On March 26, 2015, one email changed my whole life.

I remember applying to Barnard College during my senior year in high school. I found out about the small, liberal arts college as a junior through a close family friend of mine and she described everything she knew about the school.

I learned that Barnard was an all-women's college located in lively neighborhood of Morningside Heights. Their academic environment is rigorous, but they also provide small and intimate classes which allows students to develop rich relationships with their professors. At the same time, students have access to the vast resources of Columbia University, which is just right across the street. Barnard's campus fosters a small, tight-knit community and there is a strong, visible presence of female empowerment.

It was everything I searched for in a college, and being an all-women's institution made it even more special. So, I visited Barnard not once, but probably four or five times. I remembered standing in the Quad and admiring the residence halls that housed the Barnard first-year and upperclass students. Prior to the construction, the Lehman Lawn was filled with Barnard women sitting on the grass and enjoying the beautiful weather. The pink blossoms on the Magnolia tree were in full bloom and I took a moment to admire the scenery.

Photo Credit: Bwog

Everything about Barnard was perfect. The atmosphere was welcoming and I felt right at home. I could not believe that this college even existed in New York City, but I was glad to discover it. When I applied, I knew it was a long-shot for me. Barnard College is a highly selective school that admits a small percentage of applicants. The institution attracts many intellectual women from across the country and around the world, and I was one of those women.

The chances of me getting in were slim, but I still applied through Regular Decision and dreamed like everyone else. When March 2015 rolled around, my emotions were in overdrive; I was getting closer and closer to Decision Day, and each day I mentally prepared myself.

A week before decisions were out, The Office of Admission sent an email notifying us the date and time for our decision letters:

Thursday, March 26th at 7 PM EST.

(As a side note, Barnard first sent everyone an email with the incorrect date, but of course I did not realize this until the second email. I was just so nervous to even notice.)

So I was even more anxious knowing that in a week, I would get either an acceptance or rejection letter. It was harder to sleep as the week went on, but the night before decisions were out, I managed to get four hours of sleep.

Then the time came and I remembered it clearly.

Throughout day I could not think properly. All my focus was on the cellphone and the email I would receive later tonight. On top of that, it was Parent-Teacher Conferences and I volunteered to assist my AP US Government teacher, Ms. Brooks, for that night.

I remembered telling her, "Ms. Brooks, I have an important email from Barnard tonight at 7. I'll find out whether I get accepted or not from them."

Of course she was excited and confidently believed I would get an acceptance letter. So for an hour and a half, I was just waiting and waiting. My cellphone was in my pocket and every time I felt a buzz, I jumped; I kept checking my inbox even though it was not seven yet, but I could not help myself: I just wanted to know already.

6:50 PM.

My heart started racing. In just ten minutes my life would change forever. Luckily my former government teacher's classroom was not busy, so I was allowed to step outside in the hallway. I held my cellphone in my hands and waited.

6:55 PM.

I had five minutes left. I was trying to calm myself down, but it was no use. I just kept refreshing the page and digging my nails into my pants. My teacher decided to stand outside with me and talked; it helped keep me distracted, but only for a brief moment. The last five minutes seemed to tick by so slowly that I hated it.

7:00 PM.

It was time.

I refreshed my inbox multiple times and then I saw an email appear with the subject line: A letter from Barnard College.

I opened it...and I cried once I read the word "Congratulations!"

I got accepted.

Of all the students that applied to Barnard College, the Admissions Committee chose me to attend their school in Fall 2015. I was accepted to my dream school! My teacher was so thrilled that she even started crying with joy. I remembered my former AP Spanish Language teacher congratulating me and so did many others that night, including my mom who was lost for words.

A year has passed since and I'm almost finishing up my spring semester of my first year at Barnard College. Sometimes I wake up in my dorm room--Sulzberger 413--thinking "I can't believe I'm a student here."

Now that the new incoming first-year class has been selected, I just wanted to take a moment and reflect my own transition from a high school senior to a Barnard student.

I have three years left until my commencement day in May 2019. Three years left to create more memories with friends during my time at Barnard; next spring, I would need to declare a major and just thinking about that is nerve-racking, but exciting as well. I am shaping my own future and growing--mentally and emotionally--into a better person that will be prepared to face real world.

But I will never forget that day: March 26, 2015.

The day when one email changed my life forever.

Photo Credit: Barnard College