When applying for college, I truly believed that I had a good chance of getting accepted into my schools. I had faith in my personal essay, SAT scores and high school transcript. A few months later, I got my decisions back and these feelings of optimism quickly disappeared. First, Clemson said no. They informed me that they appreciated my interest in attending, but the other applications were just too competitive. Then, Richmond said no. They told me that touring the campus, which I had failed to do, would have increased my chances of getting in.
After getting rejected by two stupendous colleges, my spirit slowly vanished. I began to lose hope of ever getting into a school in which I truly wanted to attend. Although it was the hardest thing to do, all I could do was sit and wait.
I still hadn’t heard back from my top choice, Virginia Tech. I prayed that this would be the school that accepted me, though you can’t blame me for having low spirits. Denial from two colleges I had dreamed of attending didn’t exactly encourage me. Despite these bitter feelings, I continued to wait, checking my email inbox every day.
Finally, Virginia Tech’s decision date arrived. I eagerly opened my email to find a decision waiting for me.
I almost didn’t want to open the email, too scared of the words written inside. I called my dad into my room and asked him to read the decision for me. The biggest smile I have ever seen spread across his face. Ecstatic thoughts raced through my brain: I can’t believe this, I’m going to college!”
I have truly never felt that amount of happiness before.
Now that I was accepted into college, I felt secure and ready for life after high school. A couple of days went by before reality started to set in. How was I going to pay for out of state tuition? Do I really want to be that far from home? Will I know anyone else going? I began to talk myself out of what I had been dreaming for. Maybe Virginia Tech wasn’t the college for me.
A couple of weeks after my acceptance into Virginia Tech, I received my acceptance to the University of North Carolina Wilmington and East Carolina University. I finally had some choices to choose between. This should have made me happy, but it only made my decision harder.
This brings us to today. I am currently torn between three incredible schools and I still have no idea where I want to go. So many factors are affecting my decision-making process: the school’s price, atmosphere and graduation rate will all play important roles in my decision. I want to attend a college where I truly feel comfortable.
In weeks to come, my college research will continue, and hopefully, I will decide where I want to attend. College is a huge step in life, and I want to make sure that I am setting my future self-up for success.
