Senior year is supposed to be easy, right? Whoever told me that was so wrong. The moment college admissions became a part of my life, stress about high school was the least of my worries at that point. Is my SAT score high enough? Did I take enough classes that were challenging and rigorous? Were my teachers going to make me look good enough through their letters of recommendation? I really should've applied to more schools! All these anxiety-ridden ideas running through my head for months on months until those final decisions were sent out to me. But this became only half the battle.

See, with each additional admission packet getting mailed to my house, the decision became harder and harder. These colleges wanted me—little old me! Yet, I couldn't stop thinking whether this wasn't a mistake. The realization that all the work and effort had paid off really became something special. But now the hard part, saying no to five out of the six schools.

After applying to these schools, receiving admission from Stony Brook University, Binghamton University, St. John's University, Hofstra University, SUNY Cortland, and of course, Syracuse University, it was nothing short of a dream. But as time got closer and closer to that May 1st deadline, I needed to act quick. Hofstra would be the first one out due to financial affordability. Binghamton would be gone shortly after due to lack of academic growth available to me regarding my major. SUNY Cortland simply was just my safe school. So, with me getting into these schools that I thought had better opportunities for me and were my reach schools for a reason, Cortland had no place on my list anymore. I would spend a couple of weeks after this deliberating in my head what was the best decision for me. My two sisters had both attended Stony Brook University and had wonderful experiences. But did I really want to mimic their every move in life? I needed to become my own person, and in order to do so, I had to cross Stony Brook off.

So, two schools stand before me at this point. The only way to solve this was to visit them both. St. John's had a beautiful campus, with so much packed into the four city blocks it had taken up in Queens. Accompanying this was the people I had met along the way of the admissions process who had shown me I would meet amazing people if I were to choose St. John's. But once I stepped onto Syracuse's campus, I knew it was the one for me. No questions needed, my decision was made, and my deposit was paid.

In hindsight, the worry and the stress were really all for nothing. I had gotten into all 6 schools I applied to and was able to settle on a decision that will lead me on a one-way track to success. From being to travel all the way to Chile in South America to participating in school spirit in the Carrier Dome to cheer on Cuse's football and basketball team. These next coming years I think will be times I will remember forever. While I don't know where my future will lead me, I know where it will all begin—Syracuse University.