Before I stepped foot in my local high school, I knew where I wanted to go to college. I stayed up over the summer between middle school and my freshman year researching everything I could possibly think of. My mind was set that this was the school for me and for the next three years, I couldn’t wait to put my plans in motion.

I moved to Northern Virginia from a small Iowa town. I went from corn fields almost everywhere you turn to houses everywhere you turn, from everyone knows everyone to meeting someone for the first time and finding out you've been going to school together for years.

NOVA isn't the place where traffic slows down because you're stuck behind a tractor.

Moving to Virginia was exciting. It was a new place with new people and new things to discover. The excitement didn't last long when I realized that the busy suburban area wasn't my cup of tea. I made friends in school, kids from my neighborhood who are still some of my best friends to this day. Even with these friends, Virginia still didn't compare to the place I still considered home. I didn't have the friends I'd known since I was five. I didn't have my very first day of kindergarten best friend. I didn't have the town day parade every year. I didn't have the fresh handmade gas station pizza that is still my favorite.

Visiting family over the summer always had me looking to my mom and saying, " I wish we still lived here." College became my way to escape and go back.

Senior year, I applied to two Iowa universities. My hopes weren't so high after I was denied from one of the schools. I knew my chances of admission were slim with my out-of-state status but I still had the chance of getting into another school.

A few weeks after applying, I got an email from Iowa State University notifying me that a decision had been made. I could wait for my answer via snail mail or I could clink a link and know right away. My curiosity couldn't wait any longer so I clicked the link. A large virtual banner appeared in red and yellow with a large "Congratulations". I ran upstairs with my laptop in hand. Standing in front of my mom, I showed her the screen and said, "I got in!"

My plans were finally starting to come together. I could live in Iowa again.

It didn't take long before I had a roommate, paid my admission/housing deposit, and submitted my on-campus housing contract. My childhood friends were shocked, asking, "Are you really coming back for college?" I was happy to tell them that I was finally coming back.

A few weeks later, I came home from school to see a package from VCU. Again, curiosity didn't hold me back from answering, "Did I get in?" Although it didn't make much of a difference to me, I still couldn't help from opening the large packet when I entered the house. I pulled out the booklet and read the letter. I not only had the answer to my question but new questions that needed answers. I already accepted my admission to ISU but I was offered admission to VCU. I started questioning if I had made the right choice. "Is ISU the right school for me? Is VCU a better choice? Is it a better fit? I already have a roommate. It was easy for us to find each other and get along. Will it be easy for her to find another roommate? Will it be hard to find a roommate at VCU?"

I made pro/con lists. I did research and comparisons. I looked for a possible roommate.

Weeks later, I decided that I liked the idea of going to Iowa but VCU was the better fit. I withdrew my admission and gave the dreaded "I'm sorry but I decided to go somewhere else" style roommate break-up speech.

Choosing VCU over my dream school is something I don't regret. VCU is proud of what it has to offer. It's proud of the diversity, long lists of opportunities, and the quality of its programs.

Virginia Commonwealth University won't give me plenty of cornfield-covered landscapes or the greatest pizza I've ever had but it has a unique community, a community that is about bringing different people together and accepting others for who they are. There is a place for everyone to fit.

VCU wasn't my first choice and it wasn't my dream school but it is my place to "Make It Real."