Regret after turning down top schools?

OP- every Freshman has a bad day or two (or three). You wouldn’t be human if during that bad day you didn’t think 'why oh why didn’t I go to XYZ college". Because of course, at that college, nobody ever has a bad day. (you know I’m being facetious).

Of course you’ll have regrets. Even making a great decision (which I think you have made- you just can’t imagine at this point in your life what a chain around your neck 100K in debt would be) is going to come with “what if’s” and second guessing.

Move forward. Make a conscious decision to take advantage- really take advantage-- of college. If it’s a choice between sitting in your dorm watching a rerun of Friends or going to hear your roommates chamber music ensemble- go to the concert. If you have an hour between classes, don’t sit by yourself drinking coffee-- check the campus calendar, see if there’s an exhibit, or something cool in the library, or a talk by someone who is allegedly famous but you’ve never heard of.

College can be amazing. And the kids I know who DON’T find it amazing, are the kids who take their HS lives-- the same friends, the same activities, the same food-- and just transplant it to a new location. You can do this!!! Amazing opportunities just there for the taking!!!