Preparing for an Education at the U

Today is a sad day- I was supposed to catch the tri-rail at noon to get down to Miami, but alas, I had no transportation to the hour-far tri-rail.  Tomorrow I shall return to grace the beautiful campus. ;-P

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As high school juniors (and others) begin to more specifically ponder which colleges they wish to apply to, they may wonder if they have what it takes.  It's normal to worry if you've done in enough in your high school career, and each university seeks different things in prospective students.

As the University becomes an increasingly selective institution (in the most positive way), it becomes more difficult for me to determine just what they're looking for in prospective students, but I'll try my best. :)

When I was a freshman in high school, I had no idea that I wanted to attend the University of Miami- all I knew was that I had to attend college.  Not only did my parents expect it of me, but I knew that if I wanted to get a good job later on in life I would need a degree.  Because I wasn't sure of the specifics, I did a bit of everything just to cover my bases.  I made sure to take every honors class possible, get involved in a sport, and begin my foreign language classes early on.  Only aware that I was interested in the arts, I began to take drama classes and became involved in the school plays.  Vaguely aware that colleges liked to see plenty of volunteering, I began to do so whenever (and where ever) possible.

My sophomore year, I transfered high schools.  Again I took upper level classes, continued to study foreign languages beyond the requirement, and focused on my grades.  I also chose to focus more on the arts in which I had discovered a keen passion for.  I had to sacrifice my interest in tennis to make time for homework, volunteering, family, and friends, but I felt that I was now at the level of 'quality over quantity'.  This is always good to keep in mind- if you've done a million things in high school but never really showed any commitment, it doesn't have the same meaning.  I also joined the school's two honor clubs- BETA and National Honors Society, and managed to attain a few awards by the end of the year.

My junior year I transfered yet again.  Fortunately for me, this school had a guidance counselor focused solely on helping students with anything attained to applying and being accepted to colleges.  He was the best thing I could have asked for- with my parents having no knowledge whatsoever of what I should be doing in order to get into a good school, I needed a reliable source.  He helped me pick out my schedule- AP class after AP class was set up for me, but I was reminded to make room for what I had decided to study later on- the arts.  I joined clubs that had meaning to me (Spanish Honors Society, Academic Challenge team) and secured leadership positions.  I continued to volunteer (nursing homes, elementary schools, public programs) and held an after school job at a preschool.  I took my SATs for the first time in the late fall, and registered to take them again in the spring just in case my score could improve.

I began looking at schools that fit my SAT score and offered the degree I sought- a BFA in graphic design.

Finally, it was my senior year- and no, I did not transfer again.  I decided that school was much too important this year, and that I should focus mainly on that- I left my part time job, and instead became even more involved in my clubs at school.  With 8 AP classes and 2 leadership positions, my plate was more than full.  Over the summer I had decided upon 3 schools to apply to- all early action.   I wrote my college essays- and rewrote them. Again, again, and again.  I began collecting letters of recommendation with teachers who had come to know me well and applied to every scholarship application I got my hands on.  I collected all of the necessary materials, checked every applicable box, and signed my name on the line.  I knew I had done all I could- so I crossed my fingers and waited for the letters.

The first to come was from UCF- I was checking my email and found one entitled 'congratulations!'.  Although this was my 'safety school', it was still exciting to know that no matter what, I was going to be a college student.  I knew that I had much longer to wait for my two remaining schools- UM & UF.

The second was from UM- I had just heard that someone else from my school had been accepted, and admittedly I was a little peeved.  I had been checking the website obsessively and had not yet received any word.  Still a bit frustrated, I used the computer during my lunch break to check if anything had changed on the website- and there it was.  Possibly the most beautiful thing I have ever seen in my life, I wish I had a picture of it.

"Congratulations- You're a Cane!"

I literally jumped from my chair, screamed absolute jibberish, did what I am sure was an extremely embarrassing victory dance, and cried for a good 20 minutes.  After said celebration, I called pretty much everyone in my phone book to tell them the good news.

I knew that UF decisions were yet to be made, but I honestly didn't care anymore.  I instinctively knew that UM was the only college for me, and although I was happy when I was accepted to UF, orange and green were already running through my veins.