Wishing I had gone to UChicago

Five years ago, I was accepted into UChicago and a number of other schools. I chose one of the other schools. Now that I’m an alum, I truly regret not attending UChicago. I feel like Chicago is a school at which I would have been genuinely happy and made some true friends. Although I did well academically at my alma mater, I missed the feeling of UChicago, and I didn’t develop any true friendships. Now Chicago has jumped the rankings significantly and everywhere I go (especially abroad), people say “wow, UChicago” with such reverence and my own alma mater with apathy. I constantly think about undoing this mistake, but I’m in professional school right now and cannot sacrifice time just to pursue a Master’s at Chicago if I could. I’m worried that a Master’s degree would not have the same feel as the undergrad experience. If only there was a way to experience life as an undergrad again…

This kind of regret is not at all useful. You are where you are now. You need to make the most of the present. You probably had some good experiences in college some of which put you on the path to where you are today. If looking forward, you need to change course, do that. But you can’t undo the past and you will be happier and more productive if you put your energy into where you are now.

What made you choose your alma mater? There must have been something about that school that you preferred over UChicago.

Regret will do you no good.

I’m with #1 above. You are projecting a lot on U of Chicago. I assume that you chose your alma mater over U of C for similarly superficial reasons as perceived prestige. Caring about what people in other countries think of your college so much that you long for a re-do is not a good trait. You should care more if people look at you with “wow or apathy” rather than your alma mater.

Why did you turn down UChicago? Was it because Brown was higher ranked?

This person just joined CC and has 2 posts. I’m thinking this is a hoax.

or if its not a hoax its pathetic.

It can be both.