“Congratulations on your acceptance to _____ University! Welcome to the class of 2021, you are now officially a _____!” was what I thought would be the best news to receive last year. This acceptance letter meant that I had one more school that wanted me, which is good news, right? Wrong. Even though I am grateful for all of the colleges that I got accepted to, a little part of me was happy every time I got a rejection letter just because that meant I didn’t have to make any actual decisions.
I am one of the most indecisive people ever. When I was hanging out with my friends in middle school, we wouldn't ever be able to decide what to do without pulling slips out of a hat to decide what to do. This is how indecisive I can be. My fate was determined by a slip of paper. So, as can be expected, senior-year-me had a lot of trouble deciding where I was going to spend the next four years of my life.
If you’re insanely indecisive and not ready to "adult" yet like me, here’s some advice from a college freshman. These are some quotes from personal friends of mine who attend eight different schools across the country explaining why they chose their college.
1. “After visiting, I cried. You need to have a gut feeling, an instinct, and you need to be able to picture it as your home.” -Bella Abdullah from Elon University
2. “It was close to home.” -Alyssa Buck from Ramapo College
3. “It was the best for my major.” -Lauren Medina from Carnegie Mellon University
3. “It was the best for my major.” -Lauren Medina from Carnegie Mellon University
4. “I picked my school based off of the weather and sports programs that I was interested in.” -Kayley Muench from University of Tennessee, Knoxville
5. “You have to feel like you’re part of the community.” -Johanna Crump from Elon University
6. “I picked my school because it’s a good stepping stone for my future career and also so that I could participate in my sports team.” -Marissa Muench from Miami of Ohio 
7. “I picked Marist bc of location, size, and internship opportunities.” -Erin Howard from Marist College
8. “It was the school that I grew up visiting and each college visit I went on, I kept comparing it to this school. I loved the people, location, and vibes so much. Also, it’s a good school reputation-wise and academically, so it’s worth the time and money.” -Allie Moyer from William and Mary
9.“I picked based on the size, I know that I learn better in small groups.” -Marion Rutan from Elon University
10. “I don’t know.” -Tucker Bradley from Virginia Tech
Ultimately, I picked Elon University, and I’m very glad that I did. When I first heard of Elon, I didn’t know what it was or anything about it, but the more I researched it, the more I liked the programs they offered. When it finally came down to the visit, I had a wonderful tour guide who told me so much about the benefits Elon offers. My mother insisted on documenting the moment and taking the photo featured as the cover photo of this story.
She didn’t only give me an idea of what the school was like academically, but also what kind of people came here, what activities they were involved in, and how involved the student body was. I knew about half-way through the campus tour that I loved it here, and as I received my acceptance letters, I was most excited about the one that was maroon and gold.
