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<p>I second that. I’m in college right now I feel that my life just started.</p>
<p>Some great advice here on this board! All this admissions obsession is just silly if you think about it. If you got into an Ivy congratulations. If you didnt, then do your very best where you are at. I know a lady who went to Scripps College in LA/Pomona area, 30 years ago. She earned her PhD at UCSB and is regarded as one of the leading scholars in Medieval History in the United States. She also taught at Williams for a year or two. It all depends on what you do with what you have.</p>
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<p>Umm… if you’re referring to Northwestern, it <em>is</em> a top school…</p>
<p>if you say you don’t have the grades, then don’t complain. you would probably struggle at some better school, so i think you’re probably happiest at where you are right now. it’s really all karma 
you just have to open up and accept your school instead of comparing it to better ones. if you don’t ever see your school for what it really is–a place with its own perks and eccentricities, and not just a machine to get you a great job. you’ll never be happy unless you let yourself enjoy your time there…and that’s true no matter what school you go to. even if you go to uchicago, you’ll meet people who went to harvard or princeton and it’ll be the same all over again. plus, college really is just a booster in getting a great first job or getting a high starting salary…in thirty years nobody really cares what college you went to as much as your past experience. so someone who graduates from uchicago gets a job that’s better than yours because employers really don’t have anything else to base their decision on. you can still easily surpass them…just work hard and make good impressions when you graduate, and soon your favorable past experience and good relationship with past employers will be more important than the college you went to when you were 20! life is ongoing, and the college that you go to is NOT going to affect your life as much as you think it will. in a few years down the road, it won’t be where you graduated from as what have you done with your life that will be the most important.</p>
<p>"College is only the beginning; work hard, get inspired, meet people… and you can be the exception to the rule. "</p>
<p>what rule? there is no rule to life, not even for college <em>gasp–getting in/not getting in to harvard will not make or break your life</em> the rules for getting the perfect job are: just be yourself and work hard, and it will come to you.</p>
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<p>anyone else find this funny?</p>
<p>I got into Sarah Lawrence. Instead I chose to attend the nearby SUNY that most people outside of New York probably wouldn’t recognize the name of. If I had gone too Sarah Lawrence, I know that I would be unhappy, in debt, and unsatisfied by the fact that they offer virtually none of the courses/majors that I’m interested. Instead I’m happy, I’m able to pay the whole tuition without loans or aid, and I’m taking interesting classes in the major and minor I’ve always wanted.</p>
<p>Sure, the name Sarah Lawrence is more impressive than the name of my school, but my happiness and financial future is more important to me than how my future employers may perceive the name of my school.</p>
<p>just curious, why did you apply to Sarah Lawrence?</p>
<p>Because I started out the application process as a prestige-whore. Not gonna lie.</p>
<p>Pure Honey - Everyone was really pretty supportive and I didn’t get the impression that everyone thought you needed to go to a fabulous grad school. My hunch is that you are not pleased with your own accomplishments and so unfortunately you hear denigration from others when it’s not really there. Those criticisms you hear are really your own thoughts.</p>
<p>There is so much more to life than where you went to college. Once you are in the workplace you will be judged, not on where you went to school, but on how you perform. I honestly don’t know where most of the people I work with went to school - I am more likely to know where their KIDS go to school, then where they went. </p>
<p>So, make the most of where you are, distinguish yourself by your work and your character, and you can be successful in life.</p>
<p>Thanks everyone. </p>
<p>And sorry, but I gotta say it. A lot of you are incredibly pretentious, whether or not you mean to be. I’m glad I don’t go to school with you people.</p>
<p>I go to McGill. I’ve thought about dropping out. Unless you’re in the top 5% of your class and intend on grad school, an undergrad degree from a lower end school is a waste.</p>
<p>I think I’ll do alright money wise. In fact, I know I will. I probably won’t be a billionaire, but I’ve worked for enough small businesses, and have enough entrepeneurial spirit that I could easily make it as a franchise owner. Not very glamorous, but hey, that’s life.</p>
<p>It depends on what you consider a top school. I have a friend at princeton who complains about not going to harvard or yale. In his eyes and his family’s eyes he is a faliure. My cousin at Dartmouth considers himself a failure for not going to princeton. My friends at community college compaing about not getting into the local state u.</p>
<p>You can be happy anywhere and you can complain anywhere. Just work your ass off and get into a top school if you care about prestige.</p>
<p>Hi PureHoney.</p>
<p>I fear you have bought into the mania that has become part and parcel of the college admissions game. And frankly, hanging out on CC probably doesn’t help!</p>
<p>First of all, Loyola is hardly the rinky-dink school you describe! But even if it were…Do you have any idea how many good, lesser known colleges there are? Hundreds of them! And ALL of them have students who become successful. Take advantage of all that Loyola has to offer. Do internships, directed research, EC’s etc. Do community service on alternative spring break, get to know your profs, go abroad. In short, get a life and stop mooning over “top schools”!</p>
<p>Lots of people are telling their stories here, so here’s mine…I went to a no-name college. I did my grad work at a big state uni. I now teach at a college (admittedly not “top 30”, or even “top 100” for that matter). Many of my colleagues are from Harvard, Columbia, MIT. Notre Dame, Wesleyan, Princeton, etc.) In short, I ended up at the same place as the folks from fancier schools.</p>
<p>I hope you can let yourself enjoy your time at Loyola more. Good luck!</p>
<p>wutangfinancial,</p>
<p>How is McGill a “lower end” school?</p>
<p>i think he’s joking, UCLAri</p>
<p>People these days are pressured too much. I can safely say almost every college is good as long as it has students who are motivated to learn, whether they’re what we consider smart or not.</p>
<p>8parks – a lot of schools don’t have that (even if they are smart!). just saying.</p>
<p>ClaySoul,</p>
<p>I’ve been on CC.com too long to assume people are joking, sadly. :(</p>
<p>that is a good point…lol</p>
<p>Worst featured discussion ever? I was not smart enough to get into UChicago, and continue to prove it by barely meeting expectations at a lower school?</p>