I've applied to lots of colleges. It's funny when people ask me what colleges I've applied to because they look at me in awe of my long list but it's because I've been able to picture myself at each institution. The colleges I've applied to fit my checklist in what I'm interested in and what the institution can offer me the next four years of my life. So what is my checklist? Well I'm searching for the college that has
- an extraordinary premed track... Studying science has always been my niche. I want to make sure that I will enrolled at an institution with a strong premed program that can help me reach my future goal of attaining a medical degree. Even though I'm not 100% with this career decision, I know that if I choose to pursue it I want to make sure that I meet professors that are intelligent and caring. I want to know for sure that the professors I will meet will be more than just teachers but individuals that can inspire and challenge me. I want it to be somebody I can form a great relationship with.
- A fabulous music program so I can major in Music... I've been studying music for 11 years. It's something I just don't want to give up just yet. I've been busy all of my life living the life of your typical well-rounded student. There was a time where I seriously considered not continuing music after college. I even considered giving it up to focus mainly on athletics like cross country and swimming. I realized though that I could not disconnect myself from the one thing that I highly excelled in. I could not let go of something that help change the old introvert me into someone a little bit more extrovert. I am mostly considered majoring in the B.A. in music in order to follow along with my premed studies. Currently, I have been busy auditioning at different schools and trying to meet with applied lesson teacher on my primary instrument. In meeting with the teachers I am looking for someone I can spend the next four years of my life with and can help me develop into a mature musician. I am hoping to continue studying saxophone in college as well. I know it's a little strange, an Asian female wanting to pursue such an instrument but I enjoy it. I have been confronted many times and have always been asked why I chose the saxophone and not the piano. I must say I truly have embraced my experience with piano the past eleven years earning lots of positive critiques and earning nine straight superiors in a row but I want something different. I want to change things up a bit. I want to continue studying music with the instrument that helped me break out of my comfort zone and helped me express my emotions the most. I might have only studied saxophone for six years and haven't had any private lessons but I know I can succeed in anything if I put my mind to it. It may look like I'm wasting my years of piano but I say I am putting them to my benefit. Thanks to my experience in piano, it has helped me so much in becoming a saxophone player. Plus, all the colleges I'm applying to are looking for diversity and I think I can offer that.
- Students who are as motivated and willing to work... This is one thing on my checklist that will be taken into great consideration. As a high school senior spending my year at a university I've noticed how important this is to me. In high school, I was used a lot. The relationships I formed really with anybody, with the exception of a few, were only formed because I was beneficial to them. They I knew I was smart, be willing to do most of the work, and could search to me for answers. To be honest, I didn't mind this at all except for the fact that they do anything for me in return. I know this happens anywhere I go but I want to make sure that the institution I go to will have students who have the same mind set as me. I consistently get annoyed when people say I over achieve when actually I'm just setting my expectations high why because other people's expectations are even higher. A lot of people just don't understand this concept but I want to find a college where the majority of the student body does.
Lenoir-Rhyne University
Status: Accepted
I knew from the beginning I would be accepted to this school. I was accepted into the High School Scholars Academy in my junior year so this was no surprise. There are a lot of things I like about LRU. I have been able to meet lots of professors and particularly enjoy a lot of the professors in the biology department. Also, I am very familiar with the music department considering the fact I take piano lessons there with Suzuki. I have also been offered a couple of scholarships here. Among the positives, I do have some negatives. LRU is a little bit too close to home for me. I love my family so much but I need to do some soul searching on my own away from them. I want to experience dorm life, surviving on my own, etc. Also, as a student here myself, I know there is not much interaction on campus. It seems there's not much for the students to do here on the weekends and everyone usually just goes home. For example, in sociology class we had to go out around campus and do something out of the social norm but there was very little people on campus to act awkward around. Also, LRU is just not ranked as highly as other institutions I've applied.
Meredith College
Status: Accepted
Meredith College is a beautiful small woman's college in Raleigh. It is about five minutes away from NC State. I got hooked into Meredith when I toured their campus. They seemed inviting and ever since I have applied and the administration has been interested and informative to me. They gave me so much stuff. As soon as I received my admittance letter I received a congratulations note and photo frame from my admissions counselor. I even received a hand written letter from the President. I also heard of how great the premed program was and how it was nationally ranked. It didn't really matter to me that this was an all female student body. If you're willing to learn and have the motivation to do it, the gender of your classmates should not matter. The negatives, it sounds kind of hypocrite but it is an all women's college. On my tour and on my invitation to scholarship weekend, I felt like the students who attended were mainly reserved and a lot lived close to the campus. Another negative is the music department. The music department has a woodwind applied lesson teacher but they are mainly an orchestral school. Talking with the music professors, they told me I had the opportunity to perform with ensembles at NC State but I'm not so sure about it.Also, I met with the department head of music. My overall experience of Scholarship Weekend and my audition were under average. Let's just say Meredith was not as organized as I thought with the fact that I was not just solely a music student but a student interested in the honors programs as well. I feel that if I did go to this school I could not continue my passion effectively because of certain people that I prefer not to mention. For now this college has reached the bottom of my list.
Elon University
Status: Accepted
When I visited this campus it was really pretty. The whole application process was different from other colleges, so I was really excited to be able to get in under Early Action. I don't know if this is the school for me though. You have to audition on a Friday afternoon and at this point with my course load and assignments I can't afford to travel down on a Friday to audition 2 hours away from home with all the tests that are always held on Fridays. I also applied to there Honors Fellows College and a couple of scholarships but it was a no go for me. They seem not to have a lot of financial aid. I am getting lots of reminder letters from their multicultural director to send in my first down payment but I don't just don't yet about this school. I've randomly heard rumors that this school was basically the place where students who were rejected by UNC Chapel Hill go to.
East Carolina University
Status: Accepted
So, I know ECU has been mentioned as a huge party school. But I know for sure I'm not a big partyer or anything like that. I was accepted into their honors college and given a scholarship that covers the instate tuition. It has a fantabulous music school. I also applied to there school of music therapy. I've all ready been accepted into their music program through a CD audition. As much as I enjoy the things I have received so far I am not so sure how this school lines up academically. The main reason I applied to this school was in hope for receiving the Brody Medical program where a freshmen is saved a spot for their medical school and their full ride scholarship EC Scholars program but I did not get anything from that. Also, ECU is 4 hours away.
Wake Forest University
Status: Waiting
When I toured this school I thought it really nice but it was really hilly. To be honest I thought I was climbing a mountain at points haha. I know for sure it has strong academics but I'm not sure about the music part. I should probably try and meet the music teacher. The only thing though is that there is no exact saxophone teacher. The one who teaches it mainly plays clarinet. In my opinion, I prefer a saxophone instructor.
Duke University
Status: Waiting
The first time I stepped onto this campus I thought of Harry Potter and his school of Hogwartz. It was a wonderful campus with excellent classrooms and up to date technology. I would love to go to this school if it wasn't so pricey. It is a private school and one of the most prestigious schools in the country. I know my test scores and my class choices don't exactly match so it is kind of a reach school. I need to apply to these types of schools though. I feel like I'm in the middle with all these colleges. I'm not exactly up there with the ivy leagues but at the same time I know a majority of other colleges I could easily get accepted into. I haven't really looked up much information about their music program because I really don't know if I could be accepted there. I know with my application I turned in a Common Arts Supplement to display my talents but that's about everything musical I have done. Also, it is one of the most expensive schools on my list. I mainly applied to this school just to see if I could get in.
Appalachian State University
Status: Accepted
It was pretty exciting getting accepted to this school because it released my decision at least one or two months before I was supposed to know! I know a lot of my friends who have gotten into this beautiful school. Of course this place is hilly for the fact that it is in the mountains. The weather there is expected to be cold and I get to experience lots of snow. I recently auditioned for their amazing school of music which I am still waiting to hear results from. So far this my third ranked school overall. I've heard the academics are very good and the music is extraordinary. I was able to meet with the saxophone professor during my audition and he was a very relaxed chill gentlemen. Some negatives about this school is that it is a fairly large school. The classroom sizes are large. Also, the school of music has a lot of music majors in it. I know that the professor would have lots of students and I am concerned of how this might affect me. Another concern I have is being able to maintain my music classes and academic classes together. Since it is separate from the General College I don't know how well I could work my classes out together.
University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill
Status: Accepted
When I found out I was accepted to this school I was ecstatic! That one word does not even completely encompass the way I fe about receiving the acceptance letter. UNC is considered one of the best public schools in the nation. It can be extremely hard to get into. My acceptance to this school gave me a surge of confidence that even more prestigious schools may consider me. UNC has everything I want on my checklist they have a strong music program, excellent academics, and motivated students. It is place where passion and spirit drive down deep. Since it is a prestigious school, it is harder to earn scholarships there. I tried applying to multiple full rides but I've been turned down by all of them. It is a big school though and I don't know how well I can handle some classes with more than 100 students in them. I heard though there are recitations in those type of classes where you meet with a graduate student and discuss the lectures so the size is kind of a plus and minus. In two weeks, I will be meeting with the saxophone professor which I am quite excited about. His meeting will be one of the final factors of my decision. It is a very strong possibility that I could be attending this school.
Davidson College
Status: Waiting
Finally, the last college I've applied to. This college is a hidden gem about one hour away where I live. The first time I heard of the institution was in the eighth grade as we were determining the results of the NCAA Basketball tournament. I didn't really cross my mind as an institution I would be greatly interested in. My mother encouraged me to tour their over the summer and I agreed. On the tour, I fell in love with Davidson. At first I was a little intimidated and noticed how selective of a school it was but I love everything about Davidson. It the perfect size, has a great academic program, and a strong music department. The only negative thing about it is the price. I have applied to multiple scholarships and so far have been denied to the ones I've heard so far. I'm still waiting on the results of other ones though. The best thing about Davidson in the Honor Code. I experienced the Honor Code first hand when I visited the music department and professors there. The Honor Code is basically a trust formed between the students, faculty, and community. You can take tests unproctored wherever you want and leave your stuff anywhere without the worry of it becoming stolen. I understood this code but I really noticed when one of the ladies told me at the music department that I could leave my saxophone while she took me on a tour of the music building. That really meant a lot to me. My saxophone is like my child to me and the fact that I could leave it there without the worry of it being taken away from was truly something. I also was able to meet the saxophone instructor. I have heard him play at various concerts and he is truly one talented individual. He is also very caring gentlemen who is really interested in me. I really liked that a lot. Davidson is so far my top school and my dream school. It is a reach school for me because of it's low admission rating. The thing is this the best school I could picture myself here. Thanks to the strong emphasis on the Honor Code I know that the students are motivated and willing to work hard. Davidson basically checks off everything on my list.
So, that's basically the whole schpiel on my college search right now. The next few weeks are going to feel like the longest thing I have waited in my life. But for now I sit here, live life, and patiently wait on the outside looking in. I pray for the best for everyone in the midst of their college search and hope they find the perfect college.
Love,
Kirsten
