We all remember being in your shoes. A year ago today, I hadn’t even sent in the application to the school where I am today. Of course I had heard of it, but I honestly didn’t really think it would be a good fit for me. It didn't meet many of my "college checklist" requirements, which included: a small, private school, located on the East Coast, a closed campus in a large city. However, at the very last minute, I decided to apply to a program that was an incredible opportunity but, as I was told, was very possibly "out of reach". I submitted my application on October 30th, and that was that. To be honest, I never seriously considered my current school, and when the beginning of April rolled around, I found myself committed to a different school that was a thousand miles away and a completely different environment. The first two weeks of April, I stocked up my closet full of spiritwear, became BFFs with the girl who was to be my roommate, and excitedly stalked my future school on all forms of social media.
Then, on April 18th, I heard unexpected news that flipped the whole process upside down. Sitting in my 10th period Econ class, I recieved an email telling me I had gotten into the prestigious program at the school where I hadn’t really put much consideration. I stepped foot on the campus of my school for the first time on April 19th. I never took a full tour or attended one of the info sessions, but on April 30th, I made the best decision of my life trusting that it was the best opportunity for me and my future.
Now, I am truly beginning to realize how right my decision was for me. To be completely honest, the first few weeks of college are difficult for everyone, and my experience was no different. But each day brings more and more happiness and love for my new home. I have met impressive people my age who are from all over the world, I have fallen in love with my sorority and my sisters, and I'm getting to learn from incredibly distinguished professors. If you told me 6 and a half months ago that I would be sitting at a dining hall in Ann Arbor, Michigan at this exact moment, I probably wouldn’t have believed you. But now that I am here, I know I am in my right place.
My first point in saying all this is to remind you that, as crazy and sometimes unfair the college process seems at times, you are going to find yourself at the school that will allow you to fit in well both academically and socially. You will find your right place. In my opinion, there is no formula for you to find your perfect college, and there isn’t just one type of school that is right for you. I ended up at a completely opposite school from my supposed “perfect formula” and I am incredibly happy and satisfied both socially and academically.
I know my next few sentences will sound cliche, but I really can’t stress how important they are, and I hope I can shed some positive light on a somewhat negative process. The decision process by colleges is somewhat ambiguous. It’s hard to accept, but there are so many factors completely out of your control that go into a college’s decision. DON’T let them get to you. It took reading five waitlist letters for me to finally believe it, but our generation is incredibly talented and diverse and intelligent, and the highly selective schools simply don’t have room for everybody that they’d love to take. That’s ok. Know that you WILL be commended for all of your hard work in high school, even if that doesn’t mean an acceptance into an Ivy League School. And also know that there is ABSOLUTELY nothing wrong with selecting a school that isn’t your parent’s alma mater, that gives you more money than a school ranked higher on U.S. News and World Report, or that you feel might be a better academic or social fit than a school that may otherwise be thought of as more selective. As cheesy as this sounds is, there truly is no one path to success.
For now, focus on making the most of your senior year! This year is going to come at you with a lot of grown-up decisions, but I promise you that it is the best year of your life. Have fun and make incredible memories with your friends! They (along with your parents) will be the people who hold you up as you navigate through the tough first few weeks of college. For now, submit your college applications and apply for scholarships and FAFSA. Other than that, try to put college out of your mind as much as possible. Focus on rocking out your academics your first semester (I PROMISE, you’ll want to. I truly believe my first semester grades played a big factor into getting into this incredible program)!
There will be a lot of talk about college by both your peers and adults, but don’t let that get to you. There is no use in stressing once you press “submit.” Use the time before April 1st to make memories and try things you’ve never done before! Go to the final performance or Senior Night of a sport or club you’ve never been to before! Senior year is an incredible year when you finally let yourself open up to people you’ve never talked to before. You will feel closer to your class than you’ve ever felt. Enjoy it! You will see a lot of transition over the next year, but just take it day by day and live in the moment. I promise, it’ll be the best year of your life! :)
There will be a lot of talk about college by both your peers and adults, but don’t let that get to you. There is no use in stressing once you press “submit.” Use the time before April 1st to make memories and try things you’ve never done before! Go to the final performance or Senior Night of a sport or club you’ve never been to before! Senior year is an incredible year when you finally let yourself open up to people you’ve never talked to before. You will feel closer to your class than you’ve ever felt. Enjoy it! You will see a lot of transition over the next year, but just take it day by day and live in the moment. I promise, it’ll be the best year of your life! :)
