hey everyone! i was recently accepted to both harvard and duke rd… harvard has been my dream school for a while - and while i haven’t received significant scholarships (ive netted around 40-50k which is like half a year at harvard/duke), i was really set on going

however - i found out recently that i received a full ride scholarship at duke

i know the full ride is an absolutely insane opportunity (still don’t know how i got selected) but it’s really hard to get harvard out of my head. plus, i live sorta near duke so i feel like spending another 4 years here might be boring…

does anyone have wisdom regarding this? im worried that the Boston ecosystem is just much more beneficial for my planned career (startup/vc), and that harvard is a once in a lifetime

Hi Everyone! For a bit of context, I am from California and plan on majoring in Mechanical Engineering. To be quite honest, I applied to Harvard on a whim, only because my brother had done the same a couple of years back and was waitlisted, so I only wanted to see if I could get in. To my absolute shock, I was admitted, and now that I'm in, I feel like I'd be throwing away such an amazing opportunity by turning down my offer.

The main reason I am debating not accepting is the distance. Like I said earlier, I'm from California, and I'm also very close to my family, so I might struggle emotionally/mentally quite a bit. Also, 'm not sure if Harvard's engineering program is as good as some of my other options.

As of now, I am deciding between Harvard, UC Berkeley, and UCLA (leaning towards UCLA because I loved the campus when I visited).

I would love to hear what you guys think about this haha

To be honest holistic admissions and LORs and ECs etc. serve as a huge external motivation for me to go beyond school and pursue what I'm interested in. UK, on the other hand, just care about your subject. I have met extremely smart people who do the bare minimum, go on their phones in class, slack off at school because they think they will get into Oxbridge and WILL probably get into oxbridge because of good grades. Is holistic admissions harder? yes. Is it getting more and more out of hand? definitely. but I also wholeheartedly believe that colleges, for the most part, can get a sense of who you are though holistic admissions, and people who simply don't care about school cannot write an essay in a way that is appealing, passionate, and authentic

to add: individual results and frustrations aside, I think holistic admissions builds a far more well-rounded, compassionate cohort on the whole

You could argue that academic admissions is what allows for equality and social mobility, which is true. Holistic admissions just does this less. but I think that the effect of wealth on research opportunities, internships, etc. is not a problem solely in holistic admissions. Instead it is a reflection of inequality on a whole. That doesn't change when we do academic admissions. you could even argue that academic admissions have a greater correlation with wealth due to education quality. colleges are increasingly way more skeptical of pay-to-enter summer programs or even paid research.

But character is something that no money can buy you. And holistic approach to measuring students' achievements can still benefit those in less-privileged positions.

Niche seems to be the only people who get it (#13). I know that Georgetown’s stem programs besides life sciences is basically non existent but it’s so so strong in the social sciences. It has insane outcomes comparable to t10, and one of the highest starting salaries, and also has very high placement into prestigious jobs. They also have increased their endowment by 100% over the past 5 years which is the highest rate of any major private uni besides JHU. Gtown is regarded to have one of the best undergrad experiences and niche obv gets that with their highly undergrad-focused ranking.

Ive almost got rejected by every college as a senior in high school. I feel like every year has been getting harder and harder to get accepted to college and it feels like every college has been record high applicants. I’m pretty middle ground. 3.89 weighted on a 6.0 scale and 3.8 non weighted. Plus 1290 sat score. Have you guys had the same experience? How are the standards so high in the wake of an upheaval of the education system for the worst?

• Able to afford both (essentially a full ride at both with scholarships)

Help me pick because I’m quite indecisive!

• I’m pre-med, like to have a social life, obviously someone who likes learning and I plan on majoring in neuroscience and hope to continue my neuro research at whatever university I go to.

Tysm and share ur feelings.

If we ignore networking while you are at uni, do you feel like the specific name itself is that important once you finish school? Do you think that someone would reject your application because you went to Cornell, but wouldn't if you went to HYPSM for example? I am talking only about T20 unis. I see a lot of people on this subreddit automatically telling others to go to Harvard even when they have acceptances at other prestige universities. I know that it is a thing that you should not take lightly, but there are many factors you should take into account before deciding. Maybe someone would strive more at Brown rather than Princeton, because of the campus culture, location, and the way things work there overall.

I'm 16 F (17 in July) and I'm a bit lost in terms of what I want to study. I currently live in Spain but eventually want to move to Canada.

I'm a Junior and my passion is music. I'd love to work in the music industry whether by songwriting, music production or playing in a band or playing an instrument for shows. I'm currently learning the guitar. I'm still in the beginner beginner phase (know all 8 first chords, and can switch decently. I know like 6 songs). If it were for me, I'd study a music degree because I love music theory and music history.

My parents are hyper conservative and kinda don't want me to pursue "worldly dreams" so I know I don't have their support. So I thought of studying something more stable or financially rewarding to support my dreams later in life. In Spain, the grading system is from 0-10 and my average is 9.4; so I'm not bad in school. University is my gate away to the life I want and I can't find any other passion apart from music.

One of my best traits is being good at learning. I like learning stuff, random stuff. But I hate constraining environments where I have to go to a little box office and stay there till 5/6 pm. My best subjects are physics, philosophy, and maths. I like numbers and history but hate Economy with every inch of my body.. I don't want to be a teacher, I'm bad at explaining stuff. My initial thought was getting into a STEM degree, especially Engineering. I thought of Civil engineering because It's numbers, I feel like I contribute to society and I get to go out to construction sites while working in a team or at home if I desire. I don't like the idea of being 24/7 at home (that's why I'm not a fan of computer science). Architecture was another guess since it includes history, but I don't know if creative enough for it. So structural engineering, I guess? A mix of both? I don't know... I feel like they may be some degrees out there I haven't considered, so any advice is appreciated.

I’ve noticed that a lot of competitive college applicants list “research” as one of their extracurriculars. I’m curious—what actually qualifies as research in this context? Does it have to be something formal, like working as a paid research assistant under a professor? Or is it as simple as doing a science fair project or even paying to be part of a summer research program?

lol why do they put ucla well above berkeley at #20 whereas Berkeley is #42? Who’s in charge 🥀 both schools are great just asking

Hi im a junior graduating in 2026 and im having a tough time picking options for college.

I have decent ecs w/ leadership positions and havent taken the SAT yet, im gonna take it 3 times so hopefully ill get above a 1480(my last score i got was 1130 without studying on the psat but with taking it again in june and then again in august, i think thats a good amount of time to increase my score). My weighted gpa is a 3.6 bc i had an AWFUL freshman year and was taking care of a baby with my mom throughout all of sophmore year, i went from a 3.4 freshmen year to a 4.2 this semester and increasing rigor in my schedule.

i want to major in chemistry and minor in biochemistry/biology/biotech depending on what the college offers. Im doing this so that i could potentially go the premed route, but i mainly want to do some type of lab work/research (which is why i want a lot of research opportunities)

im a black female first gen from MI in a single parent <70k yearly income household

Im looking for safetys/targets/hard targets/reaches.

heres what i look for in a college:

GREAT social life

GREAT chemistry programs/research opportunities

GREAT WEATHER!!

good sports team

GREAT network/alumni network

good prestige

good area around the college

good/great financial aid

good diversity of people (not specifically race but interests and hobbies, etc)

i definitely dont want to go to:

nyu(no campus/fb team and no interest of living in NY)

penn state (heard its a v cliquey and basic college with not a wide variety of people, also heard all the parties/going out is just frats which is something im not interested in)

im rlly interested in:

MSU (saftey and likely to get a lot of aid/honors programs would be great, not a great alumni network tho so ive heard. opportunities to graduate early thru the honors program would be great as well)

UMICH (duh lol)

UCLA (literally the perfect school for me but i dont think im gonna get in lol)

UMIAMI (same as ucla)

stanford( same as ucla LMAO theres a trend here)

tbh all the UCS but dont wanna apply to a safety in california for financial reasons

clemson

upitt

i just want a lot of options for colleges but im afraid im being too picky? but i also dont want to end up somewhere i hate so idfk bruh. list any colleges for any reason, ill give them a look!!!

I've always wondered - the twins I've seen have pretty much the exact same college results. Obviously they have similar ECs and a lot of times grades too, but wouldn't their essays, letters of rec, etc. be completely different? Why do they have such similar results

Is anybody else extremely frustrated with their parents now that we have to choose a college to attend?

I talked to my parents about my top school I got into , a T30, and they were just on my ass. It’s so frustrating having parents who didn’t grow up here.

My dad pulled up the top 10 richest entrepreneurs in history and just listed off the schools they attended, obviously all like ivies and Stanford. It’s crazy cause my dad isn’t usually like this, he just got so egotistical and defensive when I claimed I got into a top school. He said my school isn’t a top school, and the acceptance rates online aren’t accurate.

Is anyone else’s dad like mine? He is so chill until it comes to me being called smart or successful, that’s when he starts getting mad for no reason. The school I got into has a 8% acceptance rate, which my dad claims is false. He said “if the acceptance rate was true, you would be one of the smartest kids in the country. And you are not”. I told him I got a 1530 SAT, would I not be considering one of the smartest in the country? He says “I know hundreds who got a 1600”. It’s so crazy to hear this stuff because my dad is SO CHILL in regards to all other aspects of life. This is the issue with having a engineer dad.

And the whole argument felt so privileged and pointless because tens of thousands of people would kill to have my spot and I’m having trouble even talking to my parents about attending.

I'm a junior in highschool living in utah. I know that I want to live and work in Utah. So I’ve been wondering is it smarter to go to the University of Utah since it’s local, affordable, and has good connections in the area, or should I aim for a more prestigious out-of-state school like IU Kelley, and then move back to Utah after graduating? I would love to hear your advice

I am a junior right now in Florida and am stressing over college. I have a 3.97 unweighted and a 1330 sat (am taking another sat trying to get to 1400) I was a starter on varsity lax but after concussion I am now the manager. Other than that I don’t really do anything at school because I focused on lax for the first 2 years. My top 3 schools are the university of Richmond, Villanova and the University of Dayton. Other schools on my list include; Bentley University Boston College Elon University Fairfield University Fordham University Lehigh University Loyola University Chicago Marquette University North Carolina State University Providence College University of Dayton University of Denver University of Pittsburgh University of Richmond Villanova University

I am super stressed out that I won’t get into any of them after reading subs like this

guys nothing we do right now matters. and that's a good thing.

Hello! I'm an international student from Japan, currently trying to choose between Northwestern and Berkeley. I’m having a really hard time deciding since both are amazing schools, and unfortunately, I probably won’t be able to visit either campus before committing—flights are expensive 😭

For context: I’m planning to major in mechanical engineering, and my long-term goal is to stay in the U.S. for a PhD in robotics. I used to live in the Bay Area during part of high school, so I’m a bit familiar with Berkeley.

Obviously, Berkeley is Berkeley—its engineering program is world-renowned. But I’m a little concerned about grade deflation, limited access to professors, and the difficulty of securing research positions early on due to the sheer size and competitiveness of the school. On the other hand, Northwestern seems like it might offer a more supportive academic environment. The smaller class sizes and more accessible professors might help me maintain a strong GPA and get involved in research earlier.

Cost is not a concern, as I have an external full-ride scholarship.

Here’s a breakdown of the pros and cons I’ve come up with:

Northwestern
✅ Easier to get involved in research early on as an undergrad
✅ Smaller classes and a more tight-knit, collaborative community
✅ Professors seem more accessible and supportive
✅ Quarter system might offer more flexibility to explore different classes
✅ Evanston seems like a great college town—close to Chicago but calmer and safer
✅ Nicer campus and better dorm/living conditions
❌ Not as globally recognized for engineering (especially compared to Berkeley), which could matter if I return to Japan (my backup plan due to visa uncertainty)
❌ Robotics research exists but is more limited than Berkeley’s
❌ Less engineering-focused overall; smaller department and weaker alumni network in tech
❌ Colder weather and a more unfamiliar environment for me

Berkeley
✅ Top-tier reputation in engineering—especially strong in robotics, AI, and mechanical systems
✅ Proximity to Silicon Valley—great access to startups, labs, and internship opportunities
✅ Large number of faculty and research labs doing cutting-edge work
✅ Diverse student body and strong networking potential
✅ Bigger and more engineering-oriented overall, with a larger department and stronger alumni presence in tech
✅ Familiar environment (I used to live in the Bay Area and still have friends nearby)
❌ Very competitive and intense academic culture—worried about getting overwhelmed or lost in the crowd
❌ Housing and safety near campus can be issues (I've heard mixed things)
❌ Harder to access research opportunities early on due to the school's size and competitiveness
❌ Campus safety is a concern, especially at night

I’d really appreciate any insights. Which school do you think better sets someone up for robotics PhD programs?

Thanks so much in advance!

Hi, I got into both these schools and I was wondering what you guys think I should do. Thanks

I got into both CMU CS and UT CS this year. However I am instate for UT Austin while I am out state for CMU. Both a full price and I got no scholarship money from both. CMU costs 90k while UT costs 30K. I am so lost on what to do.

I tried searching how to convert my GPA to a 4.0 scale cuz I kept seeing conflicting answers everytime I did before. I have an average of 16/20 which is "High honors" in exams in the French system. I converted it and its a 3.2 💀 . I was thinking it'd maybe be the equivalent of like 3.7 or 3.8 (obviously not a 4.0) but that's so low I can't cope with that. And a 16 is apparently a B letter grade. There's no hope for me, I genuinely wanna cry.

I got into Oxford and Imperial College London as an international student. I also got into a few top 20’s in the US with a full ride. If I went to Oxford, I would have to take out loans (60k a year). I ended up committing to Brown University in the US reason being I wanted to find a job in the US. But after talking to a few people in the UK, they told me that Oxford would be more employable in the US than Brown and other T20’s. Was it a mistake to turn down Oxford? Would an oxford education justify the extra cost?

Exactly as the title says. I am torn between these two options and UCSD has been my dream school but the amount of aid I got is definitely not near the full ride that I got for CSULB. Help!!!

im going to the US for computer science did u make a mistake by choosing the cheaper option over the more prestigious one . For context the cheaper one is UT Dallas and the prestigious one is UC Irvine

I was admitted into both for neuroscience, and I want to follow pre-med route and go into medical school. Which would be better?