I go to Arizona State University, and somehow, that tells people what kind of person I am. I must party all the time, and didn't apply to many other schools. I probably grew up in Arizona, and my parents and grandparents were Sun Devils before me. I chose to go to ASU because it's what you do. Except that none of that is true. Sure, there are plenty of people that fit the above description, and that's no problem. But college choice doesn't define identity.
My older sister goes to UC Berkeley. My family lives near there, in Northern California, and I applied and was accepted to Cal as well. I chose to go to ASU because of the merits of its music program, its vast resources, and the scholarship I was offered.
When my sister and I come up in conversation among family friends, mention of the Berkeley name usually evokes some sort of "oh, wow!" or "that's great." ASU usually doesn't. Not that this doesn't make sense: more people have heard of Berkeley, they know it's hard to get into, etc. So obviously being accepted to a "prestigious" school is a matter of pride for some, but there is a disconnect between acceptance rates and the other things that factor into college choice. If I had gone to Berkeley, I would pay about THIRTY THOUSAND dollars more a year to attend college (even as an in-state student). Over the course of an undergraduate career, that amounts to a lot of money. Maybe some of my professors at Berkeley would have been incredibly inspiring, but doubtlessly others would have been mediocre. There are good and bad teachers at every school. There are hard working students at every school, and there are weeknight partiers. Sure, the percentages may differ for each college, but especially a massive school like ASU contains every part of the spectrum.
The reason Berkeley and co. can charge so much for their degrees has mostly to do with prestige. Low acceptance rates reflect higher demand and lower supply, which results in higher prices. Arizona State has an 84.3% acceptance rate, but I don't understand how that's a bad thing. My own personal journey through college isn't affected by how many people apply and get accepted to the same university I attend. If anything, ASU is performing its duty as a public school to offer a high standard of education for as many people who want it as possible, and affordably at that. But turning back to the issue of prestige, many people will point out that having Berkeley on a resumé can lead to better connections and more opportunity down the line than having an ASU degree. And that's probably true, up to a point. But is it worth an extra $120,000? In the end, skill and proficiency in whatever area of study you are pursuing matter more than the name brand.
College is what you make of it. As clichéd as that expression has become, it makes a good point. It doesn't matter if you didn't get accepted to a different school, or if ASU was your plan all along. There are so many brilliant minds at work here, both among the faculty and amongst my peers, people that can inspire and challenge you. The important thing is to be content. I'll admit, I had trouble with that my first year. The surprised looks of old principals or counselors, the joking remarks from old high school friends, and my own constant second-guessing of my choices weren't always easy to deal with. But I've thought more about it and realized that I'm happy where I am. I wouldn't have met any of the amazing people I spend my time with if I were anywhere else, so when USC berates ASU over social media on game day about our academic inferiority, or Stephen Colbert takes an easy dig at us in a comedy bit, just remember that all of that doesn't matter. They don't know your story. These four years are yours to make of what you please. Be confident in your decisions, and most of all, be content. Go Devils!
