I didn't go to MIT, but I feel I would have gotten in if I had applied. Other factors were more important to me, though, like being the right distance from home

I didn't go to MIT, but I feel I would have gotten in if I had applied. Other factors were more important to me, though, like being the right distance from home (about 3 hours driving) and going to a big enough school that I would be able to take a wide variety of classes and change majors if necessary (I did, three times). I think I also had the (somewhat accurate) feeling that the college I chose would not make all that much difference. We can argue that point all you want, but I'm still quite confident in my future in spite of growing up "poor" and not going to MIT.