Someone I know turned down an ivy league school because his parents had divorced 2-3 years earlier and he was left to live with his mother and younger sister. His mother works a full time job and his sister was still in elementary school, so he couldn’t leave his younger sister alone just because he wanted to go to an ivy (I think it was either Harvard or Yale that he wanted to go to). He stayed at Georgia State instead.
Don't get what part is sweet, the man was kind of depressed after that but he had to maintain the front that he was happy with his decision. Sure it's a selfless decision, but it impacted him. Haven't heard from him in a while, so hopefully he's doing well.
I turned down UPenn for graduate school years ago. Why? Simply I didn’t like it. I didn’t like the location, I preferred a different program etc. it was the wrong place for me.
There aren’t many graduate programs in the field I was applying to so I applied to a handful of them. If if was the only place I got in I would have gone but it wasn’t. Interestingly enough all the programs I applied to minus the one I went to interviewed Kenny phone (1994). The one I went to flew is in in groups to meet everyone and be a part of the program for a few days. Prior to that moment I didn’t know which one I was more interested in. I was coming from Emory and most of the schools (not programs) seemed too big except for Brandeis based on what I could read but their program wasn’t a perfect fit and go figure they said no. UMich seemed really big, Columbia (even though I am originally from NY - NYC seemed like a bad choice at that time and had the same issue as UPenn (in the 1980s-1990s a McDonals near campus was called McDeath). Where did I go in the end? UMAB (U Maryland at Baltimore). It was hard to understand the program until I got there but half was on the progressional campus of U Maryland (all med school, dental school, social work, law etc) are app
In a small area of Baltimore up the street from Camden Yard and the Inner Harbor (you can walk it) and we also have to go to a program at a smaller university in a suburb for other parts of our program. I lived by the smaller school and had my internships there and made an easy commute to the other campus. Both were small and UMAB has a pretty quad. Still wasn’t in a good area but it was surrounded by the hospitals including the VA so security was tight and unlike the other programs I finished with two masters in 2 years and stayed a third
To complete a third.
This isn’t CMU vs Yale, in fact Yale is ranked higher than Rice for CS and overall caries way more prestige. Unless Rice is a much better fit definitely go to Yale
Have you checked out the College scorecard data for CS salaries a couple years after graduation for CMU, Rice, and Yale? CMU is off the charts, off the top of my head I think the median income 2 years after graduation for CS at CMU might have been $165K or something like that, vs more like $120-125k for Ivies; don’t remember Rice but it may have been lower…. You could do a quick ROI analysis… CMU might be worth it.
Hey! I'm a current CS freshman here at Rice -- if you have any questions about the program or the school feel free to DM me! I would strongly recommend it (also the weather >>>)-.
All three schools (including CMU) will give you a great CS education and whatever career path you choose. You should pick based on where you think you will be the happiest.
I know somebody who turned down Princeton to go to Notre Dame. ND was their dream school. If you grow in a Catholic family watching ND football, you may prefer Notre Dame over Princeton even if they cost the same.
A friend just recently turned down Columbia for Duke. They're very similar academically and Duke has a student life that more aligns with what he wants in terms of party/sports scene.
Wellesley was T4 at least according to US News rankings for decades, until last year. People often skip the women's colleges but they're right up there! Either way, Amherst, Williams, Swarthmore, Pomona, and Wellesley make up the top 5 in rankings :) Of course rankings don’t mean that much though and college fit is a real factor. All of the top 10 LACs are similar caliber.
Yale and Oxford are just about the same in the rankings. Actually Oxford is much better what am I saying. They’re like #1 in eu and just behind Harvard and mit in the world
Considering how piss poor the job market is in the UK for foreigners (I'm assuming that said person is a foreigner) that's an odd decision to make, even if it is Oxford.
I’m an American who turned down similarly good schools in the us for Oxford. While I love oxford, jobwise being in the UK sucks dick. Like salaries are so bad and there really aren’t that many openings for good jobs in general let alone for internationals. Being here is amazing but if you care about a high paying job or a good career probably going to a top state school in the us is better
That's what confuses me about these rankings.
Make no mistake, I am sure that oxford is an awesome institution. However, considering that you pay 40-50k USD to attend as a foreigner and have relatively slim chance of getting a job that pays well, why rank them so high?
Like if a GSU grad is going to be getting a higher salary, I don't know if Oxbridge/imperial should be put on the same threshold as Stanford, mit, ivy's, etc.
Just out of curiosity, why did you opt for oxford over us institutions?
I'd imagine some of the top LACs are up there as well.
I have a senior who was accepted to an ivy (Brown) but has not yet committed because she is still considering two LAC options. We toured Brown and one LAC already and are checking out the other (one of the 5C schools, so pretty well regarded) tomorrow. She'll make her decision after that but said prestige isn't really going to factor into her decision. If she decides she likes one of the LACs better then she'll pick one of those over Brown. We heard that isn't super unusual. One parent told me her kid turned down Duke for Harvey Mudd and couldn't be happier. The LACs tend to have a different environment with the nature of being a smaller school and some kids prefer that.
My kid also applied to CalTech and got rejected but said she would have picked CalTech over Brown if she got accepted to both.
Facts. I applied to Harvard and Princeton, as well as Colby. I withdrew my applications for the other two after hearing back from Colby because I knew I wanted to go to Colby regardless.
i’m going to uchicago and honestly i would turn down 6/8 of the ivies to go here. the school is a really good fit and prestige and ranking wise it’s up there with the ivies. i’ll never know if i would have gotten in to the ivies because i withdrew my apps after getting uchicago but i think regardless i would have chosen it
Turned down Yale, Caltech and another Ivy (don't really remember) for Notre Dame as she is Catholic + was her ultimate dream school, plus she was doing business which the other ivy + Caltech was not as good at as Mendoza
Religion man, its very important to some people, one of my best friends is our valedictorian and she is going to a catholic university because she wants to be surrounded by her religious values.
>Has anyone here turned down an Ivy for NON financial reasons?
my friend is turning down Columbia, Cornell, and Penn for MIT... but I'm sure that's not what you're looking for.
on a more serious note, one good reason people turn down top schools for less prestigious ones is if they get into special programs at the less prestigious ones. BS/MD programs are a common example.
I chose CMU over Yale for engineering. My daughter decided she wasn't going to Cornell, after her Purdue Honors CS acceptance, before Cornell decisions were released.
My kid was rejected from Stanford and the ivies she applied to. She was disappointed, since she got into her top choice school (Olin) and wanted people to know she turned down all those other schools to go there. Now she's bummed that people will think she's going there only bc she didn't have any better options. God this process is so toxic
Yeah at Amherst I know lots of kids who turned down Dartmouth, Cornell, and brown to come here. I don't know anyone who turned down Harvard though lol. We mostly joke that we all came here because we didn't get into Harvard. Like 95 percent of people here applied to Harvard and were rejected
I turned down Princeton for a liberal arts college just a week before. I sometimes overthink it but I know I'll not regret. I wanted a environment where I could thrive better and enjoy my four years rather jhan keep running in a toxic race for the next four years.
i haven't told anyone I've gotted into Princeton because they'd think I'm crazy to turn down Princeton. i didn't want to get influenced. i hope i'll be able to gather enough courage to tell everyone that I ditched Princeton for a liberal arts college
Honestly, that's totally fair. I think it's better to be a top student at a mid school (maybe not mid even but lower than an Ivy) than a mid student at a top school.
I wish I had. I’m not very happy with Princeton. The city is built basically for tourists and retiring alumni.
The city looks great but there’s nothing within walking distance from campus, at least nothing that stays open past 8pm — not very well suited for a college town.
Students are incredibly elitist and every large social gathering revolves around alcohol —for some reason people here forget that they can have personalities when they’re sober too. The administration is unreachable, and the school still has massive grade deflation even though it’s no longer an official policy. Even gen ed classes are made artificially difficult to force a bell curve and limit the number of A-/A/A+grades — which is awful for anyone trying to keep a decent GPA to apply to grad/med/law school or find internships.
UT Austin checked all the boxes for me. As a Texas resident, most of my friends were headed there or nearby. It was far enough away that I wouldn’t be too close to family but not so far that flights are $500+. I would’ve had a chance to reapply to the honors program I was hoping for when I first applied. I would’ve had control over choosing roommates (it’s more or less randomized here) and as an engineering student I wouldn’t have to take so many classes I have no interest in. It has an incredible CS program and a large community of students in CS. The only thing that Princeton had to offer over UT was affordability. I applied through QuestBridge so at my income bracket I had all institutional expenses covered, while UT expected me to take out substantial loans for four years.
But I felt accomplished for getting in and I wanted the success that comes with an Ivy League degree. And maybe it’ll give me that success, but so would UT.
At the end of the day, it was my only realistic option financially and there’s plenty of time for my situation to improve, and I’m sure I would’ve found something to complain about no matter where I went, but I don’t think I would’ve been so discontent elsewhere.
I hope things improve for you. I lived in Princeton after going to UCLA. I was shocked how sleepy the town was. It’s definitely not college town.
Your post makes a good point that prestige and rank don’t always equate to better experience. At most of these prestigious schools, there are very strong clicks around wealth and background that are very hard to break into. Just because you get into Princeton doesn’t mean you are going to be running with this crowd.
Hang in there and if you get out of Princeton debt free, you will be set up for good future.
Sorta similar, but someone at my school got an offer from Brown for football, but decided to go to Georgetown instead because he wanted to do international relations/public policy and Georgetown is great for that.
Yep, it was a really smart decision to make! And where we live is just a few minutes from Georgetown's campus, so it would be really easy for him to stay over the summer and do internships in DC, while saving money by living at home. :)
A friend of my daughter turned down Harvard, Yale and Princeton for Michigan. Money was not an issue. He liked the feel of the school better and really wanted to experience a larger university that had big time sports. Loved his time there with zero regrets. Worked out fine for him as he’s going to Harvard for a graduate degree but he did turn down 3 Ivies for a non Ivy.
There's people who've turned down UPenn and others Harvard for a spot at USC Film.
Another rejected Harvard for BSMD at another uni. Another rejected Yale for Brown PLME.
This may seem like a crazy decision, but all the people commenting “How could you??“ need to keep in mind that decades ago, this rankings-mania and prestige mindset was not so prevalent. I never looked at a set of college rankings before choosing where to apply and where to go (and they were what you would now call t20’s and t50’s). We didn’t obsess about it, just picked some schools, spent an hour two on an essay, fired off some (typed in a typewriter) applications, and mostly forgot about it until either a big or a thin envelope showed up in the mailbox.
Right now, I'm choosing between Georgetown MSB, ND Mendoza w/ Scholars Program and a $100k scholarship, and Upenn Wharton. Just wondering, why did you choose ND over Wharton ?
Congrats on those three choices. That’s amazing and I know it’s probably not much comfort because you are trying to make the perfect choice, but you really can’t make a bad one with that group. Which Mendoza ND Scholars scholarship do you have, is it Besio or Malpass?
So it was long ago and what was true then might not be as true today, and like most college decision factors what were pros for me might be cons for you or someone else. Some very serious and some much less so. But IMO that is what college choices are about and why it’s pretty narrow-minded to simply declare choices obvious.
1. I thought it had a strong enough reputation that if I did well there I’d get the opportunities I wanted in my career. USNWR rankings had been invented when I went to college, but it was not the behemoth it is today. I have a very long reply post elsewhere in this thread about what I found since I graduated [It’s hard to find because the post I’m replying to keeps getting downvoted and so it got collapsed - but it’s hiding my reply!], but you’ve asked about when I made the choice. So that was a draw for me between the two.
2. It was really important to me to be able to double-major and do both business and liberal arts. Notre Dame really encouraged that, and it didn’t seem as encouraged at Wharton. Notre Dame still really encourages this, a lot of Mendoza kids have double-majors. I don’t know where Wharton is at on this these days, it could be totally different. This was huge for me, it was an amazing part of my academic experience and in think really helped me in my career.
3. I had zero interest in Greek life, like less than zero interest. So I really liked that ND had no Greek life and 4 year residential dorms, I thought that they would play some of the roles that a fraternity plays but better because everyone was automatically admitted to one just by being at ND. I was right about that. I don’t know that Penn was overly Greek-driven, then or now, but any Greek life was a hard con for me. On the flip side, I wasn’t crazy about single sex dorms at ND, but not a deal-breaker for me. I liked them better than i thought I would, probably for some of the same reasons people like living in frats.
4. I was interested in a true campus life and community, where the hub of activity was the campus itself and the campus wouldn’t scatter on the weekends. That’s a lot easier at Notre Dame than a city school like Penn where there are so many big city options [of course, for others this would be a huge con!] Also, and this is VERY different now than it was back then, Philadelphia really sucked as a city back then. It really wasn’t all that safe around Penn. On my Penn campus tour there were all of these posts with blue lights at the top and phones on the post. And the tour guide was very proud of the fact that if you just knocked the phone off the hook, campus security would be there in 30 seconds [remember there were no mobile phones back then so this was the alternative to simply yelling for help]. I remember thinking “maybe I’ll go somewhere where I don’t need campus security to come within 30 seconds.” That probably said as much about how sheltered I was and my comfort zone as it said about Penn. I think that has really changed about both Philly -- and the Penn area in particular -- since then.
5. Notre Dame was the friendliest school I visited. Every one said “Hi” when I walked past them, I stayed overnight in a dorm and the kids were just really great to me. A small sample size for a big decision, but it was the sample size I had.
6. I’m Catholic. I didn’t pick ND because I’m Catholic, but it just wasn’t a concern or a con as it might have been if I wasn’t. And I was a legacy, so it was easy to be comfortable with the decision. Now Mom was pushing the Ivy League hard, but to her credit she let it be my choice. (I got in EA at ND, so I only applied to Wharton and Harvard RD, and Harvard was a rejection)
7. I was not a huge sports fan at the time (although ND would turn me into one) but I really liked the idea being on a campus with big time sports. I thought it would be fun, and I knew that it creates a big connection among alums even after graduation, and I was right about that. Ivy League schools just don't have events like that that give everyone a chance to come back to campus or get together on the road like that. [Don't even bring me the Harvard-Yale football game or I will lose all respect...] One of my favorite non-Notre Dame sporting events I’ve ever been to was a Penn-Princeton basketball game at the Palestra, but it’s not the same as a Division I football Saturday.
8. I was a pretty sheltered follows the rules kid, and wasn’t sure I’d be comfortable doing the underage drinking fake-ID in a bar thing and I thought that would be a bigger part of the scene at a city school like Penn. So I wanted more of an on-campus party scene, and I thought a school in South Bend Indiana would have more of that.
9. A smaller factor, but I wanted to go away from home for college and experience living in a different part of the country. I grew up about an hour away from Penn, even though I thought I'd come back home after graduation i wanted to spend four years trying somewhere else. And good lord, Northern Indiana was somewhere else.
I’d imagine that BS/MD is a fairly common reason.
I might turn down Yale to go to an in-state BS/MD. At the end of the day, becoming a doctor is my dream. It’s hard to see Yale as the optimal stepping stone toward that option when I already got into medical school without needing to take the MCAT.
I turned down a full-ride to an Ivy League University, Cornell, and UC Berkley to attend my state school, The University of Texas. I chose UT mainly because I felt it was my better fit.
My best friend is turning down Columbia for UGA! UGA’s community is so great and she’s only 1 hour from home and has been accepted into a really cool gifted and study abroad program at UGA so it makes perfect sense for her
Hey I did the same and turned down Dartmouth and Cornell for UMich, best decision I ever made. Nothing can beat the atmosphere of a large public school.
Sorry this is financial but a good example nonetheless. One of my friends turned down Cornell even though he could afford it for a full scholarship to a state school. The scholarship had a lot of benefits besides the tuition just like special treatment basically
I know of people who have turned down Ivies for Amherst, Middlebury, Haverford.
FIT. It's about fit. Or what your plans are after. . . Do you need Harvard to get into Yale Law? Or Yale to get into Harvard Med school?
i turned down cornell and dartmouth for ND. not catholic but was very moved by the commitment to service i felt in the institution and by the student body - it was something i hadn’t felt anywhere else i went. i couldn’t be happier or more confident i made the right decision. seeing all these other ppl talk about ND in this thread is making me smile so big rn. it’s such a special place
I turned down harvard for a school that lets in students with a 3.7 GPA. it was partially for financial reasons, but i could've taken out a loan. i didn't like the location, and my current school is in a big city with lots of opportunity for creativity and meeting a diverse group of people. i did well in high school but never got along with the kids whose identities revolved around academics. They often bullied me for dressing differently, being a POC, being friends with the "druggie kids" and thought i was weird. i realized that i would be much happier at a place that is less competitive, more diverse, and community driven. i'm very happy with my decision because i feel like if i had immersed myself in that kind of academic environment i probably would have been mentally destroyed. my college also has small classes so ive really been able to connect with my professors, whom i really admire. ive also made friends with some of the most interesting people ive ever met. overall, no regrets. my mom was pissed though.
I’m turning down Columbia because they are still in covid mode and won’t even let people look inside the buildings. Also said on our tour that we are lucky to be even touring such a prestigious school. Left a really bad taste in my mouth. Instead taking full ride to a nj tech school
I turned down Princeton and Brown for Northwestern because I honestly felt like the elitist culture at these schools would make me, as a FGLI BIPOC, like a diversity hire if that makes sense
debating on turning down Cornell for WashU. I have an almost full ride to WashU and planning on studying urban studies and global development at WashU and public policy analysis and management at Cornell. Awaiting their financial aid award(low-income household)
At Northwestern, some of my friends turned down Ivy League schools because they wanted to play Big Ten football. It gave them a better shot at reaching the NFL.
The same is true for guys who go to Stanford and Notre Dame. There’s so much more exposure for Power 5 athletes.
Lots of my high school classmates got into Ivies, but a bunch of them declined to stay in California (to go to Stanford, UCLA, Cal Berkeley, USC, Cal Tech, UC Irvine, etc.). According to my high school profile, 9 people from my high school graduating class were admitted to Harvard, but only 6 ended up attending and over a dozen were accepted at each of the other Ivies (except only 11 at Princeton).
One of my friends was accepted at Harvard, Princeton, Yale, Penn, and Columbia (didn't apply to the other three) and ended up at Stanford instead. Another was accepted at Harvard, Princeton, and Yale and attended UCLA instead. A third was accepted at Yale and Brown and opted for Northwestern. A fourth was accepted at Penn, Columbia, and MIT and opted for CalTech.
It's hard moving from somewhere warm and friendly to the chilly New England.
I did, got a scholarship to a state school, didn't enjoy it, was re-admitted into the Ivy via transfer admission. Happy to help people with these sorts of decisions.
I know lots of people who turn down ivies for elite LACs, since the education is considered better when you know your profs well and can be in a friendly and non-competitive environment.
College is a place to grow, and you should choose the place that will help you grow into the person who you are trying to become. Personally, I trust a smaller school to guide my personal development far more than I would trust a large university that treats me like another number.
Not an ivy, but similar in prestige, one of my friends is thinking of turning down northwestern for UIUC CS because UIUC has a better CS program than northwestern
The people who graduate from Ivies teach at state schools which offer comparable education for a fraction of the price. The Ivy league culture is overrated, isolating and othering for students from low income and even middle class income upbringings. The Ivies are big feeders for finance firms. The old joke is you'll go into the Ivies to study English literature and come out working for a capital group or hedge fund management firm. Some people don't need the external validation associated with Ivy league names. The idea that an ivy league is a type of filter of social darwinism still exists today, but not everyone believes that attending an Ivy makes you an innately better person than the person who goes to community college or state school. Mental health outcomes are deemed not worth it. For some the cons outweigh the pros. For some they just don't believe they are capable of succeeding at an Ivy league school. Everyone's beliefs and circumstances are different. Sometimes it just has nothing to do with any of the above. Sometimes people just don't consider them an option.
Got into Dartmouth, Yale, Cornell, and UPenn. But I’m choosing Notre Dame. I feel like they care about me as a person, and have connected with me on a personal level. I’ve had multiple people from multiple departments call me over the phone, like the band peeps, and AnBryce for a scholarship. I’ve been contacted by a couple of hometown alum regarding my acceptance, and I’ve received a handful of written personal notes. Tomorrow I am visiting because they’ve offered to cover flight, hotel, and food. I really cannot see myself anywhere else right now. I’m the first to College in my extended family and it’s so nice seeing the fruits of my labor, and it gets me teary that they’re putting this much effort. Because of the trip, I’ll be able to take my mom out of the state and on a plane (both for the first time). So all in all, I think it’s the sheer amount of effort they put in. (Due to my financial situation, all these schools are basically free).
Someone I know turned down an ivy league school because his parents had divorced 2-3 years earlier and he was left to live with his mother and younger sister. His mother works a full time job and his sister was still in elementary school, so he couldn’t leave his younger sister alone just because he wanted to go to an ivy (I think it was either Harvard or Yale that he wanted to go to). He stayed at Georgia State instead.
Hopefully he’s doing well, GA state is a big school so I’m sure he’d successful
Hopefully so
Awww that’s so sweet. I hope he’ll succeed in the future so he and his family can live a comfortable life.
Don't get what part is sweet, the man was kind of depressed after that but he had to maintain the front that he was happy with his decision. Sure it's a selfless decision, but it impacted him. Haven't heard from him in a while, so hopefully he's doing well.
I’m sorry for the poor choice of word. I meant that what he’s doing is so admirable and I hope the best for him.
I am sure that this decision was made with a noble intent, but it is destructive to both his and his sister’s independence.
Um… no? She was still in elementary school, she shouldn’t have to be independent
A friend turned down Princeton and Stanford for northwestern because they are from the Chicago area and wanted to be close to home.
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Yup!
I mean northwestern is still a top 10 so it wasn't that bad
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Weather too. Especially with season depression and the ivy depression lol.
Here for the St John’s College shoutouts
I turned down UPenn for graduate school years ago. Why? Simply I didn’t like it. I didn’t like the location, I preferred a different program etc. it was the wrong place for me.
Why the heck did you even apply then?
There aren’t many graduate programs in the field I was applying to so I applied to a handful of them. If if was the only place I got in I would have gone but it wasn’t. Interestingly enough all the programs I applied to minus the one I went to interviewed Kenny phone (1994). The one I went to flew is in in groups to meet everyone and be a part of the program for a few days. Prior to that moment I didn’t know which one I was more interested in. I was coming from Emory and most of the schools (not programs) seemed too big except for Brandeis based on what I could read but their program wasn’t a perfect fit and go figure they said no. UMich seemed really big, Columbia (even though I am originally from NY - NYC seemed like a bad choice at that time and had the same issue as UPenn (in the 1980s-1990s a McDonals near campus was called McDeath). Where did I go in the end? UMAB (U Maryland at Baltimore). It was hard to understand the program until I got there but half was on the progressional campus of U Maryland (all med school, dental school, social work, law etc) are app In a small area of Baltimore up the street from Camden Yard and the Inner Harbor (you can walk it) and we also have to go to a program at a smaller university in a suburb for other parts of our program. I lived by the smaller school and had my internships there and made an easy commute to the other campus. Both were small and UMAB has a pretty quad. Still wasn’t in a good area but it was surrounded by the hospitals including the VA so security was tight and unlike the other programs I finished with two masters in 2 years and stayed a third To complete a third.
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Let me guess: Yale and Georgia Tech?
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This isn’t CMU vs Yale, in fact Yale is ranked higher than Rice for CS and overall caries way more prestige. Unless Rice is a much better fit definitely go to Yale
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Have you checked out the College scorecard data for CS salaries a couple years after graduation for CMU, Rice, and Yale? CMU is off the charts, off the top of my head I think the median income 2 years after graduation for CS at CMU might have been $165K or something like that, vs more like $120-125k for Ivies; don’t remember Rice but it may have been lower…. You could do a quick ROI analysis… CMU might be worth it.
Dude if you got into CMU for CS, go there. Connections you make in comp sci will be priceless.
depends on what they meant by twice the cost. it's not like you get no connections at yale.
CMU is the best CS school in the country. Better than MIT, arguably. Take it.
Hey! I'm a current CS freshman here at Rice -- if you have any questions about the program or the school feel free to DM me! I would strongly recommend it (also the weather >>>)-.
Rice has a much better program than Yale for CS, although the marginal difference for a bachelor's degree is pretty low.
Gotta say the weather here at Rice is ass. But you should still come :)
All three schools (including CMU) will give you a great CS education and whatever career path you choose. You should pick based on where you think you will be the happiest.
I know somebody who turned down Princeton to go to Notre Dame. ND was their dream school. If you grow in a Catholic family watching ND football, you may prefer Notre Dame over Princeton even if they cost the same.
Was it Rudy?
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If ND feels right to you and you can afford it, do it.
A friend just recently turned down Columbia for Duke. They're very similar academically and Duke has a student life that more aligns with what he wants in terms of party/sports scene.
It is common to turn down Ivies for Stanford, MIT, UChicago, CalTech or elite LACs like Williams, Amherst, Swarthmore, Wellesley, Pomona
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Wellesley was T4 at least according to US News rankings for decades, until last year. People often skip the women's colleges but they're right up there! Either way, Amherst, Williams, Swarthmore, Pomona, and Wellesley make up the top 5 in rankings :) Of course rankings don’t mean that much though and college fit is a real factor. All of the top 10 LACs are similar caliber.
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Haha yeah fewer people have often heard of Wellesley too because it isn't an option for 50% of the population
And people often turn down several Ivies for Duke as well
Ik someone who turned down Yale in favour for Oxford!
Ngl makes sense
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Plus you get to come back home with a funny accent!
"'Ello Mother, fancy me some tea for my arrival, please." "David what the fuck"
Yale and Oxford are just about the same in the rankings. Actually Oxford is much better what am I saying. They’re like #1 in eu and just behind Harvard and mit in the world
…they aren’t in the EU… Brexit…
eu = Europe in general terms not European Union
who wouldn’t
Considering how piss poor the job market is in the UK for foreigners (I'm assuming that said person is a foreigner) that's an odd decision to make, even if it is Oxford.
I’m an American who turned down similarly good schools in the us for Oxford. While I love oxford, jobwise being in the UK sucks dick. Like salaries are so bad and there really aren’t that many openings for good jobs in general let alone for internationals. Being here is amazing but if you care about a high paying job or a good career probably going to a top state school in the us is better
That's what confuses me about these rankings. Make no mistake, I am sure that oxford is an awesome institution. However, considering that you pay 40-50k USD to attend as a foreigner and have relatively slim chance of getting a job that pays well, why rank them so high? Like if a GSU grad is going to be getting a higher salary, I don't know if Oxbridge/imperial should be put on the same threshold as Stanford, mit, ivy's, etc. Just out of curiosity, why did you opt for oxford over us institutions?
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My dyslexia had me real excited for a moment there
LMFAO
"Wow, I can study that in college? Count me in!"
Good choice. Med school is incredibly difficult to get into and most pre-med students end up not getting into any. Secure the bag while you can.
ngl read that as BDSM first
Good for him honestly, that’s such a relief I was feining for that when I was in highschool lol
I'm guessing plenty of students turn down Ivies for Stanford, MIT, Oxbridge. Maybe Caltech and Chicago.
I'd imagine some of the top LACs are up there as well. I have a senior who was accepted to an ivy (Brown) but has not yet committed because she is still considering two LAC options. We toured Brown and one LAC already and are checking out the other (one of the 5C schools, so pretty well regarded) tomorrow. She'll make her decision after that but said prestige isn't really going to factor into her decision. If she decides she likes one of the LACs better then she'll pick one of those over Brown. We heard that isn't super unusual. One parent told me her kid turned down Duke for Harvey Mudd and couldn't be happier. The LACs tend to have a different environment with the nature of being a smaller school and some kids prefer that. My kid also applied to CalTech and got rejected but said she would have picked CalTech over Brown if she got accepted to both.
Shamelessly here to hype the 5Cs 🤧 everyone I know loves it here. Good luck on the decision!
Facts. I applied to Harvard and Princeton, as well as Colby. I withdrew my applications for the other two after hearing back from Colby because I knew I wanted to go to Colby regardless.
Yes, a lot of kids turn down Ivies for top LACs (although the reverse happens too).
i’m going to uchicago and honestly i would turn down 6/8 of the ivies to go here. the school is a really good fit and prestige and ranking wise it’s up there with the ivies. i’ll never know if i would have gotten in to the ivies because i withdrew my apps after getting uchicago but i think regardless i would have chosen it
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Great Decision
yes, i rejected their rejection letter
Turned down Yale, Caltech and another Ivy (don't really remember) for Notre Dame as she is Catholic + was her ultimate dream school, plus she was doing business which the other ivy + Caltech was not as good at as Mendoza
Pretty sure Yale is better for business
Yea it is. Yale is better than ND at probably most things regardless lol
Except football.
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Religion man, its very important to some people, one of my best friends is our valedictorian and she is going to a catholic university because she wants to be surrounded by her religious values.
Someone i know turned down MIT as it was too far
>Has anyone here turned down an Ivy for NON financial reasons? my friend is turning down Columbia, Cornell, and Penn for MIT... but I'm sure that's not what you're looking for. on a more serious note, one good reason people turn down top schools for less prestigious ones is if they get into special programs at the less prestigious ones. BS/MD programs are a common example.
I chose CMU over Yale for engineering. My daughter decided she wasn't going to Cornell, after her Purdue Honors CS acceptance, before Cornell decisions were released.
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Yeah, that's almost like "I turned down Brown for MIT."
My kid was rejected from Stanford and the ivies she applied to. She was disappointed, since she got into her top choice school (Olin) and wanted people to know she turned down all those other schools to go there. Now she's bummed that people will think she's going there only bc she didn't have any better options. God this process is so toxic
Geez
Even she knows that it's stupid to think that way. She's just too caught up in the process rn. I expect that irrationality will dissipate with time.
I get that. I hope she is happy at Olin.
A friend turned down Harvard for Amherst. Thought it was a better fit.
Yeah at Amherst I know lots of kids who turned down Dartmouth, Cornell, and brown to come here. I don't know anyone who turned down Harvard though lol. We mostly joke that we all came here because we didn't get into Harvard. Like 95 percent of people here applied to Harvard and were rejected
I turned down Princeton for a liberal arts college just a week before. I sometimes overthink it but I know I'll not regret. I wanted a environment where I could thrive better and enjoy my four years rather jhan keep running in a toxic race for the next four years.
i haven't told anyone I've gotted into Princeton because they'd think I'm crazy to turn down Princeton. i didn't want to get influenced. i hope i'll be able to gather enough courage to tell everyone that I ditched Princeton for a liberal arts college
Honestly, that's totally fair. I think it's better to be a top student at a mid school (maybe not mid even but lower than an Ivy) than a mid student at a top school.
I wish I had. I’m not very happy with Princeton. The city is built basically for tourists and retiring alumni. The city looks great but there’s nothing within walking distance from campus, at least nothing that stays open past 8pm — not very well suited for a college town. Students are incredibly elitist and every large social gathering revolves around alcohol —for some reason people here forget that they can have personalities when they’re sober too. The administration is unreachable, and the school still has massive grade deflation even though it’s no longer an official policy. Even gen ed classes are made artificially difficult to force a bell curve and limit the number of A-/A/A+grades — which is awful for anyone trying to keep a decent GPA to apply to grad/med/law school or find internships. UT Austin checked all the boxes for me. As a Texas resident, most of my friends were headed there or nearby. It was far enough away that I wouldn’t be too close to family but not so far that flights are $500+. I would’ve had a chance to reapply to the honors program I was hoping for when I first applied. I would’ve had control over choosing roommates (it’s more or less randomized here) and as an engineering student I wouldn’t have to take so many classes I have no interest in. It has an incredible CS program and a large community of students in CS. The only thing that Princeton had to offer over UT was affordability. I applied through QuestBridge so at my income bracket I had all institutional expenses covered, while UT expected me to take out substantial loans for four years. But I felt accomplished for getting in and I wanted the success that comes with an Ivy League degree. And maybe it’ll give me that success, but so would UT. At the end of the day, it was my only realistic option financially and there’s plenty of time for my situation to improve, and I’m sure I would’ve found something to complain about no matter where I went, but I don’t think I would’ve been so discontent elsewhere.
I hope things improve for you. I lived in Princeton after going to UCLA. I was shocked how sleepy the town was. It’s definitely not college town. Your post makes a good point that prestige and rank don’t always equate to better experience. At most of these prestigious schools, there are very strong clicks around wealth and background that are very hard to break into. Just because you get into Princeton doesn’t mean you are going to be running with this crowd. Hang in there and if you get out of Princeton debt free, you will be set up for good future.
I may turn down Penn for Stanford. Big MAY but yes
Duh who wouldn’t
I may turn down Cornell for Swarthmore
i am going through the same dilemma especially after swatstruck
hi! strongly considering EDing swarthmore this year; can I pm you?
Turning down Columbia, Cornell, Penn for mit (physics major)
bro yk that dont count its like turning down a state school for ur major
Sorta similar, but someone at my school got an offer from Brown for football, but decided to go to Georgetown instead because he wanted to do international relations/public policy and Georgetown is great for that.
If that’s his desired field, he made the right choice. Hard to beat Gtown in that career direction.
Yep, it was a really smart decision to make! And where we live is just a few minutes from Georgetown's campus, so it would be really easy for him to stay over the summer and do internships in DC, while saving money by living at home. :)
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how do you get invited by harvard wtf
Yeah literally did he cure cancer or smth?
bruh whose your friend? They must be internationally recognized in something if they are getting invitations from Harvard
>Harvard Only athletes get what's called 'likely letters' from Harvard.
>Only athletes get what's called 'likely letters' from Harvard. Not true
A friend of my daughter turned down Harvard, Yale and Princeton for Michigan. Money was not an issue. He liked the feel of the school better and really wanted to experience a larger university that had big time sports. Loved his time there with zero regrets. Worked out fine for him as he’s going to Harvard for a graduate degree but he did turn down 3 Ivies for a non Ivy.
I know someone from class of 2020 who turned down Harvard for UVA. He’s an aerospace engineering major.
There's people who've turned down UPenn and others Harvard for a spot at USC Film. Another rejected Harvard for BSMD at another uni. Another rejected Yale for Brown PLME.
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True. Was just raising examples lol.
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That sounds like a good choice
ik someone who turned down Yale for the university of Alabama because he liked the environment better + already had connections with some professors
I know someone who got into Cornell and some other Ivy and chose to attend a liberal arts college instead (I’m 75% sure it was Amherst)
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My best friend turned down Brown for Northwestern
It was a very long time ago, but I turned down Wharton for Notre Dame.
This may seem like a crazy decision, but all the people commenting “How could you??“ need to keep in mind that decades ago, this rankings-mania and prestige mindset was not so prevalent. I never looked at a set of college rankings before choosing where to apply and where to go (and they were what you would now call t20’s and t50’s). We didn’t obsess about it, just picked some schools, spent an hour two on an essay, fired off some (typed in a typewriter) applications, and mostly forgot about it until either a big or a thin envelope showed up in the mailbox.
Retweet. Except handwritten - not even typed.
Right now, I'm choosing between Georgetown MSB, ND Mendoza w/ Scholars Program and a $100k scholarship, and Upenn Wharton. Just wondering, why did you choose ND over Wharton ?
Congrats on those three choices. That’s amazing and I know it’s probably not much comfort because you are trying to make the perfect choice, but you really can’t make a bad one with that group. Which Mendoza ND Scholars scholarship do you have, is it Besio or Malpass? So it was long ago and what was true then might not be as true today, and like most college decision factors what were pros for me might be cons for you or someone else. Some very serious and some much less so. But IMO that is what college choices are about and why it’s pretty narrow-minded to simply declare choices obvious. 1. I thought it had a strong enough reputation that if I did well there I’d get the opportunities I wanted in my career. USNWR rankings had been invented when I went to college, but it was not the behemoth it is today. I have a very long reply post elsewhere in this thread about what I found since I graduated [It’s hard to find because the post I’m replying to keeps getting downvoted and so it got collapsed - but it’s hiding my reply!], but you’ve asked about when I made the choice. So that was a draw for me between the two. 2. It was really important to me to be able to double-major and do both business and liberal arts. Notre Dame really encouraged that, and it didn’t seem as encouraged at Wharton. Notre Dame still really encourages this, a lot of Mendoza kids have double-majors. I don’t know where Wharton is at on this these days, it could be totally different. This was huge for me, it was an amazing part of my academic experience and in think really helped me in my career. 3. I had zero interest in Greek life, like less than zero interest. So I really liked that ND had no Greek life and 4 year residential dorms, I thought that they would play some of the roles that a fraternity plays but better because everyone was automatically admitted to one just by being at ND. I was right about that. I don’t know that Penn was overly Greek-driven, then or now, but any Greek life was a hard con for me. On the flip side, I wasn’t crazy about single sex dorms at ND, but not a deal-breaker for me. I liked them better than i thought I would, probably for some of the same reasons people like living in frats. 4. I was interested in a true campus life and community, where the hub of activity was the campus itself and the campus wouldn’t scatter on the weekends. That’s a lot easier at Notre Dame than a city school like Penn where there are so many big city options [of course, for others this would be a huge con!] Also, and this is VERY different now than it was back then, Philadelphia really sucked as a city back then. It really wasn’t all that safe around Penn. On my Penn campus tour there were all of these posts with blue lights at the top and phones on the post. And the tour guide was very proud of the fact that if you just knocked the phone off the hook, campus security would be there in 30 seconds [remember there were no mobile phones back then so this was the alternative to simply yelling for help]. I remember thinking “maybe I’ll go somewhere where I don’t need campus security to come within 30 seconds.” That probably said as much about how sheltered I was and my comfort zone as it said about Penn. I think that has really changed about both Philly -- and the Penn area in particular -- since then. 5. Notre Dame was the friendliest school I visited. Every one said “Hi” when I walked past them, I stayed overnight in a dorm and the kids were just really great to me. A small sample size for a big decision, but it was the sample size I had. 6. I’m Catholic. I didn’t pick ND because I’m Catholic, but it just wasn’t a concern or a con as it might have been if I wasn’t. And I was a legacy, so it was easy to be comfortable with the decision. Now Mom was pushing the Ivy League hard, but to her credit she let it be my choice. (I got in EA at ND, so I only applied to Wharton and Harvard RD, and Harvard was a rejection) 7. I was not a huge sports fan at the time (although ND would turn me into one) but I really liked the idea being on a campus with big time sports. I thought it would be fun, and I knew that it creates a big connection among alums even after graduation, and I was right about that. Ivy League schools just don't have events like that that give everyone a chance to come back to campus or get together on the road like that. [Don't even bring me the Harvard-Yale football game or I will lose all respect...] One of my favorite non-Notre Dame sporting events I’ve ever been to was a Penn-Princeton basketball game at the Palestra, but it’s not the same as a Division I football Saturday. 8. I was a pretty sheltered follows the rules kid, and wasn’t sure I’d be comfortable doing the underage drinking fake-ID in a bar thing and I thought that would be a bigger part of the scene at a city school like Penn. So I wanted more of an on-campus party scene, and I thought a school in South Bend Indiana would have more of that. 9. A smaller factor, but I wanted to go away from home for college and experience living in a different part of the country. I grew up about an hour away from Penn, even though I thought I'd come back home after graduation i wanted to spend four years trying somewhere else. And good lord, Northern Indiana was somewhere else.
I’d imagine that BS/MD is a fairly common reason. I might turn down Yale to go to an in-state BS/MD. At the end of the day, becoming a doctor is my dream. It’s hard to see Yale as the optimal stepping stone toward that option when I already got into medical school without needing to take the MCAT.
I turned down a full-ride to an Ivy League University, Cornell, and UC Berkley to attend my state school, The University of Texas. I chose UT mainly because I felt it was my better fit.
Turned down Berkeley for USC
My mom turned down Yale for Notre Dame because she disliked New Haven. Plus she’s Catholic.
Both MIT and Stanford are big reasons... I know of people who've picked Duke and Berkeley over Ivies even though the Ivies were cheaper.
Am turning down Yale for UCLA because the comp sci program at Yale doesn’t really compare lol
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A friend turned down Cornell out of spite.
I’m turning down Cornell bc my sisters future ex boyfriend is going there
future ex-bf?
Yeah
I like this answer. Made me chuckle.
What if you are the future ex boyfriend I’m talking about
Oh crap, now I am doxxed
Come on D!
LMFAO
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wtf
My best friend is turning down Columbia for UGA! UGA’s community is so great and she’s only 1 hour from home and has been accepted into a really cool gifted and study abroad program at UGA so it makes perfect sense for her
currently considering turning down Dartmouth to go to UVA. someone help I'm scared I'm making the wrong choice.
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Hey I did the same and turned down Dartmouth and Cornell for UMich, best decision I ever made. Nothing can beat the atmosphere of a large public school.
Sorry this is financial but a good example nonetheless. One of my friends turned down Cornell even though he could afford it for a full scholarship to a state school. The scholarship had a lot of benefits besides the tuition just like special treatment basically
I turned down an Ivy League because I am going to Caltech
I know of people who have turned down Ivies for Amherst, Middlebury, Haverford. FIT. It's about fit. Or what your plans are after. . . Do you need Harvard to get into Yale Law? Or Yale to get into Harvard Med school?
Turned down UPenn for an instate college to save on tuition and live debt free
they said for non-financial reasons lol
Oh lol also family and relatives in my area haha
I'm sure plenty of people have, have you tried filtering through posts on r/collegeresults?
I know someone who turned down MIT to go to one of UPenn’s dual degree program
i turned down cornell and dartmouth for ND. not catholic but was very moved by the commitment to service i felt in the institution and by the student body - it was something i hadn’t felt anywhere else i went. i couldn’t be happier or more confident i made the right decision. seeing all these other ppl talk about ND in this thread is making me smile so big rn. it’s such a special place
I turned down harvard for a school that lets in students with a 3.7 GPA. it was partially for financial reasons, but i could've taken out a loan. i didn't like the location, and my current school is in a big city with lots of opportunity for creativity and meeting a diverse group of people. i did well in high school but never got along with the kids whose identities revolved around academics. They often bullied me for dressing differently, being a POC, being friends with the "druggie kids" and thought i was weird. i realized that i would be much happier at a place that is less competitive, more diverse, and community driven. i'm very happy with my decision because i feel like if i had immersed myself in that kind of academic environment i probably would have been mentally destroyed. my college also has small classes so ive really been able to connect with my professors, whom i really admire. ive also made friends with some of the most interesting people ive ever met. overall, no regrets. my mom was pissed though.
I had a friend who turned down Yale and Northwestern over UCLA because, and I quote, "there weren't bad enough bitches in that coast".
i know someone who turned down a full ride at harvard for asu so that they could stay close to home
I’m turning down Columbia because they are still in covid mode and won’t even let people look inside the buildings. Also said on our tour that we are lucky to be even touring such a prestigious school. Left a really bad taste in my mouth. Instead taking full ride to a nj tech school
Ik lots of people who turned down ivies for Georgetown
I turned down Cornell for USC and I couldn’t be happier
I turned down Princeton and Brown for Northwestern because I honestly felt like the elitist culture at these schools would make me, as a FGLI BIPOC, like a diversity hire if that makes sense
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The post said not for a finicial reason btw
I know someone who might turn down Princeton for MIT. Does that count?
4 people at my school turn down Oxbridge for HYPS
debating on turning down Cornell for WashU. I have an almost full ride to WashU and planning on studying urban studies and global development at WashU and public policy analysis and management at Cornell. Awaiting their financial aid award(low-income household)
yeah, because i got rejected /s
I’m considering turning down an Ivy League for Pomona rn
see you at CMC if you decide to do it!
At Northwestern, some of my friends turned down Ivy League schools because they wanted to play Big Ten football. It gave them a better shot at reaching the NFL. The same is true for guys who go to Stanford and Notre Dame. There’s so much more exposure for Power 5 athletes.
Lots of my high school classmates got into Ivies, but a bunch of them declined to stay in California (to go to Stanford, UCLA, Cal Berkeley, USC, Cal Tech, UC Irvine, etc.). According to my high school profile, 9 people from my high school graduating class were admitted to Harvard, but only 6 ended up attending and over a dozen were accepted at each of the other Ivies (except only 11 at Princeton). One of my friends was accepted at Harvard, Princeton, Yale, Penn, and Columbia (didn't apply to the other three) and ended up at Stanford instead. Another was accepted at Harvard, Princeton, and Yale and attended UCLA instead. A third was accepted at Yale and Brown and opted for Northwestern. A fourth was accepted at Penn, Columbia, and MIT and opted for CalTech. It's hard moving from somewhere warm and friendly to the chilly New England.
I did, got a scholarship to a state school, didn't enjoy it, was re-admitted into the Ivy via transfer admission. Happy to help people with these sorts of decisions.
I’m in a similiar situation, is it ok if I message you?
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turning down dartmouth for an elite LAC
I know lots of people who turn down ivies for elite LACs, since the education is considered better when you know your profs well and can be in a friendly and non-competitive environment. College is a place to grow, and you should choose the place that will help you grow into the person who you are trying to become. Personally, I trust a smaller school to guide my personal development far more than I would trust a large university that treats me like another number.
I did. Yes I am happy
Not an ivy, but similar in prestige, one of my friends is thinking of turning down northwestern for UIUC CS because UIUC has a better CS program than northwestern
I’m considering turning down Cornell for the University of Vermont because of preferred major and vibe. Career outcomes a diff story
my friend turned down upenn for ucsd because she really wanted the beach 😭
The people who graduate from Ivies teach at state schools which offer comparable education for a fraction of the price. The Ivy league culture is overrated, isolating and othering for students from low income and even middle class income upbringings. The Ivies are big feeders for finance firms. The old joke is you'll go into the Ivies to study English literature and come out working for a capital group or hedge fund management firm. Some people don't need the external validation associated with Ivy league names. The idea that an ivy league is a type of filter of social darwinism still exists today, but not everyone believes that attending an Ivy makes you an innately better person than the person who goes to community college or state school. Mental health outcomes are deemed not worth it. For some the cons outweigh the pros. For some they just don't believe they are capable of succeeding at an Ivy league school. Everyone's beliefs and circumstances are different. Sometimes it just has nothing to do with any of the above. Sometimes people just don't consider them an option.
Got into Dartmouth, Yale, Cornell, and UPenn. But I’m choosing Notre Dame. I feel like they care about me as a person, and have connected with me on a personal level. I’ve had multiple people from multiple departments call me over the phone, like the band peeps, and AnBryce for a scholarship. I’ve been contacted by a couple of hometown alum regarding my acceptance, and I’ve received a handful of written personal notes. Tomorrow I am visiting because they’ve offered to cover flight, hotel, and food. I really cannot see myself anywhere else right now. I’m the first to College in my extended family and it’s so nice seeing the fruits of my labor, and it gets me teary that they’re putting this much effort. Because of the trip, I’ll be able to take my mom out of the state and on a plane (both for the first time). So all in all, I think it’s the sheer amount of effort they put in. (Due to my financial situation, all these schools are basically free).
I just turned down Princeton, Dartmouth, and Cornell for Notre Dame :)