August 2017

#1 Don’t Play the Guessing Game

Before I left for a semester abroad in Central America during my sophomore year, I decided to ask a college counselor whether it was a good decision. Would universities think I look adventurous or would they think I was lazy and wanted time off of school?

The response was disappointing but honest: Just go.

You can’t make a decision based on the potential interpretation of the anonymous admissions officers.

You can however make sure to book an interview if you want a chance to be understood more fully.

#2 Research Majors and Programs

The school that I originally picked was one of the most academically rigorous institutions in the country. From their stats of post-college success, I gaged that no matter which field I went into, I would be equipped for any career I chose.

Unless of course that career required a degree that the school didn’t offer. For example: film.

After committing to this college I realized that the minimal number of majors might be a disadvantage to someone like me, the type of person who needs all doors open at all times. Who is so devoted to the cause that I have both feet stuck in doorframes as well as each hand.

Film is only a possibility, but I thrive on the energy of What Could Be.

#3 Let Leaving Home Scare You, Apply Anyways.

I want my avocados smooth and creamy. I want to ski on Saturday and surf on Sunday. I want sunny and 72 degrees.

Out of all the colleges I research last year, none of my picks were further than Colorado.

But this year the majority of the colleges I’m applying to are on the east coast. Why? Because I value change. More than that, I need it. Without change I get bored, and when I get bored I begin to feel sad. Leaving behind my golden home of California for the cold-hard east coast is intimidating, but personally I find it necessary.

(That being said, I’m still giving myself the chance to change my mind. I have three schools that are close to home and have high acceptance rates)

The biggest thing that has changed about my college applications this year is my attitude towards them. Minus AP testing, without the SAT, sans the ACT, I think the process of applying to colleges can be fun. Yes, fun.

I like to think of this process as being ceremonious. My real high school graduation day was a bust, and the after party was non-existent. In reflecting on the past four years of my life, my experiences have acquired a gleaming coat of purposefulness. All those moments I felt lost or stagnant now appear as stepping stones, and I feel myself finally moving forward.