Rant about expectations

I am probably going to attend grad school. Should I worry about the Ivies for that instead?

If you’re planning on doing something that requires a graduate degree, where you get that degree may be more meaningful. (Then again, in some fields, it may not. Or the best program may not be at the school with the fanciest name. It all depends on the field.) Just focus on maximizing your undergraduate experience.

Look at this list of the undergraduate institutions attended by the first year class at Harvard Law School. It should tell you something!

http://hls.harvard.edu/dept/jdadmissions/apply-to-harvard-law-school/undergraduate-colleges/

^^Wow, that was really neat @gardenstategal !

Hey guys, after talking with my family and my school, I am extremely excited to announce that I will not be sending any more applications because I am going to Siena College! I feel so much better and I know I will be so happy there. I might not post much anymore, but I want to thank you for all your help - you really made me feel a lot better :x

Good, I’m so glad for you.

As I’ve said: I’ve known a LOT of kids who went to Sienna. So very many have loved it and been successful there!!!

I have a question - will going to Siena prevent me from being able to get into a top tier graduate school if I decide I want to? I have really good SATs and grades so I know that I could get into a “better” school, but since I chose not to are my options going to be limited? I’m going to be in the honors program if that helps. But I don’t want to find out in 4 years that if I wanted to have a chance at my dream grad school I had to go to an ivy for undergrad.
I saw the thing that @gardenstategal posted with the schools that the Harvard students came out of, but they are still mostly prestigious schools and I’m just worried.

The important thing is to do well in undergraduate school and try to build relationships with faculty so they get to know you well enough to write recommendations. Get involved in research or internships. You’ll be able to get into a strong graduate program.

Thank you

Congrats! And if you work hard, you can do well at any Grad School and you will definitely have options. Previous posters have made a lot of good points. The college you go to does not limit your opportunities, you just have to work harder to make them. I know a young man who attended one of the lower-tier state schools but graduated top of his class and was able to attend UVA Law School. He worked his butt off for it, and he got it.

My kids are average. They participate in one sport and maybe one or two clubs, they do well in school but they aren’t valedictorian, but all my job has ever been is to raise happy kids. Kids that are confident in making choices about college, majors, careers, etc and can be happy and confident in their own choice, and sometimes I think a lot of people forget that. I am a successful parent if my children are happy, healthy, and can make informed decisions. You’ve got great opportunities waiting for you and you’ve just got to scope them out.

Ok there’s been a slight change. I still love Siena but I don’t know what I should do because I just got my last SAT back and I got a 2300. I have no idea what to do

That’s great, but why does it change a school you were happy about yesterday?

It is certainly acceptable to be a regular kid these days. A problem is that too many regular kids are trying to be something they are not and too many regular kids want to go to schools that are intended for not-regular kids. There are tons of colleges for regular kids. There are relatively few highly competitive ones for students who are extraordinary. Most people are not extraordinary. Most people, me included, are ordinary. There is nothing wrong with that.

@bjkmom It doesn’t change the fact that I’m happy about Siena, but my guidance counselors said I should send a few more applications and not say yes just yet. I still don’t think it will change my decision, but I’m going to wait a little longer before I submit a deposit or anything. I don’t want to limit myself just yet now that I have more doors that can possibly be opened.

Best wishes.

@anon9362 We had the same thing where I went to High School, that little “Where is X going” wall poster thing, most people in my graduating class went to ASU and UofA. I couldn’t afford to go to school and had to find work, finished high school with a 2.7 GPA or something and pretty much no extracurriculars outside of work. The entire situation made me extremely jealous, and I still hold a minor resentment towards both of those schools until this day. (How do you get into ASU? Have a wallet and a pulse.)

In the end though man, it will all work out for the better. Because of my experiences in the workforce, I ended up going to community college, wrote some great essays, learned a whole lot, and now I go to an Ivy League school. Don’t fret about this, it will work out in the end because there’s always a way if you’re willing to find one.

Also, everyone on here is going to tell you to not let that list bother you, but don’t listen to them, it should bother you. But don’t mope, instead, use that resentment to succeed, make it a driving force in your life to do better after high school. Go to community college, work hard, and get into a great school!

That’s a cool story @Wittmann

You can put in your other apps. There is nothing wrong with having choices. My advice is to not throw in the towel on the rest of your list just because you want to be done. Do your best on each app, visit your favorite 2-3 acceptances (that you can afford) in spring, and decide by Nay 1.