I’ve been hinting at the looming college process for the past six months but have made an effort to not be 110% explicit about the journey… until now! Before we go any further, I am excited to FINALLY say I will be attending… Wofford College!
So, how in the world did I end up at a small school in Spartanburg South Carolina??
Now if you had asked me in the 8th grade where I’d want to go to college, I would have told you Georgetown or a northern city school. Quite frankly if you had talked to me at any point in my life I would have probably told you the same thing. Both of my parents went to school in Boston, I have cousins who have spent their 20’s in Boston, close friends have gone to school in NYC and Boston, naturally, a northern city school just seemed right. However my first tour was a northern city school and something just didn’t feel right, while family members have done the Boston thing, I’d seen friends get to have the southern college experience as I grew up in Texas and North Carolina so it easily became something I wanted (not to mention: barbecue, warm weather & fun accents.) Throughout Junior year I visited about ten schools, traveling up and down the east coast trying to find the right fit, however, if you know me you’ll know that that certainly isn’t an easy task.
I toured Wofford on a weirdly warm day in January & immediately felt at home on the cozy campus. I had dinner with a table full of admissions reps, which in any other case would be intimidating but I ended up exchanging Instagram handles and leaving with friends, not a normal experience at all. It all just seemed right
I toured and shadowed a few more schools throughout my senior year, eventually applying to 11 literally across the world in Europe to just down the street at the local state school, everywhere. My fall, in addition to planning my school’s homecoming, taking too many AP classes, working and occasionally blogging, was spent writing tons of essays to everywhere. Throughout this process I watched friends commit to schools & all I wanted to do was commit, if you know me you’ll know this could not be truer. During this process though, everyone always kept saying “Well we know you’ll end up at Wofford…” as it’d always been my constant reliable college.This past November though I adamantly took Wofford off of my list.
I remember crying in a friend’s car about how stressed I was about college & he said “You’re gonna go to Wofford. We all know it.” I being stubborn, didn’t want anyone to be right. However, despite my foolishness, I cheered on the Terriers when they beat UNC, in December during what might have been the greatest upset in basketball this year and continually stalked Wofford’s student organizations, but swore I would “NOT go to Wofford.”
Wofford decisions were released and in that time, I didn’t care at all. I’d been admitted to the program I wanted at what I thought was my “#1 school,” but there wasn’t any peace about it. I was anxious and snippy and when anyone would talk about college I’d shut down, more than I had earlier in the year. It wasn’t until my mom adamantly convinced me to join the Wofford Class Facebook group where I realized that I wouldn’t mesh well with all of the potential roommates at any of my other schools. Sounds crazy to say but the Facebook groups to give you a perspective on your incoming class! So I gave in and decided to apply for a few more scholarships at Wofford, just for the sake of it and ended up getting into the entrepreneurship program I wanted. I did an overnight visit the next week and while walking to the 9 am literature class I shadowed in something just felt right.
With all that being said, I am so excited to be attending Wofford next fall to not only study and go to college but to be a part of their Launch Program. The scholarship is offered to ten students to start a company or social venture providing a business advisor, funding, an office space travel and on-campus opportunities. This past school year I have developed a full business plan for this sweet space on the internet (& even more!!!) which I submitted in addition to interviews. It is an incredible opportunity that I am so blessed to receive.
Get ready for this crazy journey ahead!
Mags