<p>I have no big regrets. I didn’t apply to any North East schools, but I like Princeton a lot and it might have been a better choice, and also it would have been nice to stay closer to family. But of course now it is harder to get in - high SAT scores and National Merit and APs aren’t even close to enough to get you into Princeton these days so it is a moot point … I almost can’t imagine even wasting the money on an application to Princeton for a kid these days (other than to satisfy curiosity) unless class rank is top few percent (AND the amazing scores and activities). I did take some classes (summer etc. and in grad school) at other Universities (Georgetown, University of Houston, UT) and I would not apply to any of those three (for different reasons) these days.</p>
<p>The other change: I definitely would consider Notre Dame if applying to college now (it was off the table back then due to controversy about their mission) and we were VERY impressed on our campus tour last year.</p>
<p>I’d still go to U of Chicago. I was a quirky kid who wanted to live in a big city, and it was absolutely the right school for me. I guess if I had it to do again I’d work a little harder and maybe end up with a better GPA – though if I had, I’d probably have ended up at a different law school, which would mean I wouldn’t have met my husband. So I guess everything happens for the best – even procrastinating on your paper for your freshman class on “Self, Culture and Society,” so you end up writing 5 pages on the Wealth of Nations at 3 in the morning after having read only about 1/5 of the book!</p>
<p>I haven’t asked him, but I bet my husband would choose a different school than MIT. He hated pretty much every minute of his 4.5 years there.</p>
<p>Graduated with BSME from UCSB, after HS in Virginia. If 18 again, I’d (realistically) go to VA Tech or UVa for my BSME and get my MBA from a school of good repute.</p>
<p>@ucsb82 , I have a friend whose son is trying to narrow his list of schools where he currently plans to major in ME, and UCSB is currently on his list. Would you be willing to explain your thoughts on why you would make a different choice today? Thanks much!</p>
<p>Back in 1978-1982 or so, UCs were relatively low cost, even for out-of-state students. UC out-of-state tuition and fees were $2,625 to $3,878 those years ($9,595 to $10,168 adjusted for inflation). Compare to $13,866 in-state and $35,887 out-of-state today for UCSB. (These do not include books, room, board, etc.)</p>
<p>Note, however, the private tuition was much lower then than now. For example, the 1980 Stanford tuition was $6,285 ($17,505 adjusted for inflation) versus $44,184 today.</p>
<p>I would have to be 13 for this to work because I would have studied a lot harder knowing what I know now.</p>
<p>I met my wife in college so I can’t change it but I would’ve changed my major from biology to business since that’s what I do now. Biology is more of a hobby now.</p>
<p>@happykidsmom - At age 18 I drove from VA, to CA to “plug myself” into the CA university system. I spent three years in a fine JC, then transferred to the UCSB college of engineering as a junior. UCSB was a great experience, the two years at the JC might have been better spent elsewhere. Sure, some may scoff, but I enjoyed reading today that UCSB Engineering was ranked 7th in the world - <a href=“College of Engineering News | College of Engineering - UC Santa Barbara”>College of Engineering News | College of Engineering - UC Santa Barbara; . UCSB was great for me, Va Tech, or UVa would have worked too.</p>
<p>Well, public universities did not have the Honors Colleges back in my day. That is a huge game changer for some schools. I was attracted to small classes and went to a local LAC. If it were today, my apps would include some Us with honors or interdis. programs. </p>
<p>I went to Bennington (too isolated for me) and then the New School (where I had the opposite problem- too distracted by NYC). If I had it to do over again, I would love to go to Smith, where my daughter will soon be a first-year student. :)</p>
<p>If I went back in time I would convince my parents to actually fill out the FAFSA, so then I could go to Wesleyan. Instead, I had to go to the school I could afford to go to and pay for on my own dime, which was not the most engaging place. </p>
<p>I mentioned this upthread, but I was unable to fill out a FAFSA either, since there was no way on God’s green earth my dad would reveal how much money he made. </p>
<p>@Bestfriendsgirl, my father filled out that he made 0 dollars and included a note that all the money he made got spent, and that was the only part of the form he filled out (he was making about $45K at the time). This was back when it was a paper form. </p>
<p>I know that UVa had one at least but it didn’t seem that appealing to me at the time.
Thinking back on why I didn’t like UVa as much when I was applying… the “Echols Scholar” program had its own dorm but back then it was mostly out of state students and seemed like you would be isolated (sortof like High School where the smart kids could be segregated unless they also played sports). Going to a school where everyone was treated similarly, and didn’t have much social or academic isolation was a big factor for me, and probably a big factor for my son in choosing Rice (no frats, double majors encouraged, lots of freedom to take different types of classes etc.)</p>
<p>I came that close to going to UVa as an Echols scholar. It was a pretty sweet deal at the time–special dorm, preference for class selection, and more. Plus, my friend’s gorgeous cousin was going to be in it. I still think I made the right choice, though.</p>
<p>@Longhaul, University of Michigan had an honors college in the dark ages when I applied to school. They had rolling admissions. It was one of my safeties and I was admitted quite early. I went to Princeton and loved it. It was a less preppy time, which might dissuade me from going now, but I would attend again. I loved the intensity of the academics, the campus I made wonderful friends. </p>
<p>@jsrcmom yes this thread is helpful! It’s great to see how in ,some cases, a lot can happen in four years. example can be found in @FallGirl post #92</p>
I studied like a crazy person for the SAT but never got over 1100. Didn’t give a flip about the ACT and got a 27. I really didn’t know that that was a decent score back then. My only knowledge of colleges was from those huge books in the guidance office. I picked Auburn because it was 6 hours away which felt like a whole new world to me. They got my score, sent an automatic admit packet, and off I went. I never filled out the first application.
I had a good time there but didn’t apply myself. If there was ever a do-over, I would send out a ton of apps to see the results. There is nothing worse than the dreaded ‘what might have been’…
This is how different it was for me back then… I was smarter than I thought I was, but southern girls back in the 80’s in my neck of the woods were still shopping for MRS degrees. Only 1 girl got an engineering degree in my entire sorority in my 4 years there, and I only graduated in '92. So much has changed.