Declining your once top-choice school

[BellaG4]

Just curious to find out if anyone has turned down a school that at one point was their top choice? If after interviewing and touring the school you just decided it wasn't what you thought it would be? Maybe you just got a gut feeling that the school was not a good fit...

I've heard stories of people striving to go to a school like UCSF for years, they talk about it non-stop and then decline the acceptance letter when it finally arrives. Has something like this happened to you, and what was it that finally made you change your mind about a school you once idolized?

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[Dancer123]

I actually had this happen to me twice. I always thought I would go to UOA because they have good stats and it is where my uncle went. I planned on going there all throughout High School, but when I went to visit the school I just didn't like Arizona and I thought the area around the school was terrible.

After that I planned on California Schools, with UCSD as my #1 choice. I interviewed and got accepted to UOP in November. Then I got an interview for UCSD for Jan. 30th, However I declined the interview. I have already gotten used to the idea of going to UOP, I would rather go to school for 3 years instead of 4, the school is less research oriented, and I would have 2 extra classes to complete for UCSD.

 

[nicolemsm]

I actually had this happen to me twice. I always thought I would go to UOA because they have good stats and it is where my uncle went. I planned on going there all throughout High School, but when I went to visit the school I just didn't like Arizona and I thought the area around the school was terrible.

I completely agree, I hate hate hate hate hate Tucson. It's so dilapidated ... the area is so run down. Not to say the campus isn't new and stuff but it just reeks of nasty down there.

 

[BellaG4]

Lol nice...way to knock on my home-town. I agree that it's not exactly green and flowering, but if you like mountains and great hikes it's really not too bad. I've lived here my whole life so naturally I have nothing to compare it to, but I like it.

I actually go to the UA for undergrad currently...not too sure if I want to continue here and go to pharmacy school at the UA as well. I applied and interviewed, but it would be nice to have a new experience maybe somewhere green

 

[nicolemsm]

Lol nice...way to knock on my home-town. I agree that it's not exactly green and flowering, but if you like mountains and great hikes it's really not too bad. I've lived here my whole life so naturally I have nothing to compare it to, but I like it.

I actually go to the UA for undergrad currently...not too sure if I want to continue here and go to pharmacy school at the UA as well. I applied and interviewed, but it would be nice to have a new experience maybe somewhere green

Oh snap, I'm sorry I didn't even notice
I think UA is the best instate school education wise, but surrounding wise I couldn't bear to live there four years (let alone through undergrad). Once I complete my associates at my college I'll have a free ride to any state university of my choice through the honors program, but I really couldn't see myself @ NAU or UA so I'm left with ASU. That's why I'm really hoping to get accepted after 2 yrs of pre-reqs so I don't have to continue on with my bachelors.

What schools did you apply to?

 

[BellaG4]

Oh snap, I'm sorry I didn't even notice
I think UA is the best instate school education wise, but surrounding wise I couldn't bear to live there four years (let alone through undergrad). Once I complete my associates at my college I'll have a free ride to any state university of my choice through the honors program, but I really couldn't see myself @ NAU or UA so I'm left with ASU. That's why I'm really hoping to get accepted after 2 yrs of pre-reqs so I don't have to continue on with my bachelors.

What schools did you apply to?

Boo ASU!! Sorry have to get that off my chest being that ASU is our rival school and all So wait, where are you now? In Phoenix? Must be nice to have a free ride Congrats on your hard work. Which pharmacy school are you wanting to go to then, since UA is out? OOS? or Midwestern?

I only applied to the U of A and UCSF, I know pretty narrow. But I am fairly confident in my ability to get into the program at the U of A and I didn't want to waste money going out of state unless it is for the best program (which also happens to fit my interests very well).

 

[Zekecb]

LOL I live in Tucson too. Downtown does look like it's falling apart a bit, but it's because everything there is so old. Nevertheless I hope to get into UofA.

 

[nicolemsm]

Boo ASU!! Sorry have to get that off my chest being that ASU is our rival school and all So wait, where are you now? In Phoenix? Must be nice to have a free ride Congrats on your hard work. Which pharmacy school are you wanting to go to then, since UA is out? OOS? or Midwestern?

I only applied to the U of A and UCSF, I know pretty narrow. But I am fairly confident in my ability to get into the program at the U of A and I didn't want to waste money going out of state unless it is for the best program (which also happens to fit my interests very well).

I used to live in Phoenix, but now I live in the east valley and I attend a smaller community college out here. I know ASU sucks but eh, that's why I'm banking on working my butt off now to get in after only 2 years. If push comes to shove I'll have to decide whether I want to go to Tucson (get a grade A education) or ASU (and get a sub par education).

Oooh I hope you get into UCSF. They have a sweet campus. I was looking at pictures on FLICKR and I loved how modern"ish" it looked. I totally understand what you mean about not wasting money and just staying instate, but I figure eh if I can get the loans, why not take advantage of it and full out. I will apply to Midwestern b/c of "hometown" advantage, however I'm really banking on applying OOS. My top three schools would probably be Mercer, UofOklahoma, and Midwestern. But I think I'll apply to Shenandoah, Creighton (Campus program), Midwestern Chicago, Pacific Oregon, LECOM, Sullivan and Lipscomb. I'm ready to move away from the west coast. I've lived here a majority of my life and it's time for a change.

DO NOT GO TO ASU!!!! ASU's president is money driven and more concerned with how many business partners the school can retain. Tuition goes up every year by a considerable percentage. Put it this way: my first year at ASU (2000), my tuition was about 800-900 dollars. By the time I graduated, it had gone up to over 2000K and is now over 3000K. The buildings are old with the exception of the couple of new buildings built in the last few years. There are not enough computers at the computer labs, the dorms are completely disgusting, the people are rude and your class size will easily be over 400 people for general studies. Your labs will be taught by T.A.s, not professors and the professors are usually concerned with their research. Some do not even like to teach. You will have a hard time getting any one-on-one with your profs, especially in the sciences. People in the science classes are really competitive. The girls dress like hookers or show up to school practically in lingerie. ASU also had a serious STD epidemic, just look at the stats. The bathrooms are gross and there are no healthy food choices on campus. The parking completely BLOWS and expect to pay over 200 bucks to park a mile away. You have to PAY for your bus/light rail pass (when I went there, it was free). They have a ridiculous amount of fees tacked on to your tuition. DO NOT GO THERE!

Oh I know ASU is money grubbing. I saw a parking pass for a car was 800 ... for one semester. I was kind of shocked b/c I know the cmapus is huge but you have to pick what lot and it's not like you can park wherever down there. sdk;laskd I can't believe how much tuition is... ESPECIALLY for in-staters. But if I'm not paying for it, I won't care. The only reason I'd be 100% on ASU is because Barrett is a great honors college and their dorms are nice so I'd want to take advantage of that.
ASU's location is prime in my opinion. I love Tempe and its surrounding areas. I like being in Phoenix urban/ Tempe urban. The other reason I'd go to ASU is because it's close to home. Let's say I don't dorm but rather live @ home (if I had to pay for dorming then I wouldn't dorm).... so I'd be living close to school and could commute to campus in 20 or so minutes. If I go to UofA I'd HAVE to dorm and that'd be an added expense (if I had to pay). Plus you have to get a meal plan and stuff.... gahh see this is why I don't want to go to get my bachelors. Way too much to think about. I like going to my dinky community college and it feeling like high school b/c the classes are so small and you don't get lost on campus feeling like a loser. Plus I like how simple everything is... it's all laid out nicely in my "2 yr plan" I have in Excel. Plus I'm not scrounging for more grants/loans/etc to worry about paying for stuff.

Oh ya and about the STD issue with like 25% of students having something... that's why I'd abstain from "messing around" with any of the guys. Plus they're all frat bros... I'm not into guys who wear flip flops and "surfer" shorts or want to be all pierced up and "emo". I'm a good judge of character so I typically avoid these types of dbag std carrying losers ...

 

[twhughe]

I used to live in Phoenix, but now I live in the east valley and I attend a smaller community college out here. I know ASU sucks but eh, that's why I'm banking on working my butt off now to get in after only 2 years. If push comes to shove I'll have to decide whether I want to go to Tucson (get a grade A education) or ASU (and get a sub par education).

Oooh I hope you get into UCSF. They have a sweet campus. I was looking at pictures on FLICKR and I loved how modern"ish" it looked. I totally understand what you mean about not wasting money and just staying instate, but I figure eh if I can get the loans, why not take advantage of it and full out. I will apply to Midwestern b/c of "hometown" advantage, however I'm really banking on applying OOS. My top three schools would probably be Mercer, UofOklahoma, and Midwestern. But I think I'll apply to Shenandoah, Creighton (Campus program), Midwestern Chicago, Pacific Oregon, LECOM, Sullivan and Lipscomb. I'm ready to move away from the west coast. I've lived here a majority of my life and it's time for a change.

Oh I know ASU is money grubbing. I saw a parking pass for a car was 800 ... for one semester. I was kind of shocked b/c I know the cmapus is huge but you have to pick what lot and it's not like you can park wherever down there. sdk;laskd I can't believe how much tuition is... ESPECIALLY for in-staters. But if I'm not paying for it, I won't care. The only reason I'd be 100% on ASU is because Barrett is a great honors college and their dorms are nice so I'd want to take advantage of that.
ASU's location is prime in my opinion. I love Tempe and its surrounding areas. I like being in Phoenix urban/ Tempe urban. The other reason I'd go to ASU is because it's close to home. Let's say I don't dorm but rather live @ home (if I had to pay for dorming then I wouldn't dorm).... so I'd be living close to school and could commute to campus in 20 or so minutes. If I go to UofA I'd HAVE to dorm and that'd be an added expense (if I had to pay). Plus you have to get a meal plan and stuff.... gahh see this is why I don't want to go to get my bachelors. Way too much to think about. I like going to my dinky community college and it feeling like high school b/c the classes are so small and you don't get lost on campus feeling like a loser. Plus I like how simple everything is... it's all laid out nicely in my "2 yr plan" I have in Excel. Plus I'm not scrounging for more grants/loans/etc to worry about paying for stuff.

Oh ya and about the STD issue with like 25% of students having something... that's why I'd abstain from "messing around" with any of the guys. Plus they're all frat bros... I'm not into guys who wear flip flops and "surfer" shorts or want to be all pierced up and "emo". I'm a good judge of character so I typically avoid these types of dbag std carrying losers ...

Considering that I have taken classes at both universities and I am a graduate of one of them I don't understand how ASU is any different from UofA. The fact of the matter is that both schools have some what of a party reputation based on both universities having a lot of California students that are in attendance for nothing more than the college life, or what they believe to be the college life (partying, drinking, and rarely studying).

As far as your education is concerned you will receive the same quality of education at either institution. Obviously, both universities have certain programs they excel in, but I am a believer that you get out of your education what you put into it regardless of the institution. In addition, both schools are inexpensive when it comes to higher education and I'm sorry to bust your bubble but both schools are governed by the Arizona Board of Regents; therefore, they have roughly the same tuition schedule/cost of attendance. The bottom line is go where you feel the most comfortable and keep your undergraduate education cost to a minimum. If the name of the institution really matters to you make an impact with your graduate education.

 

[rxlea]

Twhughe, I know you! I wrote you an e-mail way back when and you did not reply. How are things? Write me an e-mail to give me an update!

 

[Tinkerbell22]

Considering that I have taken classes at both universities and I am a graduate of one of them I don't understand how ASU is any different from UofA. The fact of the matter is that both schools have some what of a party reputation based on both universities having a lot of California students that are in attendance for nothing more than the college life, or what they believe to be the college life (partying, drinking, and rarely studying).

As far as your education is concerned you will receive the same quality of education at either institution. Obviously, both universities have certain programs they excel in, but I am a believer that you get out of your education what you put into it regardless of the institution. In addition, both schools are inexpensive when it comes to higher education and I'm sorry to bust your bubble but both schools are governed by the Arizona Board of Regents; therefore, they have roughly the same tuition schedule/cost of attendance. The bottom line is go where you feel the most comfortable and keep your undergraduate education cost to a minimum. If the name of the institution really matters to you make an impact with your graduate education.

I totally agree. I'm not from Arizona... but the UA/ASU thing reminds me a lot of the UF/FSU thing. UF is highly ranked and prestigious with a pharmacy school... FSU is not ranked and doesn't have a pharmacy school... but I have noticed while one school is generally harder to gain acceptance to and it's filled with a lot of what people consider the 'smart' kids rather than kids who people give the partying reputation to... once you are in college you have a level playing field with everyone else. Anyone can get a great education if they take advantage of what's given to them.

As far as the expenses... that's really not bad for a state school... UF's annual tuition is around $4300 and that's considered affordable here. The parking permit at my school alone (I went to another school) was over 1000 dollars a year. It's considered a priveledge to have your car on campus because of the limited space. I went to a top 50 university and even my labs were taught by TAs... they were awesome and extremely helpful because they didn't have the extra burdens of a full time professor. The dorms were horrible too... but that's part of the experience. I know it sounds corny or whatever... but it's honestly not that bad. These kinds of things are the norm in any medium/large university... it's something that must be dealt with... but I feel prepared having been through it all because I know at a smaller pharmacy school I already know the ropes of sitting in big classes, having busy professors, dealing with lots of fees, etc.

 

[Monalyce]

Just curious to find out if anyone has turned down a school that at one point was their top choice? If after interviewing and touring the school you just decided it wasn't what you thought it would be? Maybe you just got a gut feeling that the school was not a good fit...

Has something like this happened to you, and what was it that finally made you change your mind about a school you once idolized?

Def happened to me...UIC was my top choice for years. I interviewed at UMN in October and loved it so much! I didn't dislike UIC when I interviewed there, but knew I had made my choice when my acceptance from UIC came and I was not excited. Sometimes you just know!

 

[Tinkerbell22]

I also had a top choice in mind back when I was in undergrad, but after visiting and talking to people at the school and gathering information I totally changed my mind. Other schools that I had been considering I loved even more after speaking with admissions counselors, and learning more about the school. Sometimes you have to put aside things like location, etc and really consider the school itself. The place closest to home might not be the best fit for you, and you will be ten times more happier somewhere else.

 

[BellaG4]

Thanks for your replies about your top choices. I guess the whole interview experience really does go both ways, for them to see if you are a fit for them and for you to see if the school is a fit for you. I'm hoping to get that kind of gut feeling about my choice between UA and UCSF (assuming I get in at both, which is a big assumption).

As far as the UA vs. ASU argument goes, they are equivalent in price, and in student population. We have our share of STD infested frat boys and scantily clad sorority girls, but that seems standard. They get pretty easy to ignore after awhile, especially if you are stuck studying as much as I am

Gen Ed classes are generally over 200 people, but in my major (Chemistry) most of the classes get down to 30-40 people when you start upper division courses. It can even get as low as 7 people for a laboratory course. All of my lab teachers have been T.A.'s and they are awesome. Professors don't have time to teach 5-hour long labs...they have more important places to be (ya know curing cancer and all). But this doesn't mean that they are not accessible, office hours can be a life saver!

 

[buckeyebb99]

When I visited Minnesota, I really loved it.
I used to live in MN so it was familiar but not the same as my undergrad experience.

On the flip side, I got accepted to OSU, where I'm doing my undergrad.
It was a really tough choice, that I literally agonized over for a couple weeks.

But I picked OSU because I'm from the Cincinnati area, and if i were to go out of state I would want a change from the Midwestern/Big Ten feel.

In the end I knew I was choosing between two great schools, and I would have been happier either way.