Why I Chose Florida State University

It doesn't matter how long I've been at Florida State, I am always met with the question "What made you choose FSU?". I'm an out-of-state student racking up debt at a college 1,000 miles from my home. There's countless colleges, great schools, lining the drive from home to school that I could've picked. I could have gone to any school I wanted to, but I chose to be here at FSU and I wouldn't change my mind in a million years.

1. The campus is beautiful.

Every day walking around campus, I see something more beautiful than I did the day before. Most of the buildings are red brick castles lining red brick walkways winding under palm trees and looming Spanish moss. The landscaping around The Wellness Center is my biggest HGTV-fueled dream.

2. The possibilities are endless.

Florida State is ranked #38 for public universities with several undergraduate & graduate programs ranking in the top 25 in the nation. Florida State is also one of the best universities for veterans and international students.

3. The athletic programs are insane and so is the Game Day Experience.

In the winter of 2016, we were the only school to have football and both basketball programs ranking top 10 in the nation. We entered the 2016 football season with the top freshman recruitment class. We have ACC and National Championships in all sorts of sports across the board along with a world class marching band.

4. The nightlife is unbelievable.

The party culture at FSU is unparalleled. If you've ever had a night out in Tallahassee, you know just what a Red Bull can means to FSU. The Y-bomb is a work of art. Whether is a night at The Strip, Recess, Coliseum, Tabu, Standard or Clyde's, Pots, or just Heritage Grove, you're going to find yourself a night you might not remember but surely one for the books.

5. Florida State isn't a "home away from home", it is my home.

Being at FSU has brought me to some of the best people I've ever met. I've had the best memories, the best laughs and made the worst mistakes here, but I've grown so much as a person just by being here. A piece of my heart will always be in Tallahassee in the seats of Doak Campbell Stadium, hanging in the treetops on Landis Green, crying in the Strozier basement, and splashing away in the Westcott fountain.