Thanks you guys!!
I feel so mixed about the whole thing. On the one hand, U of A seems so fun and I think I would have a blast there. On the other, I'm not sure if I'm so ready *myself* to leave the state of California.
One big obstacle is my mother. My dad thinks it is wise for me to apply to another safety, since he knows I don't want to go to the safety that I already applied to. My parents, though, keep on saying how good a school my safety is and how it would be nice for me to go there. (Ha, I think they say that also because that safety is not too far away from SF!) My mother, in response to my announcing that I might apply to the U of A, is like "Arizona! NO! So far away, stop dreaming. And you know how hot it gets?!" I tell her that AZ is only a state away...so close to Southern Cali too (well sorta). Geez, it's not like I'm moving to Paris or anything. It's not fair, because my older sister had applied to U Penn, NYU, Columbia, among others, that were on the East Coast during her college search. My parents didn't have an issue with that. I think probably my mother is most bothered because the U of A doesn't have the "name" that UPenn, for example, holds.
I wonder what to do. I also looked on the U of A website last night, and their deadline for their Fall 2002 apps is in April of this year! WHOA, that is really weird, at least to me. All the schools that I applied to and am familiar with had deadlines of either early January or late November. In fact, I'm supposed to get my college acceptance letters by April 1, 2002, so I find U of A's deadline kinda strange. I sent them an email last night to ask them when I would hear if I send in my app this month.
I honestly don't want to go to my safety school (which, as I said, I am almost virtually guaranteed acceptance to). I don't wish to mention the school here, though. I just don't want to go because it's in Northern Cali and I'm sick of NorCal, to be brutally honest. Also, they have virtually no school spirit and is just a medium/small-sized school. I like big schools. And they don't have warm weather (which is key for me...shallow maybe, but true).
Also, 2 other schools that I applied to, I don't wish to go, either (very bad, I know). They are not my safety schools (actually they are pretty hard to get into), but I just don't see myself there, ya know? I don't like the environment there and the location...
so I'm soo hoping that I can get into my top three choices. (1. University of Southern California (though my mother is not too happy about me liking 'SC so much), 2. University of California, Santa Barbara, 3. University of California, Irvine (choices 2 and 3 are pretty much interchangeable... I'm not too sure about which I prefer).
So...I don't know what to do. Gosh I am so indecisive. I think I would like to apply to the U of A but my mother stands in my way. I also think that if I had to choose between my present safety and the U of A, my parents would mandate me (or at least make me feel
very, very guilty) to go to the safety to which I have already applied. Partly because the safety that I have now is known for "better academics" than the U of A, although that's just from the college guides. My parents religiously follow those college rankings...it's sick. Another reason that they would try to keep me from going to AZ is b/c the safety is much closer to home, and would also cost less.
I'm just doubtful right now if this whole U of A thing is realistic, b/c I'm scared that if I apply and get accepted, and decide that I wanna go, my parents will say a firm "no." My dad did tell me to apply to more schools...but maybe he's not totally serious on the issue.
B/c I think when it comes down to it, he of course will try to make me stay in CA.
Ahhh...what to do...what to do...
Sorry you guys I am just freaked out about this whole thing and trying to handle finals at the same time! Thanks so much for listening to this worried HS senior!