Dream school revised

It was a warm April day when a big fat envelope came in the mail from the only college I had ever imagined attending. I remember racing home from my part-time job, grabbing the mail from its usual place on the couch and tearing open the packet. I opened the folder and scanned the letter inside. My eyes focused on the word “congratulations.”

I don’t remember ever smiling so wide. My dreams were going to come true! I had just been accepted into the college of my dreams. It had been my dream to study English there since I was 14. Visions of city life, amazing professors, intriguing people and prestige danced in my head like sugarplums.

Then I looked at my financial package.

Estimated at just under $40,000, the cost of Dream School’s tuition, room and board was astronomical. Even though they gave me a $5,000 academic scholarship, the cost was still enough to make my head spin. How could I afford to attend? How could I justify going there when three decent colleges were offering me free tuition? My alternate choices were good, solid schools even if they weren’t as “prestigious” as my first choice.

In my mind, attending my ideal university would be the only way to fulfill both my dreams of becoming a world-class writer and an amazing teacher. My parents understood my dilemma. They told me that even though it would be a financial stretch, I could go wherever I would be happiest. But being the frugal girl I am, I wasn’t sure what to do.

One of the schools that offered me a full ride had an informational dinner one night in the spring. Because I felt an obligation to my parents, I decided to drive the 45 minutes and attend. At first, all I had planned to do was smile politely, eat free food, listen quietly and get the heck outta there. But I surprised myself.

I received an informational packet upon my arrival. I quickly scouted the available tables and was relieved when I saw one of my close friends and his father nearby. Hustling over to his table, I smiled at the fact that I would not be going through this torturous evening alone.

After 15 minutes of giggly conversations and nervous glances around the room, a buffet dinner was served. There was a mad rush for the food, and the room quieted tremendously.

Seizing an ideal opportunity, the university’s president stepped up to the microphone, introduced himself and called for attention. Everyone in the room, including me, glanced curiously around the room. In all of my experience as a prospective student, I had never seen the president of any university present at a recruitment function.

The president began by explaining just what it meant to be a presidential scholar. He described the requirements, statistics and prestige of the honor. This was a crucial way to begin speaking to a group of honor students; we like having our egos stroked. He then went on to tell about the “wonderful” and “fascinating” opportunities that would be offered to us, including a service-learning project option, guest lectures and social gatherings. He also made it perfectly clear that free food would be available at all future events.

He continued with explanations of professors, class sizes, activities and sporting events on campus. As he spoke, I began to realize that this school, though not as prestigious as my first choice, might be the best one for me. It seemed intimate yet with vast educational opportunities. It seemed caring yet not too suffocating, challenging without being overwhelming. It did not seem to be the type of place that provoked boredom very often.

As the president ended his speech, the audience clapped politely and pushed back its chairs. As I walked out that door, a feeling of comfort washed over me. Looking at the campus that night, I realized that I would be spending the next four years right there.

In all honesty, my university does not have the academic reputation that my ‘dream’ university has. However, prestige aside, it turned out to be the right choice of schools for me.

When choosing a college, that is the factor that should be most heavily weighed in your final decision. You cannot base your decision on the reputation associated with a name. If I had done that, there is a good chance that I would not have been a comfortable or happy freshman. Someone must fall in love with at least one college on this planet; that’s why so many universities exist today.

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