Ian

03/09/2020 1:02 AM

Hey everyone! I hope you are all having a great final semester of high school. I totally get how crazy that the college search process can be and how much time and effort goes into it, especially during your senior year. I actually had a WILD college search journey, and I figured it would be a great story to share with all of you!

So I was one of those super overachieving, confused, perfectionist seniors that wanted the absolutely perfect choice for a college. Although, I really didn’t have a great idea of what I wanted to do major wise (see my blog on me changing my major many times haha.) I ended up applying to 18 colleges and toured even more than that in hopes to find the perfect fit for me. Fortunately for me, one of those MANY tours was Bradley University.

Despite the fact that it was pouring on my first tour of Bradley, and I was soaked and cold during my entire tour, there was something really memorable about the tour. Bradley seemed to be perfect at…everything. The size was just right, the people were INCREDIBLY friendly, and the faculty seemed very passionate about their fields.

I remember going to some colleges that were absolutely huge, where I had to take buses to get from one end of campus to the other. Knowing how much I love Chick – Fil- A, I figured I should be within 5 minutes of one at all times, just in case I got hangry. I realized that the huge campus was not for me because I didn’t want to feel lost or like a very small fish in a very big pond. I also toured some schools that were very tiny, where almost all of their academics were in one building. That reminded me way too much of high school so I knew I didn’t want to go there either.

Bradley was able to provide that perfect balance for me that I didn’t even realize I was looking for. Additionally, there was something very special about Bradley’s community that felt like one big family.

Slowly my list of schools went from 18, down to 12, down to 7, to 5, and then 2. Every time I visited a school, I would make a pro’s and con’s list for that school, and Bradley really seemed to have a lot of pro’s and not many con’s.

I was really torn between the University of Dayton and Bradley. Both of them had similar mid-size feelings and communities that really stuck out to me. However for me, Bradley just had a few more pros than Dayton, so on the night before Commitment Day, I ended up committing to Bradley. A decision I am still thankful for today.

Need help with your college decision? Always here to listen to the pro’s and con’s you may have of any school! Let me know what questions you have!

Until next time!

Peace,
Ian