<p>I was wondering if there's anyone on here who had stats acceptable for top colleges, but went to a state or local school instead. If so, how's your experience? Are you happy there, or do you feel challenged? I'm going into an hon</p>
<p>An honors program at a well-liked school in my state, so I was curious. Sorry this got cut off…</p>
<p>I sort of kind of maybe fit what you’re talking about. I got into Brandeis but decided to go to my local private school instead. It’s still a really good school and known in the business world, but not top 30 or anything. I like it because for core classes and things I can breeze through and for classes I’m actually interested in, I can challenge myself by doing extra research and talking to my professors. Plus my grades will be good when I apply to grad school and I’m getting a ton of scholarships here. It’s different for every person… like in that thread a ways down about smart people in “normal” schools versus normal people in “smart” schools. I’ve been told many times over by adults that prestige is more valuable for grad school anyway.</p>
<p>My hs stats were somewhere around 3.7+ GPA, 33 ACT. Went to a state school. Turned down the flagship because I was a better fit at another state college (though still a top 100 college). </p>
<p>I have loved it. Thrived because it was such a great fit. I’m graduating with honors, in PBK, and accepted to top grad programs in my field of study. I was able to study abroad, grab great internships, and have had some great work experiences. </p>
<p>Your education is truly what you make of it.</p>
<p>I’m doing fine. I’m not struggling in my classes which is a huge plus, and I’m in an honors program which has a lot of cool benefits. Since state schools are so big, I guarantee there will be many, many “smart” people-- you’re far from the only person who got really good grades but can’t afford a private school. You’ll find these people and find your niche and you’ll be saving a ton of money along the way.</p>
<p>Nothing wrong with state schools, there are people who care about their education and those who don’t. Those who don’t care will drop out as with any school.</p>
<p>Like someone here said education is what you make it.</p>
<p>Not sure what “top schools” you’re referring to. I never would have gotten into Harvard or Yale, but I graduated with a 4.1 from a good high school and currently go to my state flagship. I’m in the honors program and I haven’t regretted my decision beyond the fact that I had to stay in the South for another four years. I don’t have to take out loans to pay in-state tuition and my school has a great program for my major. I definitely feel challenged in my major courses. I’m not breaking my back or anything, but I don’t feel like I’m breezing through. You’d be surprised at the options bigger state school allow you to have, especially if you’re an honors student.</p>
<p>I had a 2100+ sat, 3.96 gpa and qualified for USAMO in hs. I went to a state school since it’s closer to home. Currently having the time of my life here and I’m not regretting it at all. The classes are still challenging but you won’t have to work nearly as hard as the people around you. There’s a ton of parties around on the weekend if you’re into that type of stuff. I’m in the center of attention without even trying and found my social skills and confidence improve greatly throughout (I was sort of the stereotypical nerd in high school). On top of this, I’m getting first dibs on many of the internship opportunities present (I’m studying engineering). This summer I’m doing an internship that provides free housing, transportation, and pays over $25/hr.</p>
<p>Not sure what you mean by “state college”…I went to a public university ranked lower than some of the other schools to which I was admitted. Many courses are challenging, others are less so (just as at any school). I certainly don’t regret turning down the higher-ranked private schools.</p>
<p>I went to Florida Atlantic University while I was on medical leave from a top school. It was pretty terrible.</p>
<p>I ended up taking mostly graduate math classes because the math at that school was a joke and the freshman year classes at my old school were harder than the Master’s classes at my new school. Most of the graduate students were around 30 years old and called me “sweetie” (I was 17). Several of them were also married with kids, and it was really hard to make friends.</p>
<p>The professors were very nice to me and took an interest in my life. Three professors offered me research opportunities, and one of them gave me authorship on his papers. Because there were fewer good students at that school, being reasonably smart would make you stand out.</p>
<p>You wouldn’t believe how happy I was when I came back from medical leave and got to take hard classes with people my own age.</p>
<p>I got into my top choice (Emerson) and a few other schools of that caliber but I’ll probably end up at a state school that has an okay program but doesn’t have any editing courses which is what I want to do. I’m not sure if I’ll be happy though.</p>
<p>I dual-enrolled at my local community college as a high school senior, went to UCLA, then went back to the community college. The CC classes usually require less effort than UCLA classes, which I like because I don’t have to spend as much time on classes that I could be spending becoming more educated and enjoying life. They are also graded more leniently.</p>