1) I would choose between UMass Amherst and Tufts. If you want to start your own business, not having to pay loans while in college, or after, will be of great help. On top of that, your living expenses are paid for.
2) It's possible that despite your grades, MIT and other schools decided your passion for starting up would be too much in conflict with what other students typically look for in MIT, and that either the course load would make you unhappy, or your startup ambitions could affect your progress (I'm just guessing here.)
You were honest with the colleges, and they were honest with you back. This isn't necessarily a bad thing: would it have been better if you lied that you wanted to be a professor, and gotten in because of that? Instead of worrying about being rejected from a fancy college, realize that your essay probably had the most impact, and the admissions officers are helping you make your decision. If you try to do a startup for a year, fail, and change your mind, you could always reapply and they will likely take you this time around.
3) If one wanted to finish school as fast as possible and without debt, they could do the following.
UMass Amherst requires 45 credits in residence to earn a degree (outside of Engineering). I can imagine one could take all non-General Education classes over their first three semesters; somebody from my high school completed the non-General Education requirements by the end of Sophomore year.
I can imagine you could then reside anywhere you like, completing your General Education Requirements with classes over the Internet, and occasionally some classes at whatever school is nearby and transferring them over.
Sure, if you moved somewhere else and completed the non-CS requirements online, you would miss out on some student interaction, but you would be 19, so it wouldn't be too bad.
If you don't accelerate your pace, UMass Amherst may feel like a "gap year" anyway, and you would be able to do whatever other side projects you had in mind while maintaining good grades. UMass Amherst is also a top 20 CS grad school, and you could take grad school classes if you wished.
Comments
1) I would choose between UMass Amherst and Tufts. If you want to start your own business, not having to pay loans while in college, or after, will be of great help. On top of that, your living expenses are paid for.
2) It's possible that despite your grades, MIT and other schools decided your passion for starting up would be too much in conflict with what other students typically look for in MIT, and that either the course load would make you unhappy, or your startup ambitions could affect your progress (I'm just guessing here.)
You were honest with the colleges, and they were honest with you back. This isn't necessarily a bad thing: would it have been better if you lied that you wanted to be a professor, and gotten in because of that? Instead of worrying about being rejected from a fancy college, realize that your essay probably had the most impact, and the admissions officers are helping you make your decision. If you try to do a startup for a year, fail, and change your mind, you could always reapply and they will likely take you this time around.
3) If one wanted to finish school as fast as possible and without debt, they could do the following.
UMass Amherst requires 45 credits in residence to earn a degree (outside of Engineering). I can imagine one could take all non-General Education classes over their first three semesters; somebody from my high school completed the non-General Education requirements by the end of Sophomore year.
I can imagine you could then reside anywhere you like, completing your General Education Requirements with classes over the Internet, and occasionally some classes at whatever school is nearby and transferring them over.
Sure, if you moved somewhere else and completed the non-CS requirements online, you would miss out on some student interaction, but you would be 19, so it wouldn't be too bad.
If you don't accelerate your pace, UMass Amherst may feel like a "gap year" anyway, and you would be able to do whatever other side projects you had in mind while maintaining good grades. UMass Amherst is also a top 20 CS grad school, and you could take grad school classes if you wished.