Date Posted:15:10:28 04/05/01 Thu Author:Yo Mama Author Host/IP: NoHost / 209.165.171.156 Subject: Nitesh...
>I'm being considered for the Jefferson Scholarship at
>UVA. if I get it, I think I'll take it over Duke,
>Stanford, Harvard, and all (provided I get in). What
>do you think?
'tesh,
The answer to this question depends greatly on what you plan to do with yourself in a professional capacity. I realize that the implications of this decision seem distant, but I urge you to carefully consider them nonetheless.
Let me begin by citing UVA as a great school, one at which I'm sure you would excell. I maintain that the 'college experience' is what one makes of it and you, undoubtedly, will push yourself and your professorial counterparts to their very limits. But as any seasoned athlete or academician knows too well, one can only push himself so far... Great *rowers* and thinkers alike depend on those whom they consider faster or smarter to push them farther than was possible in isolation. That's not to say you'll possess the only brilliant mind at UVA. Nor can I promise a student body composed entirely of geniuses at an Ivy League institution. What I can guarantee is a /relative/ dearth of such resources at the former.
If you were interested in becoming a high school teacher or perhaps working in the bowels of a Fortune 500 company, I'd suggest pursuing an education wherever you felt most comfortable, be it financial or academic. But I have seen many students come and go and you are one of the most brilliant I've ever had the pleasure of knowing. Take this flattery as you may... simply put, my point is that not pushing a mind like yours to its very limits would be a damn shame. Will you be able to push yourself at UVA? No question. Will you reach your /full/ potential? Not unless you surround yourself with people of equal or greater caliber.
Ultimately, you are the only one who can take everyting into account, weigh all of your options and make the appropriate decision.
Incidentally, I just declined full-ride scholarships from both the Navy and Air Force. I was given exactly 120 hours to make my decision (certainly a monumental one as it incurred a 5-year post-residency comittment) and slept maybe 10 hours during that time.... Moral: on the road of life, true forks are rare and deserve very careful consideration. You may never be completely sure of your decision, but never second guess it.
I hope this rant has provided some perspective regarding your upcoming decisions. Let me know which path you choose and, rest assured, they all lead to greener pastures.
