If the accepting top school supports your goals and provides an acceptable educational environment (and you shouldn't have applied if it didn't), then a bird in hand is worth two in the bush.

如果我拿到了名校的录取通知，而且这个学校能够达到我的目标并且提供不错的教育环境（如果不能的话你不应该申请它），那么到手的录取通知准备没影的好。

youdao

Another temporary discount may not be what you want, but at least it is a bird in the hand.

再一次临时打折可能达不到你所希望的，但至少这是已经到手的东西。

《柯林斯英汉双解大词典》

But I say, “A bird and a feather in the bush is worth more than ten birds in the hand.”

人人都说，“一鸟在手胜过十鸟在林。” 但是我说，“一鸟一羽毛胜过十鸟在手。”

youdao

Here is some good advice: a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.

VOA: special.2010.06.13

So a bird in the hand may be worth two shares of Best Buy.

FORBES: Connect

And any cuts now are a gift that keeps on giving, with helpful compounding effects in outyears unless they are erased or undone by future legislation (always a good bet, but the bird-in-the-hand rule should apply here).

FORBES: On Government Spending, It's Time For Short-Term Thinking

His decision to take this bird in the hand may be seen as George Osborne placing quite a big bet that markets and economy are going to get worse before they get better.

BBC: Have taxpayers got a decent deal on the Northern Rock sale?