No safety school!

Applying to College
21

<p>I think a lot of students make the mistake of thinking that if a school is not ranked in the top 10 or the top 25 or whatever, that the students will not be as motivated and the school will not be as challenging. There are lots of reasons that school may be somewhat lower ranked but still have stellar academics. Often these schools are located outside of the northeast and don't attract quite as many applicants. Going to one of these schools does not mean you are "settling". Open your mind a bit to other possibilities and you will find a wide variety of schools that will likely meet your needs. </p>

<p>OP - I understand what you mean about "feel". I think this is a very important factor in picking a college, but you can also carry it to an extreme as well. If a gap year is not possible, you will need to open your mind a bit to other possibilities.</p>

22

<p>Many good responses to your dilemna. I totally understand your mindset - it makes sense. What doesn't make sense is the fact that, should the stars mis-align for some reason beyond your control (which is what college admissions seems to be these days), then you will be...stuck. So maybe another important factor would be to be motivated by something extraneous to the actual college itself. Like its geographic location. Like its relationship to a certain industry/resources. Type of student body. Internships. Maybe a consortium or other relationship to some of the colleges you prefer. Outside the box thinking, and maybe choices which reflect whatever interests you have separate from the academics. Good luck!</p>