[PhoenixAzul]

When I applied, I applied to a really bipolar group of schools, and was accepted into all of them. I applied to :

Penn State main
St. Bonaventure
Ball State
Bethany College (WV)
Otterbein College
University of Alabama (yeah, I know)
University of Pittsburgh

There may have been others. But here's the deal. I wanted, no, scratch that, NEEDED to get away from people in my high school. I was done with it. Those people were poison, and would have ruined my college experience. So remove the poison, go out of state! That meant that Penn State, Pitt and Indian Uni of PA were out. Plus, I wouldn't have been given much financial aid because I didn't qualify for "need". I needed merit.

I visited Ball State and St. Bonaventure...both were WAYYY too big for me, and had to have a big emphasis on partying...not what I was looking for. Plus, Ball State's representatives were rather rude to me when I did my visit.

Now on the other end of the scale was Bethany. Bethany had been part of my childhood because my grandfather is an alum. My brother also went to Bethany and would have been on campus w/me for 2 years. Its a beautiful school...BUT it is in the middle of NOWHERE and has a student body of 500. Yes, you read that right, 500. Plus it is too close to home. Plus I would always be known as Brother's Little Sister, and the whole point was to get my own identity. Plus their art and journalism programs were not quite what I wanted.

Then I found Otterbein. When I first started looking at schools, I wanted to be an Equine Veterinarian and OC has a great program in equine sciences, but I decided that my math and coping skills were not good enough for vet sciences and that my real calling was in journalism and art. Otterbein was far away from home but not too far, small but not too small, in a small town but connected to a big city, private, collegiate, perfect class size (1:14 i think?)...all in all, wonderful. It just felt right, and I know that seems trite, but when you know, you just know. As I sit in my dorm with my senior ring on, I'm ordering my hood and gown right now and wearing my letters. I'm so happy to be here. The college made every attempt to get me here. I was offered nearly 17,000 in merit aid. They sent me to Northern Ireland. I was able to get involved in nearly every aspect of campus life (newspaper, religious life, governance, GREEK LIFE!!!), I started a rowing club...the campus offered those opportunities, and made them accessible. I think that's another thing you've got to look at-- what sort of opportunities are there to be a leader? Its one thing to be a member of x club, but can you LEAD. OC has those opportunities.

Sorry, I'm getting sort of teary right now. I had my last undergrad thesis defense meeting today and I'm sort of seeing the light at the end of the tunnel...

O-T-T-E-R-B-E-I-N let's go O!!!