<p>Ive only been on CC for a few months but this is what ive learned. Everyone wants to get into the school of their dreams. But what defines that. Almost every college in the US is good but it seems that the only schools tha tpeople here apply to are their state school, the ivies and top tiers, the uc's, and the rest of the ncaa basketball tournament. someitmes the most famous college isnt the one you would be best of at. Im just saying explore every option</p>
<p>You don't dream about getting an accord, you dream about getting a bmw.</p>
<p>I wouldn't make such sweeping generalizations. Many CCers do fit your description, but remember that they are less than 1% of the applicant pool...mostly the cream of the crop, at that.</p>
<p>If you look at the acceptances over on the Parents' forum, you'll see a lot more attention given to the "hidden" gems. Curmudgeon's daughter turned down Yale for a full ride at Rhodes and is absolutely loving it, for example.</p>
<p>Your point is a good one, though. In retrospect, I think I would've gone about things a bit differently.</p>
<p>It's great to dream big, but I agree that one must be realistic about what that dream is and what routes they can take to get there. Some great ways to find out if that Ivy is really a match for you or just a fancy name are visiting the campus, talking to students about the lifestyle (studying, social life, support organizations), checking out the surrounding area, asking about how the curricula are designed, learning about departments of interest, and finding out what extracurricular activities are available (whether research, social dance, or ultimate frisbee).</p>
<p>Pyar, I really hope that money isn't your motivation for going to college, because if it is, you will be miserable.</p>
<p>My brother turned down a full ride at Yale for a full ride at U of Rochester. He loved the school, got a great education and got a top notch job right after graduating.</p>