<p>I will be leaving my home on august 14th to attend GaTech. I am at once excited and nervous about my next several years of study, but I can't help silence a high pitched buzz of disappointment. Tech was not my first, second, or third choice. It was the first of what I considered safety schools, and the first to offer me admission.
In order to better explain my situation, I must mention my two best friends. We were all well accomplished applicants and applied to essentially the same schools. One was admitted to Caltech, the other to MIT, and I was stuck with GT. At first I didn't mind that I didn't do as well, but then my friends began to jest about how "I was the disappointment". This was not mean-spirited at all, but I began to consider it as truth. I began to wonder if I would have fewer opportunities than my friends, if an employer or grad school admin would chose them over me (assuming equal grade point averages, internships, GRE scores, ect.) because of the universities on our diplomas. With this comes various regrets about my time in high school and the things I could have done better.
My only consolations are that I'll have less student loan debt and that nearly all the GT upperclassmen I've met claim that most students (well, not including the ones who flunk out) do fall in love with the school eventually.
Did anyone else feel this way, and how did your situation pan out?
I do apologize if this comes off as a half-baked whine thread, but I would like to know of others who have had similar experiences.</p>
<p>In almost every situation, their diplomas will carry little or no extra weight as compared to yours from Georgia Tech. Stop worrying so much about having to go to what is still a top-tier school as opposed to one of only a few schools that are generally considered to be “better” than the one you attend. Instead, focus your efforts on excelling at GT, which is recruited heavily by top industries and graduate schools. That is a far better use of your energy.</p>
<p>I’m about to be a senior at my “safety school”, and I can say that this is the place I needed to be. I have made excellent friends and great memories, have had wonderful adventures, and still got a lot of good work done. The universe has a way of putting you in the direction you need to be in. All you can do is make the best out of any possible situation. If you do that, you will find that you’ll be happy wherever you go.</p>
<p>But seriously, college is college, and you’ll have a great time. Just make sure you study abroad! </p>
<p>Having less student loan debt will put you in a position to travel, buy a house, or even just take a job you really love that may not have the highest salary. You will have so much more freedom!</p>
<p>I am unsure if my stats are high enough for UCSB to be considered my safety. Here are my stats and results.</p>
<p>UWGPA: 3.66
WGPA: 4.29
UCGPA: 4.00
SAT: 2300
rejected by: UCB, UCLA, UCSD, Cal Poly SLO
waitlisted by: UCD, UCI</p>
<p>I will be attending UCSB this fall. I knew that UCB and UCLA were high reaches, but I felt I had a decent chance at UCSD. Of course, I knew that UCSD may not accept me. Thus, I applied to the mid-tier and low-tier UCs as backups. Of the mid-tier UCs, I preferred UCI because it had the only dedicated school of computer science (my major) in the UC system. I thought with my high SAT score, UCI would definitely accept me. I had no idea that the UCs care so much about GPA and so little about standardized test scores. I felt a bit insulted that UCI waitlisted me, so I decided that I will not go there. I felt the same way towards UCD. As a result, I chose UCSB. I am a little disappointed that I have to go to UCSB. It is known as a party school, but I do not go to parties often, so I am afraid that I may not fit in. In addition, its reputation is lower than that of the other UCs. Hopefully, I will like UCSB more after I attend. If not, I could use alcohol to drown my sorrows. Obtaining alcohol at UCSB should not be too difficult because it is a party school. Just kidding. 
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