Assignment #7 - Irene Kim - Looking Ahead

An immaculately crafted statue of Homer presides over thirty-five acres of lawn. Historical buildings designed by Thomas Jefferson himself loom over the vast expanse of greenery. Food and drink galore dance the halls of the University of Virginia cafeteria. This was the impression I had first gotten when I visited the campus of UVA on an 8th-grade field trip.

Nearly halfway through high school, I held on to this same awe-struck memory of UVA. It had never crossed my mind to mark any other college as my first choice. As junior year grew near, however, I began to question myself--should I really base the next four years of my life on a middle school field trip experience? Furthermore, my parents wanted me to apply to several different schools to increase my chances of getting into one--I agreed.

The most scarring realization occurred when I told my friends that I wanted to apply to UVA, upon which they immediately dubbed it a "party school." At the time, I didn't know what that meant, but just last week, I was graced with the opportunity to look it up after it came up in conversation. Then came the staggering realization that UVA has among the highest percentages of alcohol and drug consumption, along with other not-great activities. Although I was unfazed in the aspects that I loved about the school, I wasn't sure I could bear four years surrounded by the other aspects.

So, I opened my mindset to other colleges. The most impactful experience was a two-week summer program at Vanderbilt. Each ninth or tenth grader would receive a dorm room and buddy, attend classes correlating with their "major," and engage in activities with their assigned groups. Here, I was surrounded by kids like me, engulfed in a beautiful campus, and flooded with a plethora of academic opportunities. I took the "EcoStats" major and took field trips out to messy, swampy rivers to collect and study new species of insects. Admittedly, it sounded terrifying to me at first, but I can say now with confidence that it was the best part of my summer.

From there on out, I fully opened to several new colleges and opportunities. It was and still is difficult to narrow my choices down as I don't have many requirements--I would prefer a four-year college with a medical/psychology program, but that's about it. Public or private, north or south, east or west, I don't exactly have a preference. As of now, I have a few colleges that I would definitely like to apply to--though my chances of getting in are slim, to say the least. I would love to attend Vanderbilt or Emory University--or UVA, which, despite my earlier experiences, I have rediscovered its value upon learning about the myriad of majors offered there and the large diversity range. I am also strongly interested in colleges in the northern states--mainly due to a childish fantasy of living in a big city--but also because of their ambitious academic values. Thus I would also love to apply to NYU or the University of Chicago. As a 'safety net' college--which is where I will probably end up--I am planning on applying to UK, as my parents both work there so I am familiar with their campus, and it's always nice to be close to home.

In other words, I am open to any and all colleges as of now. Soon, I will need to narrow down the options, but I think it's okay to be experiencing all the different types of opportunities available to us first. :)