I likewise had a similar experience on the other side of the Atlantic with British universities. The goal for top achievers was always Oxford, Cambridge, or Imp

I likewise had a similar experience on the other side of the Atlantic with British universities. The goal for top achievers was always Oxford, Cambridge, or Imperial. I ended up significantly under-achieving on the grades my mock exams and teachers predicted, and went to a less prestigious institution, which used to be a Polytechnic. However, this gave me such an appreciation for the North of England that I would have never experienced otherwise, and a group of friends a league different from the ones I grew up with in the South, that I wouldn't trade for the world. It probably worked out well too because I got a relatively pain-free 1st grade (4.0 GPA) when I know full well that with my ability and work ethic I would have got a low 2.1 or 2.2 at where I planned to go. All the same, finding a decent job after was a slog, and required me to go back to do a postgraduate degree at a Russel group (Ivy League equivalent) university to get a seat at the table with any major tech company. I'd like to earn more, but finance firms and most unicorn start-ups demand Oxbridge so I'll probably consider an MSc or MPhil at one of the two some time in the future, but that'll be 7 years of schooling for £80k, when I could have done it in 4 years for half that cost. All in all, it's what would have been a retirement at 40 to one at 50, which while not the end of the world is a little frustrating.