student body/academic advantages don't overcome the financial factors UNLESS we're talking about the ones who provide a distinct financial benefit in the future. THAT is what I realized too late...</p></li>
<li><p>I am not having buyer's remorse. I have not committed anywhere and I have not heard back from most of my colleges. I surely will have buyer's remorse (that's just the way I am) but that's for later on. This thread has been pretty derailed, but please let's not disuss Penn State vs. Swarthmore anymore :)</p></li>
</ol>
<p>"What I'm saying is that the social/student body/academic advantages don't overcome the financial factors UNLESS we're talking about the ones who provide a distinct financial benefit in the future. "</p>
<p>? Any financial benefit for the future probably depends far more on one's major, grad/professional institutions, career choice, work ethic and networking than it depends on what college you choose.</p>
<p>I agree, and that's why I'd choose penn state over swarthmore</p>
<p>Intellectualism, good professors, internships, and other opportunities can all be had at most reputable US colleges, despite your mentioning of Swarthmore's acceptance rate</p>
<p>So we basically agree that selectivity doesn't really matter all too much, except I believe that stops being true when you get to the tippy top.</p>
<p>And that's what I wished I had realized earlier. That's the point of this thread haha.</p>