Choices, choices, choices… the college process is full of them. What schools to visit and apply to, what to write a personal statement about, what classes to take during senior year, and finally where to go to college. Of these many choices, the easiest one was choosing Cornell.

The story of how I got here is a long one. After much debate with my parents, I visited campus the summer before my senior year. I came in with no expectations, after all, it was the tenth campus I visited. Everything I saw was either too this or too that. I felt like I was living out Goldilocks and the Three Bears… nothing was just right.  

I had felt like what I was looking for in a college was non-existent. I was searching for a school with a big campus that also had things to do off-campus, had school spirit, and academic programs that I was interested in despite a lack of clarity in the career path I wanted to pursue. After walking through campus on that hot June day, I knew that this was what I was looking for, it was just right.  

I applied to Cornell ED and was deferred. What I thought at the time was rejection was redirection. I went about the rest of the college process hoping that in the end I would get an acceptance letter on Ivy Day. And I did… sort of. Instead of an acceptance letter, I was given the Transfer Option, meaning I had to complete my first year at a different school before transferring here for the remaining three years. The school I attended was the polar opposite of Cornell, solidifying what I wanted in a school and made me appreciate being here even more.

As I sit here writing this from Uris Library looking out over the slope, just as I did in high school, I’m confident that I made the right choice in coming here. After this, I’ll walk home through the arts quad past the beautiful gothic buildings, look up and see stars. Tomorrow, I’ll go to my classes in the School of Industrial and Labor Relations to learn about collective bargaining and labor economics. As the ILR pamphlet says, “one major, endless possibilities”. I’ll study with my classmates who want to pursue careers in everything from investment banking to prison reform. This weekend, I’ll drive to one of the countless state parks in the area and maybe even the Ithaca Farmers Market. In a few weeks, I’ll go to a hockey game and “Yell Cornell”. The best thing about Cornell is the possibilities are endless! There is something for everyone to find what they love and find their place in the community. 

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