"The College Choice"

This weekend, I had a friend from back home come to stay the weekend with me. The fact that Molly was willing to take the five hour bus ride from Long Island for me was truly a feat in itself, and I always love having people to show the school I'm so in love with to. She basically let me run her all over campus without restraint for the weekend, but her one request was to show her American University, where she was applying. As I almost went to American and know the campus very well, I agreed.

On Saturday at noon, Molly and I caught the metro to get out to Tenleytown. Little did she know, I found myself nervous to go back to American, because this would be the first time I'd be seeing a school I almost went to since coming to GW. For the record, I can tell you all that no, GW was not my top choice. I was ready to sell my limbs for admission to Brown, where I was denied, along with my second choice of Tufts. I now had seven admissions and financial packages to go over, with no real direction. I went back to visit all the schools, and when I returned to DC, it instantly eliminated my other options as I knew it was the city I was meant to be in. It just came down to GW, full cost, or American, half-tuition paid. I'm not one of the lucky ones with federal financial aid, so I was looking at a pretty penny between undergraduate and my future graduate school. I knew, once I stepped on the GW campus for the second time, that it was the school. There was that feeling they always talk about, and I encourage all of you who ever experience what I'm talking about to grasp it, because that is probably the best indication you'll ever get. It was ultimately my parents who were able to tell me, we know where you want to be, and we know it's hard for you to admit that to us, so we will make that happen for you. And here I am, fairytale ending and all.

Going back to American, although scaring me to death, ultimately was everything I should've known would happen. I got back on campus and suddenly remembered it like the back of my hand, and gave Molly a tour. But as I went through the motions, "this is their dining hall, this is the poli-sci building," it became so clear to me that there was not any morsel of doubt in my mind that I did not choose the right school. I had loved American and it had almost sold me, and I honestly can't really pinpoint what made me choose GW over it, but when you feel it, you feel it, and you just need to ride that out.

I guess the purpose of this rambling self-reflection is that those applying to college now should know that when it's time for you to decide where you want to be for the next four years, more of it may go back to your gut than you think. Sometimes, the school you want is not the "best" choice, or the most "convenient" choice, or not even your first choice. But your collegiate future does not stop at your first-choice rejection. There is a second chance. These days, I don't even think about Brown, and going back to American was further proof that I could not imagine myself walking any other campus, giving any other tours, being in any other classes or theatre communities or dorms. When you're on "your" campus, you're going to feel it in your heart of hearts, and you need to recognize that enough to trust in it. It's terrifying to make the first real decision of your young life, but take it for all it's worth in knowing that you are now the master of your next four years. They can be anything you can dream up, as long as you are ready for them. To be the master of your own fate is easily among the scarier realizations I know, but it's also the most liberating. So talk yourself out of your terror, and let yourself make a decision that may not be the easiest or the most logical, but probably the most rewarding.

Congratulations to the ED applicants that will now be living the dream. We can't wait for you to join us. Any questions about college decision-making, get at me at gmdepalo@gwmail.gwu.edu. Emails are like crack for us ;)

See you on campus,
Gina Michele