Melissa

03/09/2020 1:05 AM

When I was applying to colleges, to be honest, I really wasn’t sure what I wanted. I’m a first-gen student, so this was the first time anyone in my family was going through this process. I knew vaguely some things I wanted, like a campus that was somewhere between 4,000 and 8,000 students, and I knew I wanted academic rigor to a degree. I applied to probably about 13 schools, and by March I was deciding between Bradley and Wellesley College in Massachusetts.

Bradley wasn’t too far from home (about 2 hours), was a great size (not smaller than my high school of 4,000, but not too big), I knew I would get to continue competing in speech, and I would be in the Honors Program so I could get the academic rigor I was looking for. Wellesley was completely different. It was a plane ride away, but it was right outside of Boston, a city that I love. It was all girls, a campus of about 2,000, and very selective, so by proxy, academically rigorous. These were two amazing options, and I had no idea how I was going to choose between the two. My decision really felt like fate.

During the first weekend of April, I was supposed to fly out to Wellesley for a second time to see the school. Earlier that week, I told my parents I didn’t want to go anymore. I just had this instantaneous feeling that getting on a plane and going to see the school wouldn’t be worth it because I knew I wanted to go to Bradley. At that moment, we canceled the trip, and I put my deposit down. I’m sure you’ll hear it over and over again in your college search — when you know, you know. And it’s so true, even though I didn’t expect it to happen to me. I kept visiting colleges and thinking that I would know as soon as I stepped foot on campus, but it never happened that way. When the time is right, you will know, and that sign will find you in some way.

I think it was so easy to find that feeling with Bradley because this is home. Even if you don’t end up here, so many people that tour here, that visit here, that compete here for speech tournaments, all feel that feeling of home. It’s ingrained in our culture and our community. If you’re nervous or feeling like you’ll never be able to decide, take comfort in knowing that your sign will come and timing is everything. Plus, you can change your mind a hundred times. Your home will always be there waiting for you!