College applications. This is a stressful time for most high school seniors. You visit a ton of websites, you go on a ton of tours, and you look at all of these statistics or rankings to determine which schools you want to apply to. Then you most likely pick a dream school that you place on the top of your list, one that you would definitely go to if you got accepted into it. But what if you didn't end up getting to go to your dream school? Then what? Well, this doesn't mean that your college journey is over. In fact, it can mean quite the opposite.

As a high school senior, I applied to several schools in California. I always wanted to be living on the West Coast where it was always warm, especially since I hate the cold East Coast winters. I would always tell people that once high school was over, I was going to move to California for sure. So, I submitted my applications, and anxiously waited for a response just like all the other nervous high school kids.

I was fortunate enough to get accepted into many schools. I had several options, including colleges in my home state of Maryland, other parts of the East Coast, and ones in California. Now, it was time to make a decision. If I remember one thing about senior year, it was always getting asked the question "So, where are you going to college next year?" I also remember continuously telling people that I was still unsure where I was going even though I had already heard back from all of my schools.

This surprised many because they thought that I would immediately just choose my top California choice. But, there are a lot of factors that go into choosing a college. Ones that I didn't really think about, until I had to. We all know that college is expensive. So, in my situation, one of the major factors for me was what colleges were more affordable. I then also took into consideration the campuses and the sizes of the school because I wanted to be a part of a big student body. I looked at college programs for my major and what the schools I got accepted into offered me as a student. Ultimately, I had started to realize that the school that I most likely was going to end up choosing, was a school that wasn't in California.

At first, I was sad. I had envisioned this whole life for myself, where I thought that my "dream" college was out in West Coast under the California sunshine. But, I ended up going to a college in my home state that was the blessing that I didn't even know I had or needed.

I have fallen in love with my university and I love so many things about it. I was able to quickly connect with some great friends to create a fun friend group. It has so many wonderful opportunities for students. I love my major and I love the classes that I will be taking. There are also so many other interesting classes that the university offers that I am eager to take in the future. The campus is big and there is such a large and diverse student body. I could honestly go on and on about everything that I love about the college that I currently attend.

I cannot even picture myself anywhere but at the college that I did end up choosing. At the time, I think I might have thought that I had given up my "dream school," but I now know that my true dream school is the one that I am currently going to. I cannot even imagine going to school anywhere else.

My advice to college seniors: Do not eliminate schools or opportunities too soon. Always stay open minded. Completely evaluate all of your options.

Sometimes you might give up certain opportunities over factors that aren't as important as you might think they are. I may have to walk to class in the snow sometimes, but at least I am loving my college experience while doing it. I hope that all of you will be able to love your school as much as I do.