<p>Bseldin, Middlebury is just as prestigious as Duke, it's just less well known because it's small and in the middle of nowhere. Had I not gotten in to my ED school (Dartmouth), I probably would've chosen Mount Hoyoke or Smith (had I gotten money) over Middlebury, Vassar, or Wesleyan.</p>
<p>Although I want this thread to die and think that people think too highly of Duke, it seems that people see Duke as more prestigious than Middlebury.</p>
<p>My mother turned down Harvard for Brandeis.</p>
<p>im rejecting emory for a small christian school(baylor, acu, or ouachita)</p>
<p>Yeah Duke is way more prestigious than Middlebury. Duke is as prestigious as williams, amherst, swat.</p>
<p>last year my friend turned down columbia and harvard for mcgill. financial issues...</p>
<p>also a family friend turned down a very generous harvard scholarship to become an orchestra conductor, i dont think he went to university at all</p>
<p>I turned down Columbia(and other schools) for Carnegie Mellon on a full scholarship.</p>
<p>a person at my school turned down mit for ucla
i think it was a combination of money and the fact that he's sorta lazy...
friggin genius tho, 10 on aime!</p>
<p>Last year, my friend acceted to Harvard, Yale, MIT, Princeton, Stanford, and even Oxford. But he went to Waseda University in Japan.</p>
<p>Star football player at my school is turning down UPenn (my dream school) for UIUC, Iowa or Toledo.</p>
<p>Im rejecting Yale and WashU in St Louis for Boston College, (I was given no money at any school), because I like the atmosphere better at BC...what do you think of that? I dont want to spend the next 4 years of my life at somewhere i dont like</p>
<p>Congrats Jimmy. </p>
<p>Sometimes you'll find something better instead of just going by overall prestige. For example right now I'm pursuing a double major in computer science which is considered a lot stronger at my current college than at Columbia. </p>
<p>If I hadn't picked the full scholarship I would've never had the opportunity to do something like this.</p>
<p>
[quote]
also a family friend turned down a very generous harvard scholarship to become an orchestra conductor, i dont think he went to university at all
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I can see turning down Harvard or other high-ranked school for a lesser school + scholarship or perhaps because a specific program at that lesser school is far better. I know a guy who got admitted into a number of Ivies who turned it down for a far less prestigious state school, for the simple reason that he is also a star football player and that state school had a ranked team that was willing to give him a high-profile starting spot. He reasoned that this was his best chance of getting to the NFL. </p>
<p>However, I would be extremely hesitant to turn down Harvard for a job opportunity, unless the job opportunity is simply fantastic. After all, think of it this way. You can always go to Harvard for a semester or two, and then just withdraw (take a leave of absence). Then you can go pursue whatever opportunity you want, but with the assurance that you can always go back to Harvard anytime you want. Basically, you've saved your spot, which you can reclaim at any time. </p>
<p>However, by simply turning down Harvard completely, you would have to go through the application process all over again, with no guarantee that you would get in. </p>
<p>Think of what actress Elisabeth Shue did. She went to Harvard (transferred from Wellesley), and then withdraw to pursue a successful career in acting. Many years later, she returned to Harvard to complete her degree. Bill Gates and Matt Damon are also free to return to Harvard to complete their degrees. I don't think they will, but they could. </p>
<p>In fact, one could treat this as part of a 'brilliant' strategy. Go to Harvard for a little while to reserve your spot, and then withdraw to pursue some opportunity that you have. If it doesn't pan out, oh well, you just go back to Harvard. But your admissions spot is secured.</p>
<p>If I was in the position to do so, I'd turn down HYP for Brown or Wharton. But I can't do that because I can't get into those schools. I'll just settle for NYU Stern.</p>
<p>Poor baby. :rolleyes: :p</p>
<p>i turned down ucla and usc for university of hawaii (4th tier)</p>
<p>Manoa? Hot girls there...</p>
<p>Yeah, but I hear the dorm food isn't so hot. So nyah.</p>
<p>my friend turned down northwestern for dublin...well he could then become a doc in 5 years.</p>
<p>Another guy I know turned down Princeton for Seoul National University</p>
<p>
[quote]
also a family friend turned down a very generous harvard scholarship to become an orchestra conductor, i dont think he went to university at all
[/quote]
Wow combatbaby, what an awesome opportunity. The chances of getting a position as a conductor are even less than the chances of getting into Harvard. What an opportunity!</p>
<p>My question is this: how did your friend gain the knowledge to conduct? Is talent more important than formal education? I know of one person who got a major symphony job right out of high school, but these instances are extremely rare. How'd he do it?</p>