The decision keeps getting harder! Advice

[mmbt0ne]

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College is not all about academics. Your degree will only get you job interviews anyway, everything from there is up to you. Go where you think you will have the most fun.

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April fools?

[emon87]

If he is playing on the school's ultimate team, it is much more than a hobby.

But JHU's isn't that good anyway...

[gdsdiscgolfer]

Dave, I do appreciate your advice. But you are both unnecessarily condescending towards disc sports and do not understand the nature of their importance to me.

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Obviously disc golf and frisbee are very important to you.

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I hope this was sarcastic. Disk golf/frisbee should be bascially the last thing on your mind. They're not real sports, they're activities. You'll also find them everywhere for FUN. Although I'd guess less at Columbia b/c it's NYC so the weather isn't as nice as other places and the campus probably doesn't have as much open space.

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What makes a sport "real"? I'm a professional, sponsored disc golfer. There are tournaments and I make money playing it. It's not half as much a player on the PGA tour, but saying that it's just an activity to pass time is completely wrong and uninformed.
Ultimate is grueling athletically when played in an organized fashion. Is your perception of Ultimate a bunch of hippies tossing a Frisbee around a quad? It might not be as "real" a sport in that I couldn't make a living doing it, but it is athletically demanding and extremely rewarding to play.


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Go where you will be the happiest. I do not think the difference between a JHU and Columbia degree is worth missing out on what could be four of the greatest years for your hobby.


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The whole point is that the OP has no idea which one he'll be the happiest at. It's really hard to tell in general, genuinely where you'll be the happiest before going to college because it's such a "have to be there" situation. However, making a decision which will determine much of your life based on a HOBBY is wrong wrong it makes me a little angry, and I don't get angry easily.

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In fact, being at a relaxing, fun place may help your academics and future job prospects, not hurt them.

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Yeah this is def true.

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I am not determining what college I go to based on disc golf and Ultimate. But if you believe that the last part is true, then why should they not be a factor in my decision? I will not go to a school just because it has a disc golf course, but it could be the difference between two otherwise equal schools.

Would you go to a school where you couldn't play poker? I doubt it. And if possible, I'd like to go to a school where I can play disc golf (even though it is not the determining factor).
Maybe I won't pay for my entire college career with disc golf, but it is still important to have outlets for personal release and to be able to enjoy myself.



That said, I do very much appreciate the advice you have given in general. But the anger and condescension you expressed about and towards disc sports is uncalled for.

[Dave D]

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What makes a sport "real"? I'm a professional, sponsored disc golfer.


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I wasn't aware any of these existed. I didn't know schools even have varsity disc golf/ultimate programs. It very much is an activity as far as I'm concerned, especially because I didn't know there were pros. An activity can be hard physically without being a sport, like even though curling is in the olympics I don't consider it a sport. Also I was going for sarcasm in large part for my post, obviously if you care about it that's your thing but unless you want to be a PRO disc golfer, you shouldn't really consider it in your college decision. And in that case you don't need college. Also, prety much all schools have teams where you can go play, I guess you probably would just dominate them but whatever, all you're looking for is the chance to compete right?

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There are tournaments and I make money playing it. It's not half as much a player on the PGA tour, but saying that it's just an activity to pass time is completely wrong and uninformed.



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Yeah, I mean my point is that anything not furthering your education in college is, by definition, an activity to pass the time (which isn't bad per se).

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Ultimate is grueling athletically when played in an organized fashion.


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So is crew, but crew people don't pick a school based on the school's crew team unless it's a VERY marginal overall decision and they need the pin to drop somewhere to tip teh scales.

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Is your perception of Ultimate a bunch of hippies tossing a Frisbee around a quad? It might not be as "real" a sport in that I couldn't make a living doing it, but it is athletically demanding and extremely rewarding to play.


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It was until your post. I have been schooled. I still don't consider it in the same world as football/basketball, or even soccer, but I understand what you're saying.

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Go where you will be the happiest. I do not think the difference between a JHU and Columbia degree is worth missing out on what could be four of the greatest years for your hobby.


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The whole point is that the OP has no idea which one he'll be the happiest at. It's really hard to tell in general, genuinely where you'll be the happiest before going to college because it's such a "have to be there" situation. However, making a decision which will determine much of your life based on a HOBBY is wrong wrong it makes me a little angry, and I don't get angry easily.

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In fact, being at a relaxing, fun place may help your academics and future job prospects, not hurt them.

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Yeah this is def true.

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I am not determining what college I go to based on disc golf and Ultimate. But if you believe that the last part is true, then why should they not be a factor in my decision? I will not go to a school just because it has a disc golf course, but it could be the difference between two otherwise equal schools.



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Ok, well that's all I was really saying. However, your choices aren't *really* that close to be considering that. harvard vs yale, yeah I might think about the disc golf aspect. I think you have a lot of better factors to be considering for college considering your choices.

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Would you go to a school where you couldn't play poker?


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Yeah, 0% of my decision to go to law school was based on being able to play poker. I haven't played online since about January, and only played poker during winter break and spring break at foxwoods. Law school is more important. Priorities son.


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That said, I do very much appreciate the advice you have given in general. But the anger and condescension you expressed about and towards disc sports is uncalled for.

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No anger, just some condescension.

[dethgrind]

There are some sick athletes playing college ultimate, probably better than college club soccer, though obviously not comparable to varsity sports. It is very intense, rigorous, and organized. Probably more so than the 4 years of high school basketball I played.

Check out this video of Beau Kittredge jumping over a dude to catch the disc, it got played on ESPN a while ago: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kst2yrNJolY

[thedarknight]

everyone hates their life at JHU...i know a friend who transferred from there, I get the impression the quality of life for most students isn't all that high especially if you're premed at JHU. However, the best value you have for your education is JHU. That scholarship is huge. I really think the best decision for college is the one with the best value. If you got a 4 year full ride for your state school I would go there.

[Dave D]

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everyone hates their life at JHU...i know a friend who transferred from there, I get the impression the quality of life for most students isn't all that high especially if you're premed at JHU. However, the best value you have for your education is JHU. That scholarship is huge. I really think the best decision for college is the one with the best value. If you got a 4 year full ride for your state school I would go there.

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All premeds hate their lives... it's part of being a premed. One of my best friends from HS went to hopkins, was the president of his fraternity (that him a bunch of his friends rebuilt) and loved it, he's there for a PhD now and is active as an alumni with the fraternity.

[Jshuttlesworth]

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baltimore sucks.

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[Go_Blue88]

uhhh i feel like you should base your decision on where you think you'd fit in most/have the most fun, as opposed to where you think will make you look more awesome.

4 years is a long time man--you don't wanna spend most of that time studying and being bored while you hear of all your friends' awesome stories at fun schools.

if i were you, i'd go to Duke or UCLA.

i feel like a solid gpa at any of the schools you listed would set you up for the future.

[oe39]

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no.

Go ivy. Not even close.

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yeah, you can't develop an ability to talk about yourself for more than 45 minutes without going to an ivy.