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Growing up, I always dreamed of going to an Ivy League school. My hard work paid off when I was accepted to Yale with a full scholarship. However, what should have been a moment of celebration quickly turned into a source of stress and confusion.
My parents, Karen and Mark, are not as excited as I am. They’ve always emphasized staying close to home and are worried that Yale is too far away. They’ve even suggested that I consider attending the local university, Westwood State, instead, even though it would mean giving up the scholarship and taking on student loans.
My older brother, Jake, who stayed local for college, is siding with my parents, saying that family comes first. But my best friend, Emily, insists that I shouldn’t let anyone hold me back from achieving my dreams.
Now, I’m torn. On one hand, I want to pursue my dream and take advantage of this incredible opportunity. On the other hand, I don’t want to disappoint my family or feel like I’m abandoning them.
AITA for feeling pressured to decline the scholarship and stay close to home? Would it be wrong to follow my path, even if it means going against my family’s wishes?
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Karen and Mark have always emphasized the importance of family and staying close to home. When their daughter, Lily, was accepted to Yale with a full scholarship, they were proud but also deeply concerned. Yale was far from their small town, and they worried about the challenges Lily might face living so far away.
Instead of celebrating, Karen and Mark began encouraging Lily to consider Westwood State, the local university, where she could stay close to home. They believed that attending Westwood would allow Lily to help with family responsibilities and maintain strong family ties. They also felt it would be financially wise, as Lily could live at home and save money.
Their son, Jake, who had also attended Westwood, supported his parents. He felt that family should come first and that Lily could get a good education nearby without the added stress of moving so far away.
However, Lily was conflicted. Yale had always been her dream, and turning down the scholarship felt like a missed opportunity. She knew her parents meant well, but she felt torn between their wishes and her aspirations.
Karen and Mark started to wonder if they were wrong for pressuring Lily to stay close to home. They loved their daughter and wanted what was best for her, but were they unintentionally holding her back?
AITA for pressuring our daughter to decline a full scholarship to Yale in favor of staying close to home?
Let’s swiftly assess a handful of the top comments: AITA for Feeling Pressured to Decline a Full Scholarship to Yale?
Most importantly, they also send their kids to Ivy League schools–all the while telling folks not to send their kids to them.
And after 4 years at Yale when you think back to the advice not to go you’re gonna laugh and laugh. You’ll come out of Yale actually knowing something about the world.
Juicetang33 Writes:
“Fight their ignorance with your intelligence.” That is an awesome line, never heard that one before. Thank you for sharing that!
And in primaries, I know way to many younger people who complain about the choices in the general election but don’t vote in the primaries. Are you tired of choosing between two ancient, out of touch mummies? Then vote in the primaries (and local elections), please.
Go to Yale, get a good education and tell everybody who is against it to screw off. It’s hard to get into a school like that with a full ride. You’re smart, so use it for all it’s worth.
