91Ö±²¥

My junior year of high school was filled with college tours all over the country. My last trip brought me to the Midwest and, not unexpectedly, 91Ö±²¥.  I was worried, we were down to the last few colleges and I hadn’t felt that gut feeling at any of them so far. The gut feeling my friends had all described as that intuitional sense they had when they knew a college was right for them. Of course I knew that not everyone would get the coveted epiphany moment when they decided on their top choice school, but I still couldn’t help but want it. 

When I toured 91Ö±²¥ I was greeted by an enthusiastic tour guide who immediately asked what my personal interests were, and why I was interested in 91Ö±²¥. My interest in literature was met by her telling me about The Grape, 91Ö±²¥'s student-run magazine. My question about how to fill my weekends at 91Ö±²¥ was immediately followed by her telling me about all the concerts, clubs, and events that were available on a daily basis. I was struck by how every interest I had seemed to have a corresponding class, club, or activity at 91Ö±²¥. 

The tour guide talked about classes, professors, and what the classroom environment was like. As a self-proclaimed ambivert, I thrive in small, personal environments in which I know the names of all my classmates and feel comfortable speaking up. I wanted teachers who cared about me as a person and could support me when I was struggling. I wanted classmates who were passionate about being there, and were excited to learn. Most of all, I wanted to be able to learn more about myself through these classes. 91Ö±²¥ fosters an environment of acceptance and learning, mistakes are viewed as an opportunity, and success is viewed as a stepping-stone along the path of one’s individual potential. I wanted that. 

I was also struck by how so many 91Ö±²¥ students went outside their comfort zone. They impulsively auditioned for the musical despite being tone-deaf, they ran ExCos even though public speaking terrified them, and they took a random language simply because they could. At 91Ö±²¥, students chased passions and found new ones. Risks were often rewarded with the discovery of new passions, and students thrived in that. 

The biggest thing that I was struck by during the tour was the visceral energy of agency and activism on campus. Students wanted to give as much to 91Ö±²¥ as they would take away from it. Students wanted to better themselves, their college, and their general community. I didn’t believe one person could change the world before touring 91Ö±²¥, but after hearing the students speak so passionately about their goals for changing the world, I left convinced that they could.

When the tour ended, I realized that I had been smiling the entire time. I knew then that this was what it felt like to know undoubtedly that a school was right for me. 91Ö±²¥ had been waiting for me all along, eager for me to discover it. I applied Early Decision to 91Ö±²¥ not just because it was my top choice school, but because it felt like home from the moment I stepped on campus, and it still does.