Quote from WS_MJH:
I went to a public flagship university, best decision I made. I did grad work at a prestigious private university and I definitely regret that.
In terms of your sports statement, I agree totally about that for high school. It's very hard to get varsity at many public high schools, and for high school, doing varsity sports is important. But at college, unless you're really good, sports don't make a lot of sense. Just have fun.
I 100% disagree. If you THINK you are an above-average athlete, go for it. who cares at what level (DII, DIII), since this is your only chance in life to see how good you can get. if it's not pro material, who cares, many people are afraid to go after a goal and you will learn many things in "failure". not trying is 100x worse. having fun means being lazy and maybe having zero identity. since you will not be pro in your field, likely, and will likely not know what it's like to be in great shape, part of a team, competing, and having a little stress. great for confidence.