So my final choice was between Macalester and Brandeis (being denied everywhere really helped me whittle down my list), and I decided to bite the bullet and commit to Mac because it seemed like a better fit (Brandeis isn’t a liberal arts college, I liked the twin cities a little more, etc). Three days after I committed and pulled my application, Brandeis sent me a letter offering me a 10k merit aid scholarship (Mac didn’t give me any), and since then I’ve been really doubting myself. I’m fine with going to Mac, but I want to actually be happy and excited about going to college, not just fine- What if I should have said yes to Brandeis?
Also, I’m feeling like I applied in the wrong places- I absolutely hate cold weather, and I’m scared I’m gonna be highkey suffering in Minnesota. I feel like if I could do this again, I would definitely apply somewhere in California, and I can’t stop thinking about that.
How do I know if I made the right choice by committing? Is Mac more than just fine? What do I do if it isn’t?
You can defer at Mac, take a gap year, do something fun/interesting/remunerative, and apply to a whole different list of places.
Had that 10k merit offer been on the table sooner, would it have been enough to swing you to Brandeis? Wll then it’s OK to change your mind, and go there instead.
If the $10,000 makes a difference to you, look into switching. It is a special circumstance, where you found out about the scholarship after sending in a deposit.
If not, do not second-guess yourself. Both are great colleges, and you liked one slightly more.
There is not “one perfect college” for anyone. You probably would be equally happy and could have an equally good educational and social experience at either college. More of the college experience is about you and your attitude than about the college you happen to be attending!
Decide if the money matters and act accordingly.
Then, once you have committed, stop even thinking about the choice aspect. The bridge has been crossed and there is no going back, so move forward! Start imagining yourself at your college and get excited!
Congratulations on two fantastic admissions, and enjoy college!
But to your larger question: how do you know you made the right choice?
You make it be the right choice: you make follow-on choices that will make it be the right one. (funnily enough, it’s the same thing when you choose a life partner). So you go to college. You choose to be involved. You choose to be your best student self- reading ahead / being prepared for class / doing the work. You show up: for class, for school activities, for friends and professors. You look for opportunities to learn, to grow and to contribute.
You have made the best choice you can based on what you know so far. It is a reasonable and rational choice, and it is not an objectively ‘wrong’ choice. Now you make it be the right one.
St Paul is indeed v v v v cold: but they know that, they account for that, and you will be amazed at how little a problem that turns out to be in terms of your overall college experience. The Mac student body is full of interesting people, who are interested in a lot of things. Do your study abroad someplace hot (if that still matters to you then). In the meantime, enjoy all the things there are to enjoy there!
California isn’t going anywhere and this site is overloaded with stories of kids whose dream it is to go to college in California and can’t get in or afford it. Some of those kids are even from California. You can vacation there or even move there after you graduate.
You had good reasons for choosing Mac. If money is tight and a better scholarship would make life better or easier for you and your family, switch. If the money won’t make a huge difference and you think you would be happier at Mac, don’t switch. Make your decision and then stop looking for greener grass.